In this interview, you’ll hear from Margaret Koulen, a Peace Corps Education volunteer in Kenya. Margaret 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 Education volunteer in Kenya?
I am a high school math and physics teacher at an all-girls’ boarding school in rural Western Kenya. I live on the school compound, so getting to work takes about two minutes. The school has a timetable, so I know exactly when my lessons will be throughout the day. The Kenyan school day runs from 8am to 4pm, but since I work at a boarding school, we often have early morning and evening lessons that are optional for teachers to attend.
Throughout the day, I will spend time in the staff room or walking around the compound until it is time for my lesson. Teachers in Kenya travel from classroom to classroom, unlike in a typical American high school, where students travel from class to class and teachers remain in their own rooms.
School breaks in Kenya are a month long and take place in April, August, November, and December. During those times, I run a small STEM camp for local children.
2. Why did you decide to join the Peace Corps and serve in Kenya?
I graduated from university and wasn’t sure exactly what I wanted to pursue as a career. I had done some math tutoring in the past and enjoy teaching, so becoming an Education Volunteer was a good fit.
Living Arrangements and Cultural Integration
3. What is your housing like in Kenya?
I live in an independent house in the staff quarters at the school, which has pretty reliable electricity, but no running water. The toilets and showers are communal and outside my home. Since the school is in a rural area, I have access to local food in the village market, but I have to travel to a larger town to get international food.
4. What moments or interactions stand out during your service?
I am used to blending into crowds back at home, but that is pretty much impossible in Kenya. Everywhere I go, people yell “mzungu” (“white person”), and pretty much every person in the village knows my name.
Surprises and Challenges
5. What has surprised you most about living or working in Kenya?
Kenya is developing quickly in terms of technology. Almost every single person has a phone and can use a payment service called M-Pesa to pay for anything, even food in the village market. The service only requires a phone number, which allows financial freedom to those without bank accounts. Huge advancements are being made in the tech, clean energy, and digital learning spaces that rival technologies in the West.
6. What challenges have you faced in your Education work, and how did you respond?
Although Kenya has two national languages, Kiswahili and English, all lessons in school are taught in English. Each tribe also has its local language, meaning that English is often a third language for my students. Trying to teach technical topics in math and physics is difficult when the students are already struggling with a third language. I mitigate this by using Kiswahili whenever possible or asking high-performing students to explain topics when I don’t have the vocabulary to do so.
7. What secondary projects have you worked on during your service?
I have been doing a week-long science camp during the school breaks, which occur during the months of April, August, November, and December. I work with about 100 local students, and we do science activities as well as tutoring in difficult topics. It has become a popular event each school break because students feel that they are more prepared to return to school after the camp.
The science activities also spark a curiosity for science that is not always nurtured in their schools. The Kenyan curriculum tends to prioritize exam performance over passion for a subject, so you find that many students can memorize formulas and definitions without being able to ask questions out of curiosity or engage in the scientific process.
Advice and Support
8. What advice would you give to future Education volunteers in Kenya?
Time in Kenya is a lot more relaxed, and although many people do not stick to a specific schedule, everything gets done eventually. Focus on the friendships you will make at work and in your community, and try to live in the moment instead of worrying about the future or what is happening back home.
9. How did Peace Corps training prepare you for service?
Pre-Service Training (PST) was three months long for us, but I understand the Peace Corps is shortening that training time in Kenya to about two months. It will be a lot of information at once, so make time for yourself so that you can show up and pay attention well every day.
Practical Tips and Language Learning
10. What would you tell future volunteers to pack—or leave behind?
Pack a portable charger (power-bank)! Power is unpredictable at most sites in Kenya, so you will be happy to have something to charge your phone with when power is out for a week. I would also suggest packing a pack of brand-new socks or underwear to open after your first year of service. After washing your clothes by hand for a year, you don’t know how much you will appreciate brand-new socks.
11. How has language learning been for you in Kenya?
I learned Kiswahili at PST and the local language, Dholuo, at site. Kiswahili is not such a technical language, so I picked it up pretty easily without learning before coming to Kenya. I highly recommend practicing speaking with kids. They know the language naturally and are not afraid to correct you. But have comfort in the fact that many people can speak English to some extent, so when your Kiswahili training fails, you can always fall back on English.
Social Identity
12. How has your personal identity shaped your service experience?
As a feminine-presenting person, I often get unwanted attention from men as I walk around in Kenya. Men will ask me to marry them on the street and may follow me if I don’t shut them down completely. You will have to exercise caution when walking, especially alone. Kenya is also a very religious country, dominated by Christianity and Islam as the two major religions. You may feel pressure from neighbors and colleagues to go to church, even if you don’t normally go to church in the States.
13. Did your identity lead to specific challenges or situations?
Usually, when I get unwanted flirting from strangers, I will either lie and say that I am married or ignore them entirely. Many people just catcall for fun and want to get a reaction out of you, so they will not do anything violent against you.
14. What advice do you have for volunteers who share your identity?
Although you may feel pressure to conform to local culture, find something that grounds you and reminds you of your identity. Some Volunteers use phone calls home, exercise, or art to relieve stress and keep a part of themselves with them. Find that hobby and bring it with you for service.
Impact of Media and Final Thoughts
15. If you share content online, how has that shaped your service?
I have had a lot of interesting conversations with friends back home about my life in Kenya. I find it is an easy way to complete the Peace Corps’ Third Goal (to help promote a better understanding of other peoples and cultures among Americans). If you feel comfortable posting about your service, I highly recommend it (and I recommend following me on Instagram!)
16. What final advice would you share with future volunteers?
Go with the flow! It is easy to get stressed during service, but find ways to let go of stress and enjoy each day you are in Kenya.
Are you thinking about joining the Peace Corps? If you’re curious about service and ready for something new, apply today. Like Margaret, 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 Kenya Government.
