In this interview, you’ll hear from Megan Dial, a Peace Corps Education volunteer in Togo. Megan 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
- Megatron
Volunteer Experience and Motivation
1. What do you do as a Peace Corps Education volunteer in Togo?
My primary work is as an English teacher in a public school. I teach both 5ème classes, which is like the U.S. equivalent of 7th grade. Each class is 55 minutes long, so I have a total of 8 hours teaching every week. There are 75 students in each of my classes, so things get pretty hectic. I do not co-teach, meaning I am the only teacher in the room. I am in charge of writing and grading all assignments aside from their national exams. However, I still ask my counterpart, a fellow English teacher at my school, for help if I have any questions. Likewise, he asks me any spelling or grammar questions he has.
In addition to teaching my classes, I also continued the English club that the previous volunteer at my site began. All grades are welcome. We meet once a week for roughly two hours after school, where we sing, play games, and watch films in English.
I’ve also tutored several individuals in my community, both students and adults.
2. Why did you decide to join the Peace Corps and serve in Togo?
I’ve always been very passionate about travel. Throughout all my career changes and crises, two things have remained constant: I want to travel, and I want to help people. In high school, I thought I wanted to be a doctor and had fantasized about joining Doctors Without Borders.
In college, I discovered Biology was not for me, but Political Science and International Studies were. In my studies, the Peace Corps stood out as it’s a government agency that in many ways works like an NGO. It piqued my interest both academically as a Poli-Sci nerd, but also as a person with the desire to do something different than a 9-5 straight out of college.
After interning with the National Peace Corps Association my summer going into my senior year at university, my mind was set. That fall, I applied where needed. I figured every country has something unique to offer and something for me to learn. I let fate choose where I’d spend the next two years of my life.
Living Arrangements and Cultural Integration
3. What is your housing like in Togo?
I live in a village, but it’s difficult to say it’s especially rural. My village borders many other villages and a decent-sized town. I can’t remember the population of the town, but I know it’s over 10,000. My house is in a gated compound. I share my compound with three teenage to young adult grandsons of my original landlord who passed away shortly after I arrived. Our house is the same building, but my rooms do not connect to theirs.
I have two rooms: a bedroom and a living room. I have my Peace Corps-provided stove in my living room where I do all my cooking, but my neighbors cook over a fire outside. My latrine and shower room are separate from the house in our side yard. We have no plumbing or running water. Luckily, we do have a well in our compound. Since my region is one of the rainiest places in Togo, the well remains full for the majority of the year. I’ve only ever had to get my water elsewhere twice in my two years of service.
4. What moments or interactions stand out during your service?
In Togo, we do village-based training, so I lived with a host family in a village much smaller than my current one for my first 12 weeks in Togo. On my first night in my training village, I was terrified. I didn’t understand what anyone was saying, and I didn’t understand their way of life, and I didn’t know where anything was or how to do anything. The next morning, my host brothers tasked the neighboring children with giving me a tour of the village.
So there we were: me and about 10 elementary-aged children who spoke not a lick of English and hardly a word in French, parading around the village. We ran into a fellow volunteer- the first American I’d seen all day- which was a huge sigh of relief. They also took me to where I’d be having all my French and Teaching lessons, as well as where our Peace Corps teachers were residing- another major relief. Throughout those 12 weeks, those same kids would lead me back home anytime I ever got lost (which was painfully more often than I would’ve liked).
In America, kids are hidden from the world. If you’re not in a space made specifically for children, many times they just won’t be there. I imagine I sound pretty old, but it’s true: kids just don’t play outside like they used to. They’re constantly under adult supervision or inside on their devices. This contrast was made particularly severe considering I just left college. On a college campus, children might as well not even exist.
But in Togo, children are the blood of the country. They’re everywhere, and they do a lot more than just play. They’re incredibly helpful and so much more open-minded than adults. It was the children who were eager to meet me, eager to teach me their language, inviting me to play with them, showing me the village. When I came to my permanent village, I had the same experience. Children are our future. And I realized they are so much more capable than I gave them credit for.
Surprises and Challenges
5. What has surprised you most about living or working in Togo?
I think a better question is what hasn’t surprised me about living in and working in Togo. It’s pretty impossible to narrow it down to one thing, so I’ll say this instead: I learned there are two worlds. I say two, but, really, I know there are hundreds. You hear all the time people saying first world, second world, and third world countries, but in this age of globalization, I figured we were too interconnected for the divide to be that severe. I was very wrong. I’m constantly amazed by how little my knowledge overlaps with the knowledge of the locals. I felt so incredibly dumb my first year of service. I didn’t even know how to do laundry without a machine. Young children had to teach me basic survival knowledge. In America, we spent barely any time learning African history. Most of my friends didn’t even know what Togo was until I moved here. I knew nothing of their culture or unique history or what’s happening now.
On the other hand, I’ve had questions about America that have bewildered me. A high school student didn’t know a man had stepped foot on the moon. My students do not know what England is and do not understand that it is not in America. Or not understanding that America is not in Europe. People ask me if every person in America has a car or if I’m guaranteed a job as soon as I return. I think as Americans, we tend to believe the world revolves around us, especially with Hollywood dominating the media. It was humbling coming to a place where America is spoken of more as an abstract fairytale land than a global superpower. It made me realize that the world is still a very big place.
6. What challenges have you faced in your Education work, and how did you respond?
Classroom management is the biggest challenge hands down. As I said before, I have 75 students per classroom, and I am not even 5’4”, a woman, and with a very difficult-to-understand accent. Corporal punishment has only recently become banned in the country, but it is still used as the primary form of punishment in essentially every school. As an American volunteer, I am not permitted to hit my students, nor do I have any desire to do so. As such, it is very difficult to get respect. Without respect, it’s nearly impossible to get through a lesson when there are 75 children talking over you.
But it’s not entirely a lost cause. This year has been much better than last, because I realized I needed to embrace who I am. I am not scary or intimidating. I’m just not. Any attempt to yell at them only gets more laughter, and I’m not the kind of person who likes yelling. But I am young and so are they. I am silly, and they like to laugh. So I may not be able to scare them into respecting me, but I can relate to them, and if they like me and see me as a person, maybe they’ll sympathize. I keep things light in the classroom. When they get out of control, I make an overly exaggerated sad face or silently scream. I’ll get a laugh, then the students who are trying to pay attention will police the others, and the class will settle down. With the troublemakers, I’ll single them out and ask nicely for them to stop, and they usually do. Sure, they’ll get loud again- that’s inevitable, but at least I can get it quiet enough to get through the activity.
My best words of advice are: don’t take things personally and remember to laugh. These kids have to sit in hot classrooms in uncomfy seats packed like sardines for hours every day, and who knows what’s going on at home. If a kid doesn’t want to pay attention… well, shoot, I was in school once- I also didn’t want to pay attention. It doesn’t say anything about you or a person or as a teacher. And remember to laugh. When you’re feeling upset, remember how absurd this entire situation is. Like, I’m in a country I didn’t know existed two years ago, teaching a ridiculously large classroom full of kids who never understand what I’m saying. This is very silly. It’s still important work, but give others and yourself grace and patience. You’ll need it if you want to persevere.
7. What secondary projects have you worked on during your service?
I just got fully funded for a grant project to build two classrooms for our school! Last year, the middle school I teach at became a middle school- high school hybrid without making any additional space for the new students. This school year, our local elementary school donated two classrooms for our new high school classes to use. Obviously, this isn’t sustainable. Our project is simply to build this space on our school grounds so the students and staff can stay on the same campus.
Advice and Support
8. What advice would you give to future Education volunteers in Togo?
Have humor, have patience, and have understanding.
My best words of advice are don’t take things personally and remember to laugh. These kids have to sit in hot classrooms in uncomfy seats packed like sardines for hours everyday, and who knows what’s going on at home. If a kid doesn’t want to pay attention… well, shoot, I was in school once- I also didn’t want to pay attention. It doesn’t say anything about you or a person or as a teacher. And remember to laugh. When you’re feeling upset, remember how absurd this entire situation is. Like, I’m in a country I didn’t know existed two years ago teaching a ridiculously large classroom full of kids who never understand what I’m saying. This is very silly. It’s still important work, but give others and yourself grace and patience. You’ll need it if you want to persevere.
9. How did Peace Corps training prepare you for service?
For me, PST was the hardest part of service. Village-based training was rough, but it made me appreciate my permanent site so much more. My living situation improved vastly, and even though my current situation is still a significant step down from what it would be if I were still in America, I cannot complain one bit.
Practical Tips and Language Learning
10. What would you tell future volunteers to pack—or leave behind?
Pack plenty of power banks because electricity is inconsistent, same thing with battery powered fans/ hand held fans. It is very, very hot, so bring clothes that are light and durable. Pretty much all my clothes have holes in them now. Make sure you have good sandals: Chacos, Tevas, etc. I wear mine literally every day. Also, for girls, make sure to bring plenty of your preferred feminine products. They’re not easy to find in villages.
I would pack a cheap watch rather than an Apple one. I brought my Apple one, and everyone would touch it/ mess with it without my permission, and it got really annoying. Don’t pack a towel. You can buy fabric here, “pagne,” super cheap, and it dries quickly. No need to waste your suitcase space. Speaking of suitcases, there are not many places in Togo that are roller-friendly. Bringing a hefty camping backpack and a big duffle is going to work much better.
11. How has language learning been for you in Togo?
Admittedly, I struggle a lot with language. People here speak so many languages, and in villages, people rarely speak French (the language we spent most of our time on during training). If you’re accepted in Togo, please use your time as you’re preparing to take a French class or get French tutoring. It will make your life so much easier. Plus, the faster you learn French, the faster you can begin to learn local languages.
Social Identity
12. How has your personal identity shaped your service experience?
I have never been more conscious of the fact that I am white and a woman than since moving to Togo. For volunteers in more remote villages, sometimes we are the first white people they’ve ever met. I am certainly the only person in the village. My skin feels like I’m a walking highlighter, constantly drawing focus wherever I go.
As a young woman, I get extra attention from the men and little respect from my students.
13. Did your identity lead to specific challenges or situations?
I’ve been catcalled countless times on the street and have even had my arm grabbed a few times by men. Luckily, I’ve never had a repeat offender or stalker situation. It could certainly be much worse. My strategy is usually just to keep my head down and ignore men when they yell at me. I also always refuse when people ask me for my number. It makes me feel guilty for being unfriendly, but it’s better than being in an unsafe situation.
14. What advice do you have for volunteers who share your identity?
Don’t be afraid to be unfriendly. I know as volunteers we’re supposed to be role models, but if you don’t keep your guard up, people will take advantage of you. If someone makes advances, be blunt and be firm. They won’t listen if you aren’t.
Impact of Media and Final Thoughts
15. If you share content online, how has that shaped your service?
I make a YouTube video after every 6 months of service, or in other words, every quarter of service. It’s a nice creative escape for me and something to fill my time. It’s also reassuring to look back at the first video I made and watch how far I’ve come. I know years later I’ll look forward to revisiting these videos to reminisce on my time in Togo. Plus, I like sharing these moments and thoughts with my friends and family back home. The general consensus is that my third video thus far has been the best.
Megatron
“It’s just me and the parasite in my stomach against the world!” YouTube Channel
16. What final advice or thoughts would you share with future volunteers?
At the end of the day, this is just a job. You are not deployed; you are not in prison. On my first day in Togo, I was freaking out, and the reality set in that this is where I would live for two years. I felt trapped. I believed I had sentenced myself to two years in a foreign country without knowing a single thing about Togo, and I was terrified. I was ready to leave right then and there. I called my mom to tell her I was going to quit, and her gentle response, “Ok, we love you, and we miss you. Whatever you choose, we’ll support,” was all I needed to hear for me to be ok. When you first arrive in your host country, you don’t have to commit to two years. You just have to decide if you can commit to today. That’s what I did. Every day at PST, I would ask myself if I could do this today. By doing so, I gave Togo a chance, and I’m so glad I did.
Are you thinking about joining the Peace Corps? If you’re curious about service and ready for something new, apply today. Like Megan, 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 Togo Government.
