Frequently Asked Questions

I've made it as far as my parents house in one trip.  I spent this past weekend with my girls from Grenoble, celebrating the marriage of two wonderful people.  I love all the new life changes going on around me as I prepare for my own.  We are all on our own journey, just going different places.

So now that I am at home and less stressed out, I thought I would take this opportunity to answer some questions that I have been asked by most of the people I've talked to in the last week.  In true Peace Corps style, I don't have answers to many of the questions I have been asked...

Where will I live?  

I will not find out what village will be my home for two years until part way through staging.  I don't even know where my training village is located.  I do know that I will arrive in Lomé, the capital of Togo, on the 18th of September.  I will train for approximately 11 weeks before spending two years in my village.

As far as living conditions are concerned our handbook states:

Volunteers in Togo are provided housing as part of the community’s contribution to their work. Most Togo Volunteers live in villages in a two- or three-room house, most likely in a compound with a Togolese family. Some Volunteer houses have tin roofs; a few have straw roofs. It is unlikely that you
will have running water or electricity, although they are more common in larger city posts. Water sources in villages can be traditional wells, bore-holes equipped with pumps, cisterns, and natural water sources—in some cases, rivers. Whatever your source of drinking water, you will have to treat it
before use.

What will my job be?

YOUR PRIMARY DUTIES
The goals of the Girls' Education and Development project are:
1. Girls (students or apprentices) together with boys (students or apprentices) will increase their knowledge and will develop personal skills that contribute to their successful completion of school or professional training and will be empowered to participate in their communities.
2. Formal and non-formal educators will create positive environments for the promotion of girls' education in collaboration with boys.
3. Organizations will contribute to the development of their communities through the promotion of education and empowerment of girls in collaboration with boys and the development of financial and human resources.
4. The communities and community based organizations will be actively engaged in the campaign to increase the enrollment and retention rates of girls in schools and apprenticeship centers. Communities will use local and external resources to support gender equity in families, community organizations, schools and cooperative groups.

By the end of the first year, you should be collaborating with your counterpart(s) in implementing at least two of the following activities: Village Savings & Loan programs, to help families improve their incomes so that they could better support the education of their children, especially their girls; Training of families on gender issues to encourage them to provide the same opportunities for both boys and girls regarding their education; Tutoring and other activities such as training in study skills aimed at improving the performance of girls in the classroom; A teacher/apprentice supervisor training on gender equity and life skills; Organization and co-facilitation of at least one club; School vacation enterprise program to help girls to meet their financial needs during the school year.

Do I get paid?
Not a whole lot, but i've been assured that my $285 monthly salary will be sufficient to live comfortably by Togolese standards. :)

If anyone has any burning questions, feel free to ask!  Also, please feel free to send me mail!