Peace Corps Withdrawal Statement – Cameroon
By La Guevara.
May 5, 2010
A letter to the Peace Corps
May 5, 2010
There comes a time in your life where you have to make a life changing decision when you thought there weren’t any left to make at that point. That happened to me this weekend, and this is why I’m writing this withdrawal statement.
I applied to the Peace Corps in April 2009. At that moment in my life it was the best decision I could make and it seemed like the right thing to do. Applying to the Peace Corps came as a result of traveling to Africa two times prior on humanitarian missions and working on the Barack Obama Presidential Campaign. I had dreams of moving to Washington DC after returning from service and working for the administration, or an NGO, or a non-profit, maybe the UN, in a field related to my PC experience where I could still make an impact in Africa. I saw it as a launching pad or a platform where I could continue to work in the mission field and influence the international community at a greater level.
I remember checking my email incessantly and logging on to my PC toolkit almost on a daily basis to see if any updates had been made to my applicant’s status. I longed for nothing more than to be a Peace Corps Volunteer, and among other things, fulfill my dream of living in Africa for an extended period of time.
My interview went really well. I even received my nomination that same day. My medical clearance went through flawlessly and I thought I was well on my way to an amazing journey, and a life-changing one. I was just waiting (patiently) to receive my invitation. That’s all I needed.
Then the earth shook.
I got in contact with a pastor from Puerto Rico who has been doing missionary work in Haiti for the past 34 years. I expressed to him that I wanted to go to Haiti and help out in any which way I could. Within 21 days of the earthquake we went with a group of 24 other people from Puerto Rico including doctors, nurses, pastors, social workers, and other missionaries bringing medicines, food, water, and other provisions for our brothers and sisters in Haiti.
We held a clinic to take care of those in the community who still hadn’t received medical treatment since the earthquake. We were able to distribute food and other provisions to over 600 families and connected with local community leaders to assess their needs and come back within a short period of time and continue to bring aid.
During this first trip to Haiti I remember walking down the streets of Port-au- Prince and coming face to face with some people protesting close to the National Cathedral. They held signs that read: “We need tents. Not guns,” “Stop UN Racism,” “Tents now. Politics Later.” This hit me like a slap in the face. I understood at that moment how the people felt and heard their cry, telling us – the international community – exactly what they needed. After two weeks we returned to Puerto Rico.
The trip changed me. Just like the other two trips to Africa had changed me. But this was different, and at that moment I didn’t understand why.
I knew I was returning to Haiti within a month and a half’s time and had to work as hard as I could for people in Puerto Rico to know what was going on in Haiti, what was the current situation like, and how the media was slowly but surely downplaying the conditions and substituting their Haiti coverage for things a bit more…trivial.
Meanwhile, I kept thinking about the signs the protesters were holding.
So while the rest of the group was gearing up to bring more medicines, food, and water for our next trip, I collected tents. I talked to everyone I knew, I blogged about it, I went to the media to share my experience in Haiti and convened the Puerto Rican community to donate tents. The earthquake left a million people in Haiti displaced from their homes. This was our response, our immediate response.
I saw people in Puerto Rico moved by this tragedy and, in the midst of a financial crisis, give from what they didn’t have in order to help. I visited homes of people in wheelchairs who could only afford to give $10 from their disability check, but wanted to be able to contribute something towards purchasing a tent for a family in Haiti. I saw students from elementary schools organize talent shows, sell cupcakes, and then use the money to buy tents for families in Haiti.
After very long days and traveling all over the island collecting tents, we were able to transport 552 of them to Haiti. We visited several tent cities, distributed food and water, and saw over 2,500 patients during our stay.
On April 5, 2010, while still in Haiti, I received a phone call from my mom telling me my Peace Corps invitation packet had arrived in the mail. She read everything over the phone, but something didn’t feel right. I didn’t know what it was. I had been waiting for this moment for a year. But I wasn’t as excited as I should be. I cut my trip short in order to get back home and take care of the visa application and write my aspiration statement.
When I returned to Puerto Rico I spent all my time talking to donors and thanking them for their support, figuring out ways to continue to help in Haiti before my departure to Cameroon, during PC service, and after PC service.
And then it hit me.
I wasn’t going to be able to do both. As much as I love Haiti, as much as I love Africa, and as much as I love missions, I had to make a choice.
I quickly realized that most of my reasoning behind applying in the first place was a bit selfish. I just re-read the first few paragraphs and now I feel uncomfortable thinking only about my career advancement and my desire to live in Africa without even thinking about the people in Cameroon, or in Haiti. I don’t want to be one of those humanitarians I criticize so much; those who go somewhere one time, check it off their “bucket list”, and forget about the people, the impact it had on their lives, and the continued work you’re supposed to do in order to see the mission through.
I am deeply grateful and thankful for the invitation to serve in Cameroon as a Peace Corps Volunteer. I’m humbled that you saw in me those qualities necessary to become a Peace Corps Volunteer. But because of those qualities is why I must continue to work in and for Haiti at this time.
I thank you for your time and for this amazing opportunity. I apologize it took me so long to realize what I was supposed to do, but like I said earlier, a life changing decision doesn’t come by that often. Recognizing when it happens and making the right choice is what counts.
Peace,
Andrea Pérez
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