In this interview, you’ll hear from Jack Ortega, a Peace Corps Agriculture volunteer in Nepal. Jack 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.
Jump to:
- 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 Agriculture volunteer in Nepal?
Everyday is different. Even between seasons the work is extremely different. Here are some sample days to give you a picture of the diversity during service:
| – Check Mushroom Bags – Eat morning meal with host family – Prepare grant application – Sit with neighbors – Prepare evening meal – Eat evening meal with host family | – Go on run – Cut grass in field for family livestock – Eat morning meal with family – Go to school and lead English club – Stop at Health post to discuss upcoming nutrition program – Rest at home – Eat evening meal with host family | – Help host family prepare field for planting potatoes (carrying and spreading compost) – Eat morning meal with family – Plant potatoes with host family and neighbors – Eat evening meal |
I will say there are many days in service that are not full of activity. Many days I spent wandering the village or sitting on a rock in the forest reading. During free time, there are many leisure activities: exercise, drawing, reading, listening to music, calling friends & family, etc.
In general, AG volunteers focus on framework projects such as mushroom cultivation, ginger & turmeric cultivation, fruit tree production, beekeeping, income generation education, and nutrition education. Within these areas, there are many activities such as leading trainings, doing check-ins, writing grants, collaborating with counterparts, and much more. It’s difficult to get into the specifics because there is a huge variety of tasks associated with any activity.
2. Why did you decide to join the Peace Corps and serve in Nepal?
I joined the Peace Corps to unite people of different backgrounds in the common goal of improvement. I wanted to be part of an organization that focuses on development through providing opportunities to people to share knowledge, whether it be technical skills or cross-cultural learning.
Living Arrangements and Cultural Integration
3. What is your housing like in Nepal?
I lived with a host family for the duration of my service in a rural village nestled in the foothills of the Himalayan mountains. Our house was made of stone and mud with no central heating or indoor water. We had wifi and electricity, but power outages were very common, sometimes lasting a few days. Our bathroom was an outhouse where a bucket was filled using the house tap. In the warm season, I showered in a pipe by our house, and during winter, I would boil water and take bucket baths. We ate two daily meals consisting of rice, lentils/beans, vegetables, and dairy. Spending on the harvest and livestock, vegetables, and milk wasn’t served. Fruit and meat were luxuries.
4. What moments or interactions stand out during your service?
The relationship I developed with my host mother was very special. We developed a daily routine of doing household chores together and found support/comfort in each other. I think the most memorable moment I shared with her was when we harvested potatoes. We found really funky-shaped ones and joked about what animals or people they were. It felt good to have someone during service in my community whom I knew I could always rely on.
Surprises and Challenges
5. What has surprised you most about living or working in Nepal?
I have always been so impressed by Nepalis’ sense of community. They are always willing to lend a hand, whether it be painting a house, cooking massive amounts of food for a wedding, or planting all day; they are enthusiastic to help.
6. What challenges have you faced in your Agriculture work, and how did you respond?
The biggest challenge I faced working in agriculture in Nepal was the lack of farmer motivation/confidence. It was very frustrating to lead a training for community members that gave them the tools to do the work themselves, only to find they were not implementing the practices.
For example, after leading a 3-day beekeeping training and distributing hives to community members, I visited participants to check hive health. I found that almost every participant was not conducting hive inspections (crucial to maintaining hive health). I asked them why they weren’t taking care of their bees, many responding with “I was scared to open the hive”. At that moment, I realized I had to repeat learning one-on-one with individuals to build their confidence. This approach was highly successful across all projects to motivate farmers to utilize knowledge.
7. What secondary projects have you worked on during your service?
My secondary projects were mostly focused on working in schools. I led a weekly English club for grades 6th-10th. I started a Pen Pal program with my American elementary school and the local Nepali school. I collaborated with fellow volunteers to hold a district-wide female empowerment and suicide awareness program. I found working in the schools was a great change of pace and kept me motivated during service.
Other secondary projects centered around environmental sustainability. Other volunteers and I held composting training sessions for community members. I also partnered with NGO Seed Tree to create a community tree nursery for fruit, fodder, and reforestation tree species.
Advice and Support
8. What advice would you give to future Agriculture volunteers in Nepal?
Everyone’s service is different, try not to compare yourself.
9. How did Peace Corps training prepare you for service?
PST (Pre-Service Training) was very good at laying a foundation in language, culture, and basic knowledge in agriculture & nutrition. It wasn’t until IST (In-Service Training) that the technicalities of AG work were discussed. IST was excellent for getting into the details of our work because at that point, there was some understanding of community resources and needs that could direct the training and learning.
PDM (Project Design and Management) was not very valuable. I had an understanding of how to design and manage a project from previous work experiences. However, I greatly benefited from working with my counterpart at this training to prepare a grant/ project plan, confirming that we were on the same page.
MST (Mid-Service Training) mostly felt like a check-in from the Peace Corps staff and a much-needed break to socialize with other volunteers.
COS (Close of Service) was excellent for identifying resources and realities of ending service. Overall, the Peace Corps provided thorough training and many opportunities to connect with PCVs.
Practical Tips and Language Learning
10. What would you tell future volunteers to pack—or leave behind?
Pack fewer clothes. You will not need eight pairs of pants, fifteen shirts, four jackets, and so on. I recommend you pack clothes that will last and you’re willing to absolutely destroy.
I highly recommend the following items to pack: solar light, battery pack, computer/tablet, multi-tool, and backpacking backpack.
11. How has language learning been for you in Nepal?
Language learning in PST was difficult; I really struggled. I studied a lot in the beginning of service, but I found the best teacher wasn’t a book, it was talking with community members. That being said, learning to read and write was helpful from a book, particularly “Nepali in Context”. The Peace Corps provides lots of good resources and support for language learning, including paying for a tutor.
Social Identity
12. How has your personal identity shaped your service experience?
I recognized as a male volunteer, my experience was very different from female volunteers. I cannot speak on behalf of female volunteers’ experiences, but I can share what I observed. Often, female volunteers were not listened to, and community members, even outside of my own community, looked to me for knowledge just because I was a man.
In general, in Nepali culture, there are clear gender roles that play a huge part in work division, household chores, and community power. It is frustrating to observe women being treated as less than men, even though they are integral to these communities. My one piece of advice to male volunteers is to be a role model that demonstrates how to treat women with respect and exercise healthy masculinity.
Impact of Media and Final Thoughts
13. If you share content online, how has that shaped your service?
I started a small YouTube channel at the end of service to have a treasure chest of memories of my site (ie, village tour, house tour, etc). I was surprised at how much my community members loved the channel. They would show me my own videos, excitedly pointing out their house or recalling their memory of me filming the video.
14. What final advice would you share with future volunteers?
One mantra I kept during service was “Find the comfort in discomfort”. You will face many challenges, and it will be difficult. Sit with that uncomfortable state and I assure you one day you’ll find nothing phases you anymore. That is when you know you can do anything anywhere.
Are you thinking about joining the Peace Corps? If you’re curious about service and ready for something new, apply today. Like Jack, 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 Nepal Government.
