In this interview, you’ll hear from Aidan Briney, a Peace Corps Education volunteer in Sri Lanka. Aidan 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.
Volunteer Experience and Motivation
1. What do you do as a Peace Corps Education volunteer in Sri Lanka?
6:00 AM: Wake up.
6:15: Exercise or jog around the village before school. Wave to students I pass on the road.
6:45: Shower, shave, breakfast (white rice and dahl curry, egg, carrots, mallum [leafy greens & grated coconut mix], beets, mushrooms)
7:30: Walk 6 mins to school with my host mother and 11-year-old host brother. My host mother wakes at 3:00 AM every weekday to cook the school lunch for the local primary school. I help her by carrying a large pot of rice from our house to the school.
7:45: Arrive at the school I teach at – across the street from the primary school. Say good morning to students, fellow teachers, the school secretaries, and my Principal. My principal is also a Buddhist monk. I try to greet as many students by name as I can.
8:00: Morning assembly – school news, Principal’s announcements, singing of the Sri Lanka national anthem, and our school anthem.
8:20 – 9:00: First period. School is from 8:00 – 2:00, with eight 40-minute periods. I teach 4-7 classes per day, with many unexpected changes and special events on a daily basis.
11:40: Interval (Lunch). I combine my lunch with several teacher-friends and enjoy a jovial break with them.
12:00 – 12:40: Sixth period.
2:00: School ends. Occasionally, after school, I hold a Community Conversation Session, an English Club / Library Club for interested students, or teach English at the local Pirivenna (school for monks).
2:15: Say goodbye to our school dogs, Eddie and Timmy. They are neighborhood dogs that come to school every day and are fed lunch by my Principal. They go from class to class as they please.
2:35 / 3:30: Arrive home, depending on after-school activities. Sometimes I walk with my two younger brothers, who are also my students.
4:00: Chat with host family, sit on the porch and read a book, lesson plan and make materials for the following school day, do some computer work.
7:00: Dinner with host family – host mother, host father, 18-year-old brother, 15-year-old brother, 11-year-old brother.
8:00: Call home occasionally.
9:30: Daily journaling and Sinhala language study.
10:00 PM: Sleep.
2. Why did you decide to join the Peace Corps and serve in Sri Lanka?
Three reasons:
- At the time I applied, Sri Lanka was the earliest-departing Peace Corps assignment.
- Sri Lanka was reopening their Peace Corps post for the first time in 25 years. I had the opportunity to be a trailblazer as a part of the first group of volunteers back.
- Sri Lanka seemed like an incredible place to be (it is), with food, climate, and way of life suitable for me.
As for a deeper reason, I wrote my undergraduate thesis on John F. Kennedy, and was inspired by his integrity and strong values of peace-building in the world.
I saw joining the Peace Corps as an opportunity to embody the world he sought to create.
Living Arrangements and Cultural Integration
3. What is your housing like in Sri Lanka?
I live in a small village in the mountainous and beautiful Central Province of Sri Lanka. I live with a host family – host mother, host father, 18-year-old brother, 15-year-old brother, 11-year-old brother.
I teach English at a small school of 250 students in Grades 6 – 13. I co-teach with three Sri Lankan English teachers. My Principal is a Buddhist monk.
4. What moments or interactions stand out during your service?
One afternoon during a free period, I was standing on the school playground. One of my Grade 9 students came up to me, and we started chatting and practicing English. She said, “Before you came, I could not speak English. But now I can.” That was a very heartfelt and meaningful moment for me.
My mother-son relationship with my host mother. She treats me like one of her own sons. She always helps me, practices Sinhala with me, and gives me delicious homemade food every day. This is in addition to taking care of her own three boys and waking up at 3:00 AM every morning to cook lunches for 130 students.
My Principal’s strong leadership, ambition, and hard work. Since becoming Principal of our school twelve years ago, he has expanded the school from two buildings to seven, 50 students to 250, and 7 teachers to 32.
My Counterpart teacher’s commitment to her job. She once told me that “teaching is a gift… some jobs we just go in, sit down, and pass the time… in this job we have a special opportunity.” She holds herself to a high standard and expects her students to meet the same.
The friendship and support system I built with my group of fellow teacher-friends. We all combine our lunches every day. They support me with any teaching or cross-cultural challenges.
I am grateful for all of the aforementioned people and also many others in the community. They are very kind.
Surprises and Challenges
5. What has surprised you most about living or working in Sri Lanka?
How friendly and helpful people are.
How flexible people are despite daily unexpected events and logistical challenges.
And… how powerful the sun is.
6. What challenges have you faced in your Education work, and how did you respond?
I had to learn how to work cooperatively and professionally with all of my fellow teachers, across differing backgrounds and teaching styles.
By showing up and working hard every day, I learned to lead with responsibility, respect, and deference.
7. What secondary projects have you worked on during your service?
English Club: Creating posters, reading competition, book donations, speaking activities, watching cartoons
Community Conversation Session: Weekly conversation sessions in English with local community members, in an informal setting.
Media Productions: Recording English School News read by student newsreaders, and conducting student-student television interviews in English.
Advice and Support
8. What advice would you give to future Education volunteers?
Make your service your own! Get involved in your community and chat with lots of local people.
Try your best, give yourself credit, be grateful for those supporting you, and… just do it.
9. How did Peace Corps training prepare you for service?
Language is extremely important and greatly increases your quality of life at site. We are given a solid foundation during the 3-month training period.
Practical teaching practice in the classroom also helped improve my teaching. It was very helpful to share and ask about “teaching best practices” from my fellow volunteers.
Practical Tips and Language Learning
10. What would you tell future volunteers to pack—or leave behind?
Pack floss picks and glasses lens cleaner.
Don’t overpack – I am able to get practically everything I need at the towns near my village. Special items I can get in Kandy or Colombo.
11. How has language learning been for you in Sri Lanka?
There’s a big emphasis on language learning during the 3-month training. The course is practical and gives a good foundation in spoken Sinhala or Tamil.
You’ll also develop a strong connection with your Language and Cultural Facilitator (LCF), who will serve as your training cluster’s language teacher and help you with any integration questions you have.
Social Identity
12. How has your personal identity shaped your service experience?
As a “stereotypical” white American boy, I am somewhat famous in my local area. People are always somewhere between excited and bemused to see me. I am very friendly with many people in my local village – it’s great to greet people as I see them around the neighborhood.
13. Did your identity lead to specific challenges or situations?
Sometimes people think you are a tourist and treat you as such. Using my Sinhala always helps and brings a smile to the surprised local’s face.
14. What advice do you have for volunteers who share your identity?
Be safe, be responsible, and be yourself.
Final Thoughts
15. What final advice would you share with future volunteers?
I think the Peace Corps is one of the best chances we can take in our lives. I like to say that it gives us “unlimited opportunity” to make a difference, both within ourselves and for others. I feel a strong purpose in doing my job in my village.
I encourage all those interested in building community, learning more about the world, and engaging in purposeful work to “just go for it” and apply for the Peace Corps. You have nothing to lose and everything to gain!
Are you thinking about joining the Peace Corps? If you’re curious about service and ready for something new, apply today. Like Aidan, 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 Sri Lanka Government.
