In this interview, you’ll hear from Madison Cook, a Peace Corps Youth Development volunteer in Peru. Madison 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
- Impact of Media and Final Thoughts
Volunteer Experience and Motivation
1. What do you do as a Peace Corps Youth Development volunteer in Peru?
Serving as a youth development volunteer in Peru is an amazing experience. Of course, there are many highs and lows, but that is the charm about it. Some days I work from 7 am to 7 pm, and some days I clean my room all day and watch cooking shows. Some days you wake up at 4 am to go to a school 3 hours away to play volleyball and drink beer for their anniversary, and don’t get home until 9 pm, and other days I have classes and workshops back-to-back all day.
The depth of what we do is remarkable. I wear a lot of different hats. At times, it can be overwhelming, but I enjoy the hustle. But also consider that I live in a bigger city, every volunteer has a very different experience, and my ability to stay busy comes naturally because of where I serve.
A regular day
On a regular day, I wake up early to go for a run, I go to the school “San Antonio de PADUA”, which is a school that specializes in special-needs education, and I do a quick workshop with the older students to orient them to the café we are building in the school with my Peace Corps grant. I will usually discuss something with the principal about the construction of the café as well.
Then I go to my main school, “I.E. Estenio Torres Ramos” (PADUA is a secondary project), and teach two life skills or vocational classes to high schoolers. From there, I could have a workshop with parents or teachers at either school.
After lunch, I teach English classes, working with the local government to organize them. Then I go to the gym and prep for the next day once I get home. On Saturdays, I also have an empowerment club with the local government. This is more or less a normal day for me.
But first year….
But it wasn’t always so busy. My first year was the opposite. I came to my site strong, doing a lot, and feeling good. But then we had ESIT (Early In Service Training) for a week, my mom visited for a week right after, and I was in site a week, then we had IST (In-Service Training). I was out of site for like a month and was so embarrassed I kept going to Lima, when some people have never been in their entire life, living in Peru.
And at the same time, I had a site visit (by PC Peru staff) and was told I was doing too much. I was recommended to choose a couple of projects and cut the rest. I listened… I cut work… It all fell through… I had nothing… got really down and struggled to rebound. And when I did rebound, I struggled with the expectations I had for myself. All important lessons.
My first year, I worked with socios assigned by the Peace Corps, but I struggled to find real support and was told to keep trying for a while. After talking to different staff, they recommended that I move, and I did, and the rest was history.
Advice
So my takeaway is to listen to your instincts. You know what you are capable of and what is best for you; for me, that’s staying busy. And don’t be so hard on yourself. I finally realized I was putting the work in, I was making the effort; it wasn’t my Spanish or lack of desire that made it so hard to get into my work year one, it was the lack of support and follow-through, and it is never too late to get back into things. People may be like, “Oh, I haven’t seen you in so long, where have you been?”… they don’t actually care, don’t feel embarrassed, just do your thing.
2. Why did you decide to join the Peace Corps and serve in Peru?
I joined the Peace Corps in Peru to learn Spanish and learn more about empowering youth. It is my professional dream to work in the fight against human trafficking, and to me, learning Spanish is a huge asset to have. And more than that, understanding diverse cultures and perspectives. I also liked the idea of working on the prevention side of human trafficking and not the aftermath of it.
Living Arrangements and Cultural Integration
3. What is your housing like in Peru?
My home situation is pretty good. In Peru, as of right now, it is required to live with a host family, but I would not be surprised if that changes. Many volunteers have spoken in favor of and against this. I had to switch host families after getting to the site, and was luckily able to find a great family very quickly. Many people have switched families, and I don’t say that to allude to there is a problem with host families, but I say that to make a point that people do not need to stay somewhere they are unhappy. Sometimes when work is bad, your family is all you have. In my opinion, a host family could make a break in a volunteer service.
We live in an urban area, and my family has other sources of income, which makes me feel more comfortable living there. Some people in more rural areas feel the pressure of their family being low-income and the family’s dependency on the volunteer’s money. It can create a weird dynamic and put pressure on the volunteer not to leave site so much, but there is always a way to navigate it.
Some families give you more support than others. I make most of my own meals, but try to still be around on the weekends to eat with my family. Some volunteers try hard to integrate into the family, and that usually pays off, but there are pros and cons to everything. I really enjoy my independence, so the hands-off approach my family has is good for me, but then at holidays, it can feel lonely.
When it comes to the host family, it is all about communication and honesty. If you aren’t happy, speak up, and yes, you need to adapt, but it is two years; they also need to adapt and meet your needs, too.
4. What moments or interactions stand out during your service?
I think you have so many little things happen that you’ll remember forever. It doesn’t feel right to say this one big thing happened to me because it is the small things for me. I think I will go back to the States, and random memories will pop into my head because something reminded me of them.
Like when students bring me little gifts, many times it is something that their family grows, and it is a very humble and sweet gift, and it feels really thoughtful. Another example, just now, while I was writing this answer, I was bombarded by two classes of kids who had never seen me before. They are so curious and excited, and the innocence of children is beautiful, where everything still feels possible to them.
Surprises and Challenges
5. What has surprised you most about living or working in Peru?
I think the most surprising challenge was the work ethic and priorities. It was almost a running joke about what could get students out of classes, but when we wanted to do a career fair, it was like we asked for their firstborn child. There is a lot to appreciate that Mother’s Day is so important that the students practice their dance performances for weeks in advance. But it was hard for volunteers at times to digest that they could get them a free day, but a workshop on how to get into college didn’t.
6. What challenges have you faced in your Youth Development work, and how did you respond?
While developing projects, it was hard to make my counterparts see the long-term benefits. Oftentimes, creating more work in the short run meant less work in the long run. For example, they identify drug consumption as the biggest problem we face, so let’s do a 5-session program on prevention. This capacity building will have long-term impacts that could prevent students from engaging in behavior that will give you less work when they are adults, and maybe lead to crimes that require even more attention. Youth programming is an investment. Butt was hard to inspire local staff at times.
7. What secondary projects have you worked on during your service?
My largest secondary project was actually the grant I applied for. It was to develop a space in the CEBE (Centro De Educación Básica Especial), which is a school for kids with special needs, to develop life and vocational skills. This space was actually a fully functional café. The goal was to train students, parents, teachers, and community members about the potential of these amazing students and break barriers.
Advice and Support
8. What advice would you give to future Youth Development volunteers in Peru?
Come with an open mind! Listen to the community and find ways to inspire them!!! Don’t let your passion to get things done let you stray away from the importance of the community members doing the work. It may be slow at times, but it is important to inspire local professionals to execute.
9. How did Peace Corps training prepare you for service?
Peace Corps training reminded me to always consider the different “lens” that I may need to use. For example, I notice sometimes my socios were nicer to me than local Peruvians. In particular, I thought one of my socias was the nicest lady in the world, but I started listening to what others said about her, and it was so consistent that I realized she was treating me drastically differently. The obstacles others faced were not aligned with the obstacles I had. This gave me a better understanding of the other perspective and that people did care and have initiative, but were probably shut down, while I was supported.
Practical Tips and Language Learning
10. What would you tell future volunteers to pack—or leave behind?
I did not pack dressy clothing. I took a lot of jeans and t-shirts. I wished I had nicer blouses or pants to go out to a nice restaurant a time or two, or just dress up in my room and feel like I had somewhere to be, haha. I was so focused on fitting in most of my service, but towards the end, I realized it is okay to stand out sometimes. Guess what, I’ll never be Peruvian, and part of the exchange is to share my culture and norms too. So don’t fit in!
11. How has language learning been for you in Peru?
I struggled a lot with the language. There were times it made me not want to work with certain people because some are more empathetic listeners than others. But you just gotta get out of your head. When you plateau, reach out to staff and ask for help, don’t run and hide because you feel not good enough or are embarrassed, because that is the opposite of what will make you better. Know there will be good and bad days, but embrace the learning process.
Social Identity
12. How has your personal identity shaped your service experience?
As a female volunteer, I definitely had my own challenges. At times, I think it impacted my ability to be respected or get things done. And it can also impact you mentally with the cat-calling and unwanted attention. But looking on the bright side, it made me more resilient and learn how to process those things and also deepen friendships as we support one another.
I think a big part of my identity was my work ethic. I measured my success by tangible outcomes. I think that more than my social identity shaping my community, my community has shaped me. I hope I instilled confidence in the people I worked with to be leaders and believe in themselves. But ultimately, I learned I need to slow down sometimes and enjoy the process instead of chasing the validation. And that is what my community taught me: that the show can go on without you.
13. Did your identity lead to specific challenges or situations?
Gosh, the thing about my Peace Corps experience… I was put in too many really tough social situations that really made me feel lost and alone at times. Looking back, I would have dealt with those situations so differently if I were in the States, and that was important for me to recognize coming home.
I wouldn’t have ever forgiven people, tolerated certain things, or sacrificed so much, and those were lessons I will carry with me. During the Peace Corps, it feels like survival at times, with temporary band aids… so being home, I have been re-living it all and properly processing it. But, well, like I said, you survive.
I learned so much about myself, about others, about life, and I have moments when I question everything and my own sense of reality, which is okay. I learned how much I can provide for myself; I learned the importance of trusting my own instincts and having faith in myself. I learned how much journaling helps me, my physical fitness, and trying new things!!
During one of the hardest moments in my service I did some of the coolest things I never thought I would; I did surfing lessons, learned to play tennis, lost 40 more pounds, scaled mountains, watched the best sunsets at the beach, and had some really good chats with really good people who would turn out to be the biggest blessing of Peace Corps. And that is the beauty of the Peace Corps: you will always make a comeback if you do not give up. And those are skills I will carry with me forever.
14. What advice do you have for volunteers who share your identity?
Don’t date anyone (unless you go with a significant other, haha)!!! Focus on yourself, your work, and making memories!
Impact of Media and Final Thoughts
15. If you share content online, how has that shaped your service?
For me learning from others is crucial so any exposure to other’s advice, stories, experiences, and memories is a great way for me to feel apart of something, understand, and learn.
Do it! No matter how much you think you will remember every detail of service we are all slowly going to forget it, haha.
16. What final advice or thoughts would you share with future volunteers?
Don’t romanticize the things you didn’t do! Romanticize the ones you did!
Are you thinking about joining the Peace Corps? If you’re curious about service and ready for something new, apply today. Like Madison, 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 Peru Government.
