In this interview, you’ll hear from Arabella Davis, a Peace Corps Environment volunteer in Panama. Arabella 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 Panama?
As an environmental PCV in Panama, I work to promote environmental stewardship and address community concerns. In my first three months on site, I held a community analysis meeting, which addressed key environmental concerns of the community, where community members cast a vote to determine which held the highest priority. The three that gained the most support were conservation and accessibility of water, ecotourism/reforestation, and solid waste management. These are all fairly general, which has led me to do a variety of projects.
Some specific projects I have been working on include a fruit tree nursery/ reforestation project of over 400 trees, helping revitalize our environmental community-based organization, trail maintenance, a school garden, and collaborating twice with an international program called Global Glimpse to help fund community development projects, holding different workshops on solid waste management, and training farmers on sustainable agriculture in collaboration with government agencies.
I have busier periods and slower periods depending on what I am working on. A lot of what I, as a PCV, am also just visiting homes, or pasearing to connect with community members and hear andshare ideas.
2. Why did you decide to join the Peace Corps and serve in Panama?
I decided to join the Peace Corps and serve in Panama because it was the perfect mix of impact, getting outside of my comfort zone, and new experiences. I had studied abroad in Singapore during my undergrad and had gotten the chance to solo-travel around Asia and Latin America, which deepened my appreciation for foreign cultures and experiences. When I was nearing the close of my undergrad, I began job searching, but despite my previous environmental experiences, such as internships, I found a highly competitive market to get a job I wouldn’t even love or feel like was making a difference.
For me, the Peace Corps was a bit of everything good. Plus, serving in a Latin American country, I would have the opportunity to strengthen my Spanish, which will enable me to connect to a whole new demographic and address important issues that affect Latino populations.
Living Arrangements and Cultural Integration
3. What is your housing like in Panama?
For the first three months, I lived with a host family, and they would usually prepare traditional Panamanian meals for me, like rice and chicken, spaghetti, or soup. After these three months, I was able to move into my own house, which was pre-approved by the Peace Corps. Since a previous PCV had lived there, it came with some old furniture.
My house
My house is ~15x20ft with the faucet, shower, and bathroom right outside. It also has a little front porch connected. Inside, I have a full bed, a couple of racks for my things, a fan, a table, a stove, and a fridge, a little shorter than I am. My signal is very good.
My landlord/ neighbor and her daughter live right next door, but they are very easy-going and great neighbors/friends. My house is up the road from the center of town, so I have a little bit more privacy, but passers can still see into my house, so I usually crack the door if I want extra privacy. My community, with ~150 people, has a bus pass through once every hour. I usually need to walk ~5 minutes to get on the bus, but they’ll drop me off at my house.
Shopping, food, cooking
I use these buses to go to the supermarket about 45 minutes away once every couple of weeks to get groceries and toiletries, but there’s also a veggie vendor who passes in front of my house twice a week, where I can easily restock. There are also vendors who sell bread/pastries, food, toiletry essentials, fish, and other stuff. I love Panamanian food, but I prefer to prepare my own meals. Locals are very curious about what I usually make and usually think my food choices and combos are a bit strange. Eggs, avocado, and cheese on toast are one of those.
4. What moments or interactions stand out during your service?
When I got here, I thought my level of Spanish was fine, but I didn’t realize how difficult it would be to understand my community with their thick “campo” accents. On top of that, people usually have one or two nicknames on top of their actual names, which makes it difficult to follow conversations.
I didn’t grow up religious and have mildly avoided churches, but here I enjoy going to church (we don’t have it regularly) to see all the people and the way they interact. Since our community and those neighbors are so small, people know each other very well, and it’s very simple but special to see what a community like this one is like.
I have had a lot of time to reevaluate or ponder things in American society. One is how differently we treat the elderly in the States versus here. Here, people will live a long, healthy life to 100 fairly regularly if they eat well because they have such a strong social support system.
Another thing is just the difference in culture in willingness to try new things. I am appreciating more and more Americans’ curiosity, openness to newness, and interest in extracurriculars (that we generally want to try new activities, clubs, hobbies).
Surprises and Challenges
5. What has surprised you most about living or working in Panama?
I am most surprised by how well I’m able to see the impact that new technology has on traditional knowledge. I have had senior community members say that before, people who couldn’t read or write were 5x smarter than we are today. I feel like I’m witnessing a terrible loss of knowledge over the years in slow motion. We have community elders who, once gone, will have no one to replace them or carry on the knowledge they possess. It’s like seeing a great oak being felled before it even happens.
Many young families have left to work in the city, and have no knowledge and maybe no respect for traditional practices like farming. Even with the oldest people in the community, you can tell that there has been important knowledge lost from the generations before them, too. It makes me think about urban migration– the good, the bad, and the ugly. It makes me think about sustainability, glass towers, and what we’ll be left with when it all comes crashing down.
“You’re gonna suffer, but you’re gonna be happy about it.” Harry Potter
6. What challenges have you faced in your Environment work, and how did you respond?
A main challenge I have faced in my Environmental work has been getting Panamanians interested in environmentalism themselves and navigating cultural differences.
Being an Environmental volunteer is my primary “job” in my community, and if you mix that with American culture, which is very work-oriented in comparison to the more relaxed and slow-moving campo lifestyle, it can sometimes feel like pulling teeth to get Panamanians to accommodate your occasional environmental projects into their schedule. This can make projects happen much more slowly than you plan, occasionally.
These challenges can be mitigated by bringing snacks to activities and presentations you do and by insisting that they come through multiple follow-ups, and explaining why. I have also occasionally had to hold one-on-one meetings with them in their homes.
7. What secondary projects have you worked on during your service?
Aside from environmental projects, I also did computer and english classes with the school.
Advice and Support
8. What advice would you give to future Environment volunteers in Panama?
I came into the Peace Corps prepared to have a conservative-religious community, limited access to running water, and the possibility of not having electricity or service in my house. Although none of those things happened, I think not setting certain expectations helped prepare me for the realities of being a PCV.
Being a PCV, like a fellow volunteer quoted from Harry Potter, goes like this: “You’re gonna suffer, but you’re gonna be happy about it.” It’s incredibly rewarding, beautiful, unique, difficult to translate to friends and family exactly what you do, and terribly frustrating and lonely at times. You have to be tough, resilient, independent, open-minded, flexible, and resourceful. Every single person has different experiences depending on the particular site they are placed in and how they handle challenges and opportunities. It’s an incredible thing to do and will challenge and fulfill you in ways you didn’t expect.
9. How did Peace Corps training prepare you for service?
(Pre-Service Training) PST sucks – just keep swimming
Practical Tips and Language Learning
10. What would you tell future volunteers to pack—or leave behind?
Pretty please, do not overpack. It’s hard to predict what the local style or climate will be and thus which particular clothes to bring, so I recommend buying clothes once you get to site. Bring the basics, but don’t overdo it. Also, hand-washing or low-quality washing machines are harsh on clothes, so don’t bring things you really like/are expensive.
11. How has language learning been for you in Panama?
Traveling to Spanish-speaking countries greatly helped me before serving, and once I got into site my Spanish has been getting better and better by the day. In the beginning, it’s embarrassing, and people will sometimes equate intelligence with fluency, but you gotta keep asking questions and practice as much as you can so you can improve quickly.
Social Identity
12. What advice do you have for volunteers who share your identity?
I think no matter your identity, you’ve got to make consistent efforts to connect and be kind to your community. I would start by being more reserved and open-minded and adjust them over time as you get to know the culture more and they get to know you.
As a woman, I was a little on edge about how the men would treat me, and a few open comments in the beginning made me feel uncomfortable at first, but I learned that it’s just the culture, and it wasn’t meant to be offensive. I also watched how others in the community interacted with those people and realized they weren’t a threat or creepy, and the culture was just open about the things they said. I might not agree with everything people say all the time, but I learn how to pick my battles here in the context of the culture and social norms.
Final Thoughts
13. What final advice would you share with future volunteers?
If you’re interested, I would try it! After a few months, you can always decide it’s not for you and leave
Are you thinking about joining the Peace Corps? If you’re curious about service and ready for something new, apply today. Like Arabella, 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 Panama Government.
