In this interview, you’ll hear from Jack Archer, a Peace Corps Environment volunteer in Senegal. Jack shares what daily life looks like, the work being done, and how service has shaped their personal and professional growth. You’ll learn about housing, cultural differences, project work, language learning, and what it’s like to live and work in a new country. This interview offers a real look into Peace Corps service and what future volunteers can expect.
Table of Contents
- Volunteer Experience and Motivation
- Living Arrangements and Cultural Integration
- Surprises and Challenges
- Advice and Support
- Practical Tips and Language Learning
- Social Identity
- Final Thoughts
Volunteer Experience and Motivation
1. What do you do as a Peace Corps Environment volunteer in Senegal?
Two years in the Kaolack region
I am a third-year extension volunteer. For my first two years of service, I was living in a rural village in the Kaolack region. There, I mostly worked on tree nurseries with individuals and groups in the community. I also taught English in the local French elementary school and worked in the women’s garden.
Third year on the Northern coast
During my extension, my work has changed drastically. I’ve been reassigned to a national park on the northern coast of the country. At the park, I lead an English course for staff and volunteers every Monday and friday; on wednesdays and thursdays I go to schools in the surrounding village and facilitate environmental education lessons; I participate in monitoring bird reproduction, sea turtle activity, erosion, and reforestation campaigns at the park; I also co-facilitate the creation of large filao and mangrove tree nurseries that are intended to promote biodiversity and stop erosion in the area; etc.
That description makes it sound like I’m very busy all of the time. A simple fact of service is that there is a lot of downtime between projects. Sometimes it can be difficult to fill the day. Gradually throughout my service I’ve learned the skills of creating routine and purpose for myself. I was very bad at that in the beginning and am still working on it now.
A large chunk of my time is spent with park staff, host family, and other members of the community. Often that involves me just sitting in a chair outside with the rest of my host family or whoever else happens to be passing through. We drink tea, eat peanuts, talk, and sometimes I read if I’m not feeling particularly social but still want to be close to others.
2. Why did you decide to join the Peace Corps and serve in Senegal?
In middle school, I had a friend whose dad had served in the 80s. I remember hearing from him about the Peace Corps for the first time. His experience sounded so intriguing but also like something I could never do. Thankfully, his stories never left my head, and eventually I felt like I had to try.
I knew nothing about Senegal. It just so happened to be the only place that had both the French language and an environment sector.
Living Arrangements and Cultural Integration
3. What is your housing like in Senegal?
I live with a host family in a family compound. The compound is walled off, with two families sharing the space. That means there are a lot of people of all ages around. Living with older folks and children has been a highlight of service. In the US, we are often divided by age demographics. It is rare for a person in their 20s to spend so much time with children and the elderly. That has been refreshing!
Still, as an American, I can’t help but pine for independence. Learning to live with so many others has been challenging, but I imagine the attempt has made me a little better of a person.
4. What moments or interactions stand out during your service?
I am impressed by the strength of Senegalese culture. You can witness it in the ease of greetings, the sharing of every meal around the same bowl, or the ways that people settle issues. Everyone is always involved. Sometimes that level of involvement is overwhelming for me, but I think I’ve learned a lot from it. I hope that America will take a page from Senegal’s book on that one.
Surprises and Challenges
5. What has surprised you most about living or working in Senegal?
People will often surprise me by plopping their baby right into my lap. It happens all of the time, even if I had just met the parents! I can’t imagine someone doing that back home. In the beginning, I would be shocked by that sudden plop and then a bit nervous as I continued holding the random infant. I was not used to holding babies at all.
Sometimes I felt honored to hold their kid. Other times, annoyed. Mostly though, it was a special feeling, and I am grateful for the openness of all those parents. These days I’m pretty used to it. That seems like a good thing.
6. What challenges have you faced in your Environment work, and how did you respond?
False expectations can be tough to overcome. For example, Senegalese people do not schedule things the same way that Americans do. They also do not reschedule things the same way. That can be very frustrating when you place so much value in getting a certain task done at a certain time. We Americans place a lot of our personal value in our ability to be consistently productive at work. If we don’t feel that we are doing that, it can result in feelings of inadequacy. So when I expect people to show up at a specific time, but a baptism across town suddenly changes that plan, I have to remind myself that it’s not personal.
Navigating that difference and accepting it has been essential. It’s easy to stubbornly think the way that we are used to doing things is the only right way, but that mindset doesn’t help. Now, I try to be open and receptive to different approaches and timelines.
7. What secondary projects have you worked on during your service?
I have been lucky enough to accompany my host, Moussa, in some of his work in the community. Moussa is a trained ornithologist at the park, but he is also heavily involved in other environment-related activities. Notably, he is working with a company called Alternative on an eco-tourism project that intends to bring back the traditional Senegalese sailboat.
Local groups will use these boats to take visitors on tours of mangrove forests while also recounting the historical and cultural significance of their unique sailing practices. I have been to meetings with the local minister of tourism and communities where they intend to establish these sailboat “posts.” The whole project is designed so that these communities are the main beneficiaries.
A younger generation of sailors will be trained by older fishermen who still remember how these unique sails work. The communities themselves will receive a percentage of each ticket purchase. The money that they accumulate will be reinvested into other local projects that the community deems important.
It is an honor to be a small part of a project that creates so much opportunity for small communities while also passing down generational knowledge/skills. Sometimes being a volunteer isn’t as much about leading the projects or planning them at all. It’s about finding your own way to support the important things that are happening in the community. I have thoroughly enjoyed watching this project play out. Any time I get a chance to help with it in any way, I feel proud to be a part of something truly special.
Advice and Support
8. What advice would you give to future Environment volunteers in Senegal?
Spend time in the community! I was once told by a group of Belgian bird researchers that “rest is work.” That idea was so mind-opening to me. You can’t do good work or give your best self to people if you’re exhausted and overwhelmed. I think the same mindset applies to just hanging out with people.
In order to come up with new project ideas and find work partners, you need to develop relationships. So that means that (sometimes) my to-do list includes activities like drinking tea and napping at someone else’s house for a few hours. Hanging out is a crucial part of working at the community level, and it is also essential for feeling connected!
Sometimes you might not be in the mood. Then you can tell yourself “this is just a part of my work.” Sometimes you might feel frustrated that you’re not working enough and you just want to hang out. Remember that’s time well spent as well! Anytime you feel like there is no work to do, try to find someone to spend the morning with. Allow things to unfold!
9. How did Peace Corps training prepare you for service?
When we Americans show up in Senegal, we are missing so many skills and so much cultural context. We are like dumb little newborn babies. After three months of training, we become clumsy toddlers who have learned enough to be able to grow into Senegalese children, then teenagers, and eventually (hopefully) young adults in our respective permanent sites.
Pre-Service Training (PST)
During Pre-Service Training (PST), we received the best language instruction that I could ever hope to receive. We learned some technical skills to get us started. And we learned a lot about the culture of Senegal.
I recommend enjoying it and trying to get everything you can out of pre-service training. That also means making friends with the volunteers in your cohort. That was probably the best part. Laugh with them about how you’re all dumb little Senegalese babies now. It’s a very funny experience.
In-Service Training (IST)
In-Service Training (IST) happens a few months after being installed into your permanent site. It’s a good time to ask questions about all the new things you don’t quite understand, and get some clarity on the work you should start focusing on.
Mid-Service Training (MST)
Mid-Service Training (MST) happens after one year of being at site. At this point, everyone has grown so much, and people are starting to feel very competent. Like IST, it’s a time to recharge and come up with a solid plan for the rest of service. By this point, volunteers know what they are capable of and what things they can expect out of a year of service. I remember feeling very fueled and ready to tackle the rest of service at this time. Experiencing that with other volunteers helped increase my motivation.
Both in-service training and mid-service training are great for reconnecting with old friends and sharing experiences with each other. All of these trainings act like little goal posts in service. They are things to look forward to and appropriate times to celebrate progress well made.
Practical Tips and Language Learning
10. What would you tell future volunteers to pack—or leave behind?
You don’t need nearly as much stuff as you probably think. Clothes, towels, etc. can all be easily found and purchased. Pack as if you’re going on vacation for a couple of weeks. The Peace Corps gives you a large move-in allowance, so you’ll be able to afford to buy whatever you need. Get a good solar panel just in case you end up in a village without electricity. Bring printed pictures of family and friends to hang up in your living space. Bring your musical instrument of choice! A good pocket knife also comes in handy.
11. How has language learning been for you in Senegal?
Prior to Peace Corps service, I had never learned a language to a fully conversational level. I was so nervous that I wasn’t going to be able to do it. Thankfully, our language instructors were great! I was assigned to learn Wolof. It is the most commonly spoken language in Senegal, so I got pretty lucky. Sometimes I regret not learning Sereer or Pulaar because I find their cultures really interesting.
Occasionally I get the chance to visit another volunteer’s site and learn tidbits of those languages. That is such a fun way to practice language learning. There is no pressure, and people are so happy that you’re even trying.
In training, we had class for several hours a day. By the time I finished PST, I really did have a bit of confidence. For the rest of service, my language ability has waxed and waned. One week I’ll feel completely fluent, and then the next I feel like I don’t understand anything. It took showing some new volunteers around my site at the end of my first two years to see that I had learned so much.
What’s great about language learning is that the more work you put into it, the deeper you can connect with others around you. Every new word is a new way to express yourself or understand others. It can be difficult to maintain, but it’s worth the effort. That is something I have to remind myself of very often.
Social Identity
12. How has your personal identity shaped your service experience?
I am an American, English-speaking, white, 27-year-old, publicly Christian (but secretly spiritually ambiguous) man who likes to run, play the guitar, do a little writing, and recharge with some solid alone time. In the US, most of that stuff makes me a pretty average guy. In Senegal, I am very much not the norm.
Sometimes it feels like I have a spotlight on me everywhere I go. People, and especially children, tend to be curious about me. That can be a good or a bad thing depending on one’s mood and mindset. One of the most satisfying parts of having such a different identity from the people around me is discovering all the ways that in reality I am not that different from people. There are aspects of Islam that I’ve learned and found really interesting, which ultimately adds to my secret spiritual ambiguity.
The biggest difference is my Americanness. Throughout my service, I have moved from a general understanding that Americans are more individualistic to feeling stretched by a more community-minded culture. My Americanness is still very important to me, but there are certain communal qualities that I would like Americans to start embodying. So in those ways, my identity has kind of changed as a result of my service experience. I am still waaaay more American than I could ever be Senegalese, but I do feel the influence.
13. Did your identity lead to specific challenges or situations?
The most challenging aspect of my identity is the attention I get as a result of being so obviously different. Because that spotlight is on me, if I’m walking down some random street outside of my site I’m more likely to attract someone who wants something from me than a person who is vaguely curious and relaxed. I tend to enjoy interactions with the latter kind of person a bit more. If I get called over by someone who I suspect only wants something out of me, sometimes I’ll give them the benefit of the doubt and maybe have a perfectly pleasant interaction. Usually, though, I opt to smile, wave, and walk on. That tends to be the end of it.
I have to admit that I’m not always in the mood to smile and wave. Occasionally, if I’m getting a lot of attention I ignore people or just wave. That doesn’t feel as good. I do my best, but I’m only human.
14. What advice do you have for volunteers who share your identity?
I urge volunteers to question their own perceptions of Senegalese culture and the perceptions people have of Americans. Try to learn why people feel certain ways about your identity. What are the historical and cultural contexts? Holding that information can help you interact with challenging people in an easier way. There is always more to the story than meets the eye. It is also fun to learn these things and deepen the understanding you have of people around you! Finding similarities and opening people up to new things is what the Peace Corps is all about. And that’s a two-way street!
Final Thoughts
15. What final advice would you share with future volunteers?
Enjoy it! Although service can be challenging, it’s the best thing I’ve ever done.
Are you thinking about joining the Peace Corps? If you’re curious about service and ready for something new, apply today. Like Jack, you can live abroad, work with communities, and grow in ways you didn’t expect. Apply to the Peace Corps and take the next step.
The content of this post does not necessarily reflect the views of the U.S. Government, the Peace Corps, or Senegal Government.
