Optimistic Voices
Vital voices in the fields of global health, global child welfare reform and family separation, and those intent on conducting ethical missions in low resource communities and developing nations. Join our hosts as they engage in conversations with diverse guests from across the globe, sharing optimistic views, experiences, and suggestions for better and best practices as they discuss these difficult topics.
Optimistic Voices
Volunteering Beyond Borders: The Reality and Impact of Peace Corps Service in Sierra Leone
Ever wonder what it truly means to be a part of the Peace Corps, especially in a country with such a rich history like Sierra Leone? Our guests, Nat Kofi Abu-Bonsrah, a current volunteer, and Michael Lee, a returned volunteer and president of Friends of Sierra Leone, share their inspiring journeys. Nat provides a unique perspective on his role in sustainable development, while Michael reveals the continued commitment of Friends of Sierra Leone to foster positive change and collaboration between nations. Their stories shed light on personal motivations and the broader impact of Peace Corps service, which has been a cornerstone of community development in Sierra Leone since 1962.
Peace Corps service is far from a leisurely escape, but it is a life-changing and transformative experience for young adults and rewarding for older adults who want to do more with their lives, and have an impact on the world. Together with our guests, we break down the misconceptions about age limits and the purpose and impact of peace corps as a force for good, emphasizing the challenging yet rewarding experiences that come with service in the Peace Corps. From recent graduates to retirees, the Peace Corps welcomes a diverse group of individuals ready to embrace personal growth and cultural exchange. As we explore these narratives, we also consider potential barriers impacting younger generations and how evolving application processes might open doors to future volunteers.
Journey with us into the volunteer experience in Sierra Leone, where community spirit thrives, and vibrant colors light up the festivities. This episode also shines a spotlight on Friends of Sierra Leone (FOSL) and their diligent work to maintain engagement between former volunteers and the country. Initiatives like grants for local projects and virtual talks are just a few ways they strengthen these vital connections. Finally, we discuss the transformative power of collaboration, enhanced by modern communication technologies, and express gratitude for the optimistic future fueled by Peace Corps volunteers' dedication and cultural exchange.
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Hi, welcome to today's episode of the Optimistic Voices podcast. I'm your host, yasmin Vaughn. Today on the podcast, we will be talking about the Peace Corps and Peace Corps affiliate organizations. For those of you who are unfamiliar with the Peace Corps, it is a program of the United States government that trains and deploys volunteers to provide international development assistance. Returned Peace Corps volunteers, or RPCBs, often join affiliate organizations associated with the country in which they serve. Friends of Sierra Leone is a Peace Corps affiliate organization for Sierra Leone and they open their membership to anyone who is interested in work in Sierra Leone. So Helping Children Worldwide joined as a member about two years ago and we found this group to really be welcoming and useful for us. They are certainly a metaphorical cotton tree a gathering place for people to share thoughts, ideas and memories of Sierra Leone. Friends of Sierra Leone actually just had their annual conference this year in Washington DC, which was graciously hosted at the Sierra Leone Embassy. This meeting was well attended, both in person and virtually, and included presentations from current Peace Corps volunteers, one of whom we're going to talk to today the National Peace Corps Association, and both the Sierra Leone Ambassador to the United States as well as the US Ambassador to Sierra Leone, so it was a really great opportunity to hear from all these different organizations. Our guests today will be talking about the Peace Corps in Sierra Leone, their experiences as Peace Corps volunteers and as RPCVs now, and the work that NGOs can do to collaborate with the Peace Corps.
Speaker 1:Our first guest is Nat Kofi Abu Bansara, a Peace Corps volunteer currently serving in Sierra Leone. Nat is a dedicated humanitarian and international development professional with over six years of experience in program coordination, emergency response and educational initiatives. He has a Master of Arts in Global Affairs and Human Security from the University of Baltimore and he teaches English and business English to secondary school students in Sierra Leone, while also actively engaging in community development and cultural exchange. His work in Sierra Leone as a Peace Corps volunteer focuses on building capacity within local education systems and promoting sustainable development through collaborative efforts. His background includes roles as serving in international non-government organizations, where he coordinated program activities and provided support during emergency. He also has a lot of experience in field work and strategic planning that has equipped him with a deep understanding of global challenges and the importance of empowering communities through education and innovation. He's really passionate about fostering cross-cultural understanding and leveraging his skills to drive positive change in underserved communities. So welcome, nat.
Speaker 1:Our second guest is returned, peace Corps volunteer and current president of Friends of Sierra Leone, michael Lee. Michael is currently a mathematics teacher at Monmouth Regional High School in Tenton Falls, new Jersey. He has been a volunteer firefighter at the Northside Engine Company in Tenton Falls since 2008. He has a bachelor's of arts in Mathematics from the College of New Jersey and right after his college experience he joined the Peace Corps. During his two-year service in Sierra Leone, he taught mathematics and English to middle school students in Bamotoke, a small village of about 200 people in the Moyamba district of Sierra Leone. After returning, michael completed his Master's of Education Administration from Lamar University, but he continues to be in love with the people of Sierra Leone and is excited to continue his service through leading Friends of Sierra Leone into the future. So welcome our guests, nat. I love it if you would start us off by sharing a little bit of the history of the Peace Corps in Sierra Leone.
Speaker 2:Thank you, Yasmin. So Sierra Leone was among the second wave of countries to receive Peace Corps volunteers in January of 1962. A mere nine months after Sierra Leone had declared its independence from Great Britain. Its first cohort was about 37 volunteers, who were primary school teachers, and later was followed by an additional 70 volunteers in August. Throughout the 1960s, the Peace Corps in Sierra Leone concentrated its efforts on education. However, the scope in Sierra Leone expanded in the late 1960s and early 1990s to encompass agriculture, community development and health care. In all, over 3,500 volunteers have served in Sierra Leone during this period of the country's growth. In 1992, though, the Sierra Leone Civil War forced the evacuation of around 82 Peace Corps volunteers, and Sierra Leone was not re-established as a Peace Corps destination until 2010, when 39 volunteers were posted. 2010, when 39 volunteers were posted. In total, almost 4,000 Peace Corps volunteers have served in Sierra Leone since 1962. I am a part of Sierra Leone 11, a cohort of about 19 people. The second wave of volunteers to be posted after the pandemic.
Speaker 1:The second wave of volunteers to be posted after the pandemic Thank you, great yeah, that was a really great overview, michael could you share with us a little bit about Friends of Sierra Leone, talking a little bit?
Speaker 3:in 1991 by a group of Returned Peace Corps volunteers and has grown to include Sierra Leoneans living in country as well as throughout the United States. Our mission is to foster sustainable development and positive change by empowering communities throughout Sierra Leone through advocacy efforts, collaboration, as well as locally targeted projects and mutual understanding.
Speaker 1:Thank you. Now, Michael, you're a returned Peace Corps volunteer, Nat. You are currently serving as a Peace Corps volunteer in Sierra Leone. Can you give us a little bit of background on how you got involved with the Peace Corps and why you chose to serve in Sierra Leone?
Speaker 3:I first expressed interest in joining the Peace Corps when I was in high school. I always thought of it as a way to serve. I thought that it was an opportunity for me to learn new cultures, see the world a little bit. And when I was at my community college I had spoke with a Peace Corps recruiter and he told me that it's quite competitive to get into the Peace Corps. So he recommended that I go and finish my four-year degree and then reapply my senior year of college, and that's what I did. I ended up applying my senior year of college and that's what I did. I ended up applying my senior year of college and I remember when I was applying you don't apply to a specific country in a specific position as you do now in the Peace Corps. They find the placement for you that matches your skills and your needs.
Speaker 3:So I remember I first got a notice saying that would you be interested in serving in sub-Saharan Africa? I said yes. And then I got a letter in the mail saying would you want to serve in Sierra Leone? And I googled Sierra Leone to figure out where that was, but immediately said yes because the opportunity to serve sounded great and it was about 20 days after graduation I was on a plane to West Africa and it was the best decision of my life. And it was the best decision of my life. There are plenty of people that, and I included. I joined Peace Corps not only as a service thing, but it's like a chance to see another culture, a chance to see the world. I know a lot of maybe younger generations are definitely like focused on that resume building and like I think that is like a big part, because everyone's trying to get the job that they want and Peace Corps, again, is one of those. That is a great resume builder. When it's on your resume, it definitely helps as well.
Speaker 2:Thank you. So my interest in the Peace Corps peaked during my time at the University of Baltimore. I was pursuing my master's degree in global affairs and human security. Was pursuing my master's degree in global affairs and human security, um, you know, I quickly find out that you had to be a citizen to be to join the peace corps, and at that time I was not a citizen. So after graduate school I worked with a couple of ingos in the washington dc area, um, just backstopping a lot of stuff for country offices, and you know I was not enjoying it. I fell, stuck behind the screen and I wanted to be, you know, on the ground and be part of the solution. And so when I got my citizenship, I quit my job and I signed up for the Peace Corps.
Speaker 1:Excellent, yeah, yeah. Can you now walk us through a little bit of your Peace Corps experience?
Speaker 3:So I served in the Peace Corps in Sierra Leone from 2012 to 2014, getting evacuated out because of Ebola During my last week of service. It was the greatest experience of my life. We had many successes, including hosting summer school, as well as building a library at the local school and much more. I highly recommend Peace Corps to anyone who has any interest in serving others. It is not the easiest experience, but definitely worth it.
Speaker 2:There are highs and lows, as you have throughout any two years of your life, but it's worth it. You know, right now the Peace Corps is giving me that opportunity to you know, be in a community, integrate with the people, understand the culture, understand the context, understand the problems and challenges and work together to come up with a solution, you know, solutions that best fit the context. I'm really enjoying it. I mean it has some difficult days but in all I'm enjoying it and I'm getting that hands-on experience with project design, project implementation, monitoring and evaluation, budgeting and all that fun stuff.
Speaker 1:Thank you. So at the annual conference in July we talked a lot about misconceptions that people have about the Peace Corps. But what are some other things that you think people should know about doing the Peace Corps?
Speaker 3:There are lots of misconceptions about Peace Corps. One of them, I know for sure, is that we are all asked frequently does Peace Corps still exist? And it sure does. There are Peace Corps volunteers throughout the world and have been since the 60s. Sierra Leone, specifically, has had its difficulties keeping Peace Corps just because of a civil war, ebola outbreak as well as the COVID pandemic but yes, peace Corps is alive and well. Pandemic. But yes, peace Corps is alive and well, and new Peace Corps just arrived in Sierra Leone and more coming back in 2025 as well.
Speaker 3:Other misconceptions are your age. Is there an age limit? And no, there isn't. If you're able to serve, you can serve. I remember when I was in my service, I went to Morocco to see a doctor and while I was there, I met a married couple who were in their 80s serving in Morocco. So there's no limit to who can serve and when you can serve. During my service, there was a lot of us that were in our 20s, which is very common right after college. There was many that were in their 30s or 40s, finally had the opportunity to serve or changes in their life gave them the opportunity to serve, and then there was a lot that were in their 40s, 50s, up to 60s, that have either retired, 40s, 50s, up to 60s, that have either retired or ready for a change, and Peace Corps can provide that.
Speaker 2:For me like the conversation of Peace Corps is not happening in my community, and so I literally heard about it and learned about it in grad school.
Speaker 3:I guess some people think it's a vacation not work, but then you know it's definitely work. It's not, oh yeah.
Speaker 2:I can tell you that.
Speaker 3:It's hard. I think with the younger generation, I think there's it's a different feel. I think there's this fear of that you're you need to get started on your career, like there's no time to just give away two years. It's, you know, like maybe they want to serve, but will, will the American lifestyle allow you to to serve, the American lifestyle allow you to to serve? You know, like right now I couldn't serve again because you know you made yourself these commitments with. You know, having pets or having relationships, or um, got to make sure, yeah, right, exactly, exactly. So I, uh, like I it's I see that, like I just know, I always know that if I didn't't do it then I would have never been able to do it yeah, that's true until I retired or, you know, until the cats die understandable
Speaker 3:also it being competitive. I don't know, so like Peace Corps, peace Corps always said it was competitive get your higher degree, and if it is lacking the number of applicants, I wonder if there would be a shift of like. You don't really need to have your bachelor's yet. You know, maybe you only have your associates, or maybe you could do it as your gap year after high school or something. You could do it as your gap year after high school or something. But maybe having that 21 years or older, probably smart, and a little bit of, uh, life experience maybe might be smart too. But, um, yeah, okay.
Speaker 1:So things about misconceptions about the pd score, um. So we send mission teams to sierra leone every year, which is a very different experience because we send them for two weeks, not two years. They don't have to get rabies vaccinations like they. It's a very different experience, um. But we always say, like we are not trying to change your life, like this is not life changing, but in fact it's probably an experience that will change you. Right, like it's. It's not. Oh, I'm going to, you know, sell all my possessions and move to Sierra Leone, sort of thing, but you'll come away with a change in the person that you are, and so we were hoping that you guys could share how Peace Corps impacted who you are becoming as a person and who you have become and who you have become.
Speaker 3:I remember I was really into politics and then I went to Africa, served. My two years, came back and I just thought how petty that politics was. I think the biggest thing for me was just a mindset shift. Just like the things that aren't that important don't need to be important, you know, or like where I was, which was very remote in wayamba district, um, there was um a lot of people that just spoke the local language, and the woman next to me in my house spoke only Mende. But this granny, she we had a great relationship. We always said hello to each other, but there'd be times when I had extra mayonnaise jars or extra ketchup jars containers and I would just give it to her. I didn't need them, but how fundamental and how wonderful she felt when she received them was outstanding. She was so grateful for the little things in life, and that's what I was talking about.
Speaker 3:Peace Corps is how you realize that. You realize that it's not necessarily all about money. It's not necessarily all about social media and fame and value of like monetary value. You learn that Peace Corps is more about connecting with individuals, understanding each other's struggles and coming together for the betterment of each other and that's what Peace Corps will offer anyone that's interested. I just remember in Peace Corps the best part of it was that every day you could have something planned but you never knew what was going to happen. It was exciting, it was thrilling, and wherever you go, peace Corps is warmly welcomed. So it's a positive experience from day one. From day one After Peace Corps service, you understand people more, like you give people a chance, more patience with people, because you don't know their background or you don't know why something is some way right, like maybe somebody reacts a certain way and you kind of start to or at least for me, you start to try to figure out why they, why they act that way or what, what, what makes them tick that way, and understanding that everyone is totally different, even within one society.
Speaker 3:And I think there's just this openness that I gained from. It was hugely beneficial and just my interactions with people now and, you know, taking leadership roles, you got to be able to work with a lot of different individuals and different cultures and different things like that. So it's just that ability to see it and understand it and take time. I think take time is a huge one that I took from sierra leone is like and I have to remind myself, because a lot of times I'm like oh my gosh, we gotta get going, we gotta schedule, we're in america, we gotta schedule. Um, but you have to, you know, and that was a good thing, is that you know things will happen. You don't really, you know, just take time Like things will work out and believe in your cause and things will go smoothly, and things like that and Sierra Leone is helping me build more confidence, especially when it comes to designing projects and then implementing them, monitoring and evaluating them.
Speaker 2:I'm beginning to learn more about those technical aspects of writing proposals and I can see how that is becoming a part of me, because it's definitely different when you're sitting in headquarters in DC designing a project and when you're actually with the people and you're working with the people to design the projects.
Speaker 2:So I think that's like one of the life-changing experiences that I don't think I would have gotten if I had stayed with, you know, very big, fancy INGO in DC. I'm learning to roll up my sleeve, join the people and community work. You know it's just crazy and I'm now starting to see that you know there's more to life than you know money and other stuff like that. Like every evening around seven I could hear my colleague teachers that are on the compound with me with their kids sitting in the dark, cracking jokes and laughing, and you know the fact that there's no light is not an issue for them and I just always watch that in awe because I'm big, but they seem genuinely happy with the little that they got and they enjoy being with family. I think being family is very important in Sierra Leone and I hope in the future I would also take family very seriously, like how they take family in Sierra Leone. But yeah, that would be it for me.
Speaker 3:That's great, that's 100% true. You know, just realizing to enjoy the little things in life because they can bring so much good joy and you don't, you don't need all that other superficial stuff. Really, really love.
Speaker 2:Yeah.
Speaker 1:But it is funny, working for a nonprofit organization in Sierra Leone, People often are like, oh, have you ever been there? And I'm like what do you mean? Have I ever been there? Of course I ever been there. And I'm like what do you mean, have I ever been there?
Speaker 2:Of course I've been there.
Speaker 1:I've been working here for three years and you think I've never been there.
Speaker 3:But that's going to be such a great skill to bring back Like, if you do go back to you know, nonprofit work of any regard. You're going to have such a different perspective now doing that work, which is going to be great for wherever you do.
Speaker 2:That's very, very exciting. You know, I remember we literally would sit here, design a project, send it to country offices and ask them to make inputs, but then even the inputs that they make, it could be overridden by people at HQ who feel like no, it's not going to work that way. But then they're miles away and really do not understand fully the challenge. So the people that are going through it might be trying to suggest a different solution, but they will be here designing something else that they think will work.
Speaker 3:Yeah, peace Corps helps stress that and that's what Friends of Sierra Leone, we try to make sure that any grants that we approve we're focused, it comes from the community, like what the community actually needs. Make sure that any grants that we approve were focused, it's comes from the community, like what the community actually needs, what they think is important Cause all of us could say every, every town needs a village, every village needs a school or whatever yeah, but it's what they think is a priority is what we want to help support, right, yeah.
Speaker 1:Yeah, there's this really great book called Freeing Congregational Mission and in the introduction chapter, or first chapter, he talks about how he asked this community what they wanted. And they asked for a soccer field. And so he was like, are you kidding? Like you don't have running water, you don't have a clinic, you don't have a school, you asked me for a soccer field. Are you out of your mind? And they built a soccer field and they had this big opening ceremony for it and all the kids are playing and having a good time. And he was like, after that, that community trusted us because when they what they told us, we did. And then afterwards they were like, okay, and now we want to talk about building the well and we want to talk about building this thing, because we built that relationship first.
Speaker 2:Right, that's awesome, that's great yeah that's great.
Speaker 1:It was a sign of trust.
Speaker 2:Yes. Yes, that football field is very important. And then if you stay, sarah-leon, long enough, you understand, long enough, you, you understand, I don't know um your experiences with um sports, sports, um sports activities, um, during the school year, there's like a day or a couple of days where we just have sports and man. I've never seen anything like that before everyone everyone, everyone, like everyone shows up yes it's a big deal, like I was like wow, this is crazy with the matching t-shirts and yes yes
Speaker 2:oh yeah, oh yeah different stuff listen to music, dance. It's like the whole community comes converge at the park for one school to watch them play. They don't even play soccer during those games, they just do other things like track and field stuff yeah. Like you know.
Speaker 3:I was the yimbo house, yellow house. We won, I think, back-to-back years. Yeah, we were unstoppable.
Speaker 2:I was part of the blue house and they had never won the sports for about 10 years. But when I joined this year they won.
Speaker 3:Oh, Kofi in the house.
Speaker 2:Oh man, they said you brought the luck.
Speaker 3:I'm like, yeah, I told you.
Speaker 2:So that was exciting, like the rivalry.
Speaker 3:It's all fun and games, man. So fun, yeah for sure, and and needed and needed, like I think it's a it's a community thing because it's it's something to look forward to, it's it's fundamental, yeah yeah I'm non-athletic so I can't help you, yeah. I don't know if I was participating in any of it.
Speaker 1:I was there dressed to the nines Yellowed out. I love it.
Speaker 3:I had no yellow so I had to go, like, find yellow. So I went to all these people and this one woman had I think it was like a Snoopy shirt that was yellow but like three sizes way too small. So I'm wearing this. I mean, thank god, I was like, uh, a little more fit back in the day and I was decked out and it was great, great.
Speaker 1:Good times, good times I love it um, so I guess this one's more for michael. So how fossil kind of helps people continue that service, but how people continue those relationships period.
Speaker 3:Two annual meetings since and Fossil in general. I think a lot of people come back and then they start their lives here in America and I think that there it's. It's an opportunity for them to continue to give back, maybe financially, or stay abreast of what's going on in the country, in the country, um, and I I like the whole offering our members um, uh opportunities to get involved, if it is just like participating in different online uh talks or like building that conversation, social media on social media. But, going forward, would love to do more of a hands-on aspect, even if it's like Pen Pal or some kind of something where they can feel like they're continuing their service to Sierra Leone. Um, but fossil, I feel like there's there's a lot of avenues that we can go and there's a lot of uh direction that I want to take fossil and we've done really good, I think. Um, we're we're building our advocacy so that people can like um participate more in like what needs to be uh, um helped and how they can help it, even if it's signing a petition or participating in something or getting the word out on something. It would just be.
Speaker 3:It's nice if we could continue to give our members, who most of them are just former Peace Corps volunteers from Sierra Leone opportunities to to continue that path, because a lot of them that joined Fossil, they just have this love for Sierra Leone and just can't get enough of it or can't get away from it. And there's plenty of Peace Corps volunteers that go do their service and then they go and do their life in America and almost don't look back. But I don't think it's that they didn't want to. I think it's just life takes you, you know, especially American life is a quick one, so it could take you all different roads. So providing that opportunity would be always nice, on whatever level of commitment you can give.
Speaker 3:So that's the hope of the future of Fossil is to just connect Sierra Leoneans with Americans. I think another one that we want to continue to get better at is, yeah, we're mostly Peace Corps volunteers but we are friends of Sierra Leone. So, like building that relationship with Sierra Leoneans within the United States, bridging those communities Most of our friends don't need to be Peace Corps, just Peace Corps volunteers Like we have Aya, who is our vice president of Sierra Leone, and I think we can tap into a lot more Sierra Leonean communities that you know want to see Sierra Leone be successful.
Speaker 1:So I feel like, yeah, in the diaspora.
Speaker 3:Yeah, exactly. So I think we're going to try to do more of that of connecting those communities as we go forward. So we offer grants for communities that communities have to in Sierra Leone have to decide what they need and apply for the grant themselves, and we provide that funding through donations from our membership. We also try to connect Americans and Sierra Leoneans through virtual lectures, talks. We're hosting annual meetings each year so that people stay abreast of what's going on in the country. So I think awareness is a huge effort for us. Our advocacy committee is getting stronger. Our advocacy committee is getting stronger and we are going to be advocating for more issues and more funding from the state side, but also highlighting some Sierra Leonean projects that are being conducted by organizations, individuals, and we want to highlight their efforts. I think our organization is going to continue to strengthen over the years and we want to provide opportunities for Americans and our members to have a hands-on experience of getting back to Sierra Leone, had a hands-on experience of giving back to Sierra Leone.
Speaker 1:All right. Our last question is something that we ask each of our speakers, which is what keeps you optimistic.
Speaker 3:The work that these current Peace Corps volunteers are doing is phenomenal. I was amazed. At our last annual meeting in DC last month, we had the opportunity to talk to three current Peace Corps volunteers in Sierra Leone and the work that they have done in one year is amazing. They've all done so many different projects, participated together with other Peace Corps volunteers working with other NGOs or just working with themselves in the village, with the community. So it's really remarkable about what they can do. And now, with the access to the internet and communications and social media during their service, the opportunities for success and development and collaboration have just strengthened. Versus from when I've served, there was no internet in the country unless you went to the Capitol at the Peace Corps hostel. That's changed and it's only changed for the better, because the way people can communicate, the way they can work together, identify resources and identify needs for those resources can only just build up Sierra Leone positively. So it's exciting to see.
Speaker 2:Yeah. So for me, what keeps me optimistic about, you know, the Peace Corps and my service here is truly Peace Corps' approach to grassroots development. You know it is an approach that focuses on cultural exchange, focuses on building relationships and also, you know, building capacity of the people that I interact with. You know it has given me a sense of purpose and a sense of hope for the future.
Speaker 1:All right, thank you guys both so much for joining us today. All right, thank you guys both so much for joining us today.
Speaker 3:Thank you so much for this opportunity to speak on your podcast. We would love to participate more in the future and we appreciate the support. Thank you.
