If you ever wanted to know how it is to live like a PCV, check it out!
You’ve been challenged!
Can you hack it and “Live Like a Peace Corps Volunteer” for a week? At Peace Corps we are celebrating our 50th anniversary and we want you to be a part of it!
The “Live Like a PCV Challenge” is a project to help raise awareness about Peace Corps within the U.S. while giving those who take up the challenge a small taste of Volunteer life. The challenge will take place during first week of each month (the 1st-7th) from December 2010 through 2011 and also during Lent.
The Peace Corps mission is:
Goal 1: Help the people of interested countries in meeting their need for trained men and women.
Goal 2: Help promote a better understanding of Americans on the part of the peoples served.
Goal 3: Help promote a better understanding of other peoples on the part of Americans.
Below you will find the guide lines of the Challenge, as well as learn how you can help us with our mission and celebration.
The Challenge
For one week you are asked to give up some of the everyday conveniences we do without as Peace Corps Volunteers. Our project started out with Mongolian volunteers but now we are happy to have many different Peace Corps countries you can represent. Each country has slightly different rules for the challenge, reflecting the different living conditions and cultures of the areas we serve. If you did not receive a specific country along with this document, or wish to see the other countries involved check out “The Challenge” page at LiveLikeaPCV.org
•First decide which country you want to represent, which set of rules you wish to follow.
•Then, look through the country rules you chose and decide which one of the five levels of difficulty you want to take on.
•Next, decide which month you want to participate. The first week of the month you choose (the 1st-7th) will be when you need to give up your items.
•Finally, let us know that you’ve taken up the challenge by completing the Accept the Challenge section of this form.
There is a bit more to this challenge than just giving up some comforts for seven days. We ask that you take that extra step and share your experience. First of all we would love to know how it went for you and to share that with currently serving Volunteers. But more importantly for our mission we would like you to share your efforts with others there in the United States. By sharing your story you can help raise awareness of what we do thereby helping us in our mission.
The three main ways you can do this are.
1. Fill out, sign, and return our press release form.
2. Write up your own editorial or letter to the editor for your local paper. (see our “Writing about your experience” section below)
3. Tell your friends and family about your challenge, let them know what your doing and why. Maybe even challenge them!
If you would like to share your experience with us just drop us a line at ProjectTeam@livelikeapcv.org
When you’ve successfully completed your Challenge cheek out our “Show Support” page at LiveLikeaPCV.org for gear to let others know of your triumph and help us spread the word.
To see who else is participating in the Challenge and for other information check out LiveLikeaPCV.org
Accept the Challenge
Please answer these questions and send your responses to ProjectTeam@livelikeapcv.org
What is your name?
Where do you live?
When will you “Live Like a PCV”?
What country are you representing (which country rules are you following)?
What level are you going for, and which things are you giving up if applicable?
Is this the email address we should use to contact you?
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Press Release
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Is it ok for us to contact any media in your area and let them know of your efforts to help us? (This may result in them visiting your home to do a story. Trust me it’s not nearly as scary as it may sound) YES / NO
• What is your phone number?
• What is your email?
• When and how is the best way to reach you?
• Why are you participating in “Live Like a PCV”?
• Do you know any current or returned volunteers?
← (if yes, who, where did/do they serve, and what is their relationship to you)
• When will you be participating in the challenge?
Signature____________________________________________
(you may sign and return this by email as a scanned attachment, or just email us your answers with the following; “I your name do herby agree to allow Peace Corps to contact any media outlets to inform them of my participation in the “Live Like a PCV Challenge” and in doing so distribute my above information so as those media outlets may contact me”)
Writing about your experience.
After your week of “Live Like a PCV” we would like to hear about your experience (to share with currently serving Volunteers) and would encourage you to share it with your local paper as an editorial or letter to the editor.
Below we have some questions to help you with your writing. These questions are meant to inspire your writing, we would suggest that you answer all of these questions for yourself then edit your work to include the most illuminating aspects. All of these questions do not need to be a part of your finished work.
• How did you come to be challenged?
• Which level did you decide to pursue, which country, and which restrictions did you place upon yourself?
• What about this challenge interested you and why did you feel compelled to take part?
• Do you know anyone that has or is currently serving in the Peace Corps? How has their service affected you? (if yes, who, where did/do they serve, and what is their relationship to you)
• How did the restrictions affect your daily life, did you miss the comforts that you were no longer allowed?
• Did you find yourself being resourceful in ways you hadn’t expected?
• What was the most frustrating aspect of your experience?
• Has this challenge inspired you to make any permanent changes in your day-to-day life? (if so what and why)
• Do you feel this challenge has given you insight into the lives of PCVs and the people they serve? (how)
• What was the most surprising aspect of the experience?
• Were there any funny or unusual incidents during your “Live Like a PCV” week?
• What was your favorite aspect of the challenge? (Why?)
• Did you keep a record of your experience or share it with friends and family?
• Do you think your example will inspire others to take part, as well?
• What about the Peace Corps mission do you most identify with? (Goal 1: Helping the people of interested countries in meeting their need for trained men and women. Goal 2: Helping promote a better understanding of Americans on the part of the peoples served. Goal 3: Helping promote a better understanding of other peoples on the part of Americans.)
• Do you feel you have a greater appreciation for your life as a result of participating in this challenge? (how and why)
Once you’ve completed your writing, share it with us by emailing your work to ProjectTeam@livelikeapcv.org Below are some tips to submit your work to a local paper.
✦ An editorial would be the prime position for your efforts but if your papers requirements are difficult to get a piece in there try for a letter to the editor. Some papers only allow letters to the editors for outside submissions.
✦ If you are able to submit either a letter to the editor or an editorial, try to find out your papers guidelines. Such as preferences for length and the like.
✦ When you submit your work to the paper make sure to introduce yourself and include some background information outside of your written piece. Information like what part of town you are from, what you do, etc. This will make it more likely that your piece will be used and could prompt them to do a larger piece or make your work more prominent.
✦ It should be easy to find out where to submit your work. Look around your local papers opinion area or their ‘Contact Us’ section online. If you can’t find anything specific just drop a quick email to their general email account inquiring about how to submit an editorial. (if you are having trouble finding this, just email us and we may be able to help)
✦ Beside your hometown paper also consider submitting your piece to a larger city paper that is near by, or to any alumni outlets your college has. You may also consider pursuing blogs and internet sites which publish material relevant to social activism and similar topics.
No mater how much or how little you decided to do with our “Live Like a PCV Challenge” we would like to thank you for your efforts to help us in our mission. Even something as simple as passing on the challenge is extremely supportive.
Sincerely,
Live Like a PCV Project Team
Kenya's Rules:
The Challenge: Kenyan RulesFor one week you are asked to give up some of the everyday conveniences we do without. The levels
are arranged from more common to less common living conditions of PCVs in Kenya while also taking
into account the difficulty of completing the challenge in the US. So while none of us here have a car it
ranks quite high in the challenge as it is much more difficult to do without one in the states. Kenya is
known for it's beautiful safaris in which you can spot the “The Big Five” animals, for which we’ve
named our levels (they are in order of rareness in the Mara.)
•First decide which month you want to participate. The first week of the month you choose (the 1st-
7th) will be when you need to give up your items.
•Next, look through the list below and decide which one of the five levels of difficulty you want to take
on, and which items you will give up. (although your items may come from multiple difficulty levels
you are only trying to complete one level, the most difficult you think you can manage)
•Finally, let us know that you’ve taken up the challenge by completing the Accept the Challenge section
of the general “Live Like a PCV” document. (This document is to accompany another if you did not receive
that other document which outlines the general nature of this Challenge please visit LiveLikeaPCV.org)
Lion-Difficulty Level I.
(choose two)
• You can’t use any microwave
• No checks, no debit cards or credit cards, cash only all week.
• No expensive sweets! Instead limit yourself to locally available fruits.
• No washing machine or dish washers. You must attempt laundry by hand once.
• Cook dinner by candlelight every night
• Keep a journal or write a handwritten letter to a friend about your experiences this week
Buffalo-Difficulty Level II.
(choose two plus one item from Level I.)
• No television (this includes Hulu and Adult Swim online, they are not available outside the US). You can listen to the radio and read local newspapers
• Baths or showers allowed only every other day. You can wash yourself at the sink each day
• Cook dinner at home each night. That means no fast food, no restaurants, no delivery.
• Internet only every other day. You can use the internet for your job but you're on the honor system here.
• Start and finish a book this week
• Smile at five children a day
• Buy your fruits and vegetables for the week locally
• Wild Animals! You can't leave your yard between 7:30 PM and 6:30 AM unless accompanied by three or
more people.
Elephant-Difficulty Level III.
(choose two plus one item from Level II or two items from Level I)
• You can use your toilet but you must manually fill the tank or do a bucket flush. Turn off the water to the toilet
• Lack of temperature control. No heater or air conditioner in your car.
• Greet everyone you know with a handshake and genuine questions about their family, home, and health
• You can only use one burner on your stove and no oven.
• Ration your water to only 10 gallons a day. This includes cooking, drinking, bathing, and washing clothes.
Cheetah-Difficulty Level IV.• Bathe only once this week. You may wash yourself at the sink each day
• No driving cars. You can use public transport, bike, and walk.
• Go to your neighbors house and have a genuine conversation for at least half an hour
• Internet one day this week. (Again, you can use it for your work only.)
• Power outage: Throw a dice (6 sides) every day for how many hours you will be without power sometime
between (5p-11p)
Rhino-Difficulty Level V.
(choose one item from each Level)
• No running water from your house, you must go fetch it from somewhere else. (a neighbors house is fine)
• No English for the entire week. (You can speak English at work only.)
• You can’t use any toilet in your house, you must go somewhere else or improvise
• No refrigerator
• Food restriction: For one meal a day you only have access to these foods: flour, spaghetti, local vegetables,
milk, eggs, and bread
• Solitary confinement: Spend the whole weekend in one room of your house. Using no electricity, you are allowed 3 books, the battery life of your computer (no recharging), a bucket to go to the toilet in.
When you’ve successfully completed your Challenge check out our “Show Support” page at LiveLikeaPCV.org for gear to let others know of your triumph and help us spread the word
This document is to accompany another if you did not receive that other document which outlines
the general nature of this Challenge please visit LiveLikeaPCV.org
