Peace Corps on the Hill

     Yesterday I, along with 90 Returned Peace Corps Volunteers (RPCVs), was in DC talking to legislators of both houses and their aides about the importance of the Peace Corps and its current issues, including funding and health care. Did you know there are 5 RPCVs currently serving in the House? Including an RPCV who served in the DR, Joesph Kennedy III (President Kennedy created the Peace Corps). I was told by other RPCVs that the DR has an unfair share of high-profile RPCVs (obviously why I was selected to serve in the DR). Other well-known RPCVs from the DR are: Senator Chris Dodd, former Peace Corps Director Aaron Williams, and NASA Astronaut Joe Acaba. No women on the list, I guess I will have to change that!

Congressman Kennedy speaking about the importance of the Peace Corps

     A summary of what was said at most meetings:
     

1. Peace Corps is cost effective! A volunteer costs less than $50,000 a year - half the cost of a foreign service member and a third the cost of a member of the armed services. Volunteers also serve as capacity builders. Volunteers don't build a road and leave, they teach a community how to build a road, allowing the community to continue to develop after volunteers leave.
2. The Peace Corps budget, like many agencies, was cut during the recession ($25 million cut, budget now at $375 million) and sequestration will result in 700 - 800 fewer volunteers (Currently there are less than 8,000 - peak was 16,000). 
3. Countries want Peace Corps Volunteers! There are over 20 countries who have requested volunteers that Peace Corps including countries like Vietnam and Burma. Peace Corps is also beginning to investigate re-entering Haiti.
4. Peace Corps Volunteers sometimes get sick or injured and have to return to the States, where they find the red tape to get medical coverage difficult to cut through. 
5. RPCVs would like to create a commemorative in DC to highlight the ideals of the Peace Corps; helping others, cultural awareness, etc. This last point has been in the works for the past several years, one session the House would pass the bill and the next the Senate but never both at the same time! If you want more details about the above points click here.

    In between meetings I got to speak with RPCVs and ask advice about my upcoming service - 4 days left! All of them were very excited for me and told me inspiring stories such as one RPCV who helped a student get into college in the U.S., said student eventually became the vice-president of Malawi!

For those of you wondering I have not yet started to panic but I also have not started packing....

As a side note, there was an RPCV happy hour at Hawk and Dove; that place is so much classier now that it has been renovated but I am sad they got rid of the dance floor!