In this interview, we hear from Kim Murphy. Kim is a Peace Corps volunteer working as a Education volunteer in St. Vincent (Eastern Caribbean). What Kim shares gives us a better understanding of the work volunteers do. We learn about the challenges, rewards, and personal growth that happens from volunteering in a new place. Kim talks about living in a different country, working with local people, and dealing with surprise situations. Join us as we learn about Kim’s journey and see how volunteering with Peace Corps can change lives.
Table of Contents
- Volunteer Experience and Motivation
- Living Arrangements and Cultural Integration
- Surprises and Challenges
- Advice and Support
- Impact of Media and Final Thoughts
Volunteer Experience and Motivation
1. Can you tell us more about serving as an Education volunteer in St. Vincent?
First – it’s important to note that the PC region is considered to be the Eastern Caribbean (EC). Currently, it consists of 4 islands: Dominica, St. Lucia, St. Vincent and the Grenadines, and Grenada. Volunteers who are assigned to the EC won’t know what island they will be serving until pre-service training.
Fun fact, the EC was one of the first regions to be served when JFK started the program in 1961. I was a part of the cohort EC 93, which means that 92 cohorts came before me, so in some years, there have been more than one.
Second – The island of St Vincent is one island of the island nation named – Saint Vincent and the Grenadines. People here say SVG for short and people who are from St. Vincent are referred to as Vincentians – or Vincy.
Technically, the official language here is English, but in reality, the locals speak in “dialect” which is a form of Creole. There is no Duolingo for this and I struggle to this day to really understand them.
2. What motivated you to join the Peace Corps and choose St. Vincent?
The Eastern Caribbean really chose me! When applying to the PC, you have the option to apply to a very specific location or to go wherever you are most needed. In this scenario, the PC will evaluate your application and your medical file to place you where they feel you can do the most good, and where they can support you best.
I was willing to go where they needed me. At first, I was scheduled to go to Albania, but because of delays in my medical clearance, I was not able to depart with that cohort. The Eastern Caribbean was the next place I was offered, so here I am!
In regards to why the Peace Corps and why now? At the age of 52, I was at a crossroads in my life. My children have grown and on their own and it’s the perfect time for me to take on a new challenge. As I think about what I want for this next phase of my life, doing something that is mission-driven is very important. For the last 10 years, I have worked in the nonprofit industry and I’ve grown to appreciate the feeling of contributing to a greater cause. I had spent the last 25 years giving to my family and my community, so now I wanted to live elsewhere.
Plus I have a serious love for exploration, travel, and learning about different cultures. The very best way to really get to know a different culture is to live there. Two weeks of visiting the tourist hot spots really doesn’t tell you enough about the real culture.
Living Arrangements and Cultural Integration
3. Tell us more about your home situation:
The good: In the EC, you would be in a homestay for your in-country training for about 6 weeks. Even though this sounds intimidating, it is really very helpful. Your homestay family is essential in those early days to help you integrate into the culture and minimize any pitfalls that you might encounter. Like how to get places, where to shop, and how to cook some of the local foods.
In the EC, after training, everyone moves to independent housing in our posted communities. So, I have my own house with a guest room for anyone who wants to visit!
The bad: I always say that it’s a good thing that I’m a bit of an introvert because where I am it is pretty rural. My neighbors are either much younger with kids, or older. Integration has been one of my toughest challenges, especially as a female. It is harder for me to just go down to the local bar to drink and play dominoes – that is frowned upon here. Plus, like I said – introvert here!
The other challenge of living rurally is transportation. “Buses” are really passenger vans that are independently operated, so there is no schedule and you never really know when one will come. It’s not unusual to have a long wait for a van to get to town (in this case Kingstown, the major economic center) – and because I live rurally, I have to go to town to do shopping.
4. Any memorable experiences or interactions you’ve had with community members?
I love my bread man. Vincentians are serious about having fresh bread and rather than buying it in a store, the baker will drive around the village twice a day (once in the morning and then at night) and you can buy it directly from him. It’s usually still warm!
My bread comes from a lovely man named Pumpkin and you know he’s coming because his car “meows”. (The egg seller’s car cockadoodledoos and the fisherman blows a conch!)
On a couple of occasions, I’ve been able to visit the bakery and get my hands in some dough.
Surprises and Challenges
5. What has surprised you most about Education challenges in St. Vincent?
It would be easy to say that the education here is not as robust as it is in the US, but in truth, it’s not so simple and it’s a bit more nuanced.
For example, the principal is really the only “office” staff in the school. There is no other administrator, or secretary, or nurse. She has to do the job of so many people that often her job to mentor and lead the teachers gets put on the back burner. For instance, one day, she was not at school because she had to get food for the kitchen.
Additionally, resources are always scarce. I am starting to see more and more students holding devices, but there is really no technology to use as an education tool. The classrooms are equipped with a blackboard (not even in the best condition), and chalk. There is one ancient computer in the school that the teachers will use to print out worksheets, but paper and ink can also be hard to come by.
Our school is also understaffed, so if a teacher happens to be late (see transportation issues above) or absent for any reason, there are no substitutes that will come and run the class or even monitor their behavior. Sadly, this is pretty frequent and I’ve walked by many classrooms in disarray with kids but no teacher. It’s another day of lost learning for them, but not much that anyone else can do since each teacher already has their own students to consider.
In the US much of the management is done on the local level. There is a local superintendent and school board that work in tandem to help direct the school and voters elect the board and vote on budgets. In SVG, schools are “supported” by the Ministry of Education in terms of supplies and human resources, but it really is the principal that runs the school. Also, there is a general feeling that most of the ‘better’ schools closer to town get much of the resources, better teachers, etc. While the leeward schools often get the short shrift.
How a volunteer interacts at the school can be very different from location to location and is contingent on the principal and your counterpart. For example, many are in the classroom with their counterparts and play an active role in the planning and teaching for that grade. I do pull-outs with a few different grades and that seems to work for me. This has allowed me to get to know many more students across many different grades. Plus, I started to feel like a celebrity because half the class would want to join the pull-out.
6. What challenges did you face while working on Education projects with community members?
I love the phrase: “You don’t know what you don’t know.” and I try to keep that in mind when I run into roadblocks. People here are so entrenched in the way things have always been done that it can be hard for them to see that there may be another or better way. We are foreigners who have seen how things are done in the US and it can be easy for us to see all the possible adjustments that would improve the educational system and get excited to try to implement these things. But change takes time and patience is a virtue (because you can never use too many idioms! lol)
My tactic so far is to keep proposing ideas and hope that one will stick, but in the meantime, focus on daily activities with the students and if the worst thing that happens is that a few of them walk away as better readers, then this is not a bad thing.
Our PTM retired last month after 30 years of working for the PC and he has an interesting story. When he was a child, there was a volunteer at his school and this PCV was instrumental in his life, so much so that he made a career out of it. He’ll always tell us to not worry about doing too much – you only need to help one child to make a difference. Some days that feels too small and inefficient; other days it’s a mantra.
7. Could you share some of the secondary projects you have been involved?
Like my answer above, this has been a challenge. Some of the smaller things I have done are:
- Complete reorg of the library to create a space that is about reading and resources. Small things like having a Tongue-Twister of the Week, to having small games that can also be checked-out. I hosted a domino’s tournament that was a big hit! I hope to do more refurbishing of the space. Due to the volcano eruption in 2021, many of the bookshelves and surfaces are in bad shape.
- Create a e-newsletter for the school that is updated each term
- Active in posting/managing the school’s FaceBook page to keep the community and parents informed of what is happening at the school.
- Worked with the students on various video projects. For instance, a few of my Grade 6 students gave video Book Reports that were then edited and put online.
What I’m hoping to do:
Village History Project – Because of the eruption of La Soufrière in 2021, much of the physical record of the village was lost. This includes things like school records, photos, etc. I hope to start rebuilding this record by first working with Grade 6 students. They will be taught how to conduct an interview and then will go into the community to interview elders. These will be videotaped and initially put on social media. Ultimately, a community website could be developed to host the videos, along with other pictures and documents that can be scanned and added.
Heritage Trail and Park – This is a project that is already in the works by a local man whose goal is to preserve the culture and heritage of the local native Garifuna who used to live here. I’m only just starting to understand the depth and scope of the project. I’m currently cleaning up and updating the organization’s website, helping with accounting and reporting back to the grantors, and I’m continually creating videos to document the area and promote the project.
Projects just for me!
I love cooking and exploring culture through food, so I make a point of learning about and trying to cook some of the local foods as much as I can. That said, I was offered a fresh, live iguana yesterday which I politely declined! I’m open-minded, but was not in the mood to learn how to skin and butcher an iguana. However, I have tried the Black Fish, which is what they call the pilot whale that they actively fish. Mostly, I stick to the mangoes and breadfruit.
Advice and Support
8. What advice would you give to someone considering serving as an Education volunteer in St. Vincent?
Come with an open mind and an open heart. The kids are great and they will love and appreciate you!
9. What skills or qualities do you think are most important for a Education volunteer?
Creativity and flexibility are key. Because of resource limitations, being able to think outside the box is helpful when you need to make changes.
10. How has the Peace Corps training helped you during your service?
Our cohort jokingly calls PST PTSD! Training is necessary, but it is a lot of information that they are giving you in a short period of time, so it is near impossible to remember it all. Just retain what you can and know that you’ll probably have to ask questions later.
In-Service training is a great time to get out of your community for a bit to reconnect with your cohort and despite the data dump, is a lot of fun.Practical Tips and Language Learning
11. Anything that you packed or didn’t pack that you’d like to tell future St. Vincent volunteers?
It is steep mountainous terrain here, but leave the hiking boots at home as those will be too hot. Opt for good hiking sandals like Teva or Ecco. Plan on being hot and sweaty! Lightweight technical fabrics are best, but remember that in the schools, there is a dress code. The strictness of this is dependent on the principal and can vary from school to school. My principal allows teachers to wear sandals, while another PCV must have her toes covered.
Also, school supplies can be expensive here so if you have room in your suitcase, stock up when US stores have their back-to-school sales. You can really never have too many pencils and many kids don’t have colored pencils or crayons at home, so they relish the times that they can use mine.
12. How has learning the language been?
Because our region is made up of 4 independent countries, it’s hard to learn the language before you come. For example, Saint Vincent is English Creole, while St. Lucia is French Creole. These are very different and you won’t know what island you are assigned to until mid-PST.
Luckily, the “official” language in the EC is English, so most people will understand you and will have a foundation in English. It will just be hard for you to understand them when they are talking to each other!
Impact of Media and Final Thoughts
13. How do you think your social media contributes to your overall mission as a Peace Corps volunteer?
The PC’s second goal is to “help promote a better understanding of other peoples on the part of the Americans.” When most people only see the island from the deck of a cruise ship, keeping a blog is one way to do this and to help break down those cultural and racial barriers.
Ultimately, it is a personal choice. I try to regularly post on FaceBook and Instagram mostly so that my family and close friends know what is going on in my life. But it also acts as a diary of sorts so that I can remember my life and time here.
14. Any last comments or observations you’d like to pass on to future St. Vincent volunteers?
It is not always easy, but there is so much need and the kids will appreciate you. Just remember to celebrate the small successes when you can.
The content of this post does not necessarily reflect the views of the U.S. Government, the Peace Corps, or St. Vincent Government.
