“My Moroccan Grandma.” Photo taken by Peace Corps Morocco Volunteer Matthew Grady During training, most Peace Corps trainees live with a host family to fully immerse themselves in the new culture. Host families are an integral part of service. These wonderful families welcome PCVs into their homes and truly make Volunteers feel welcome. http://bit.ly/1N5BCre
“This picture was taken not long after moving in with my host family in Macedonia. I don’t have the words to describe how wonderful and loving this family was to me. I really won the host family lottery. Having them in my life was a life-changing experience. They had 6 girls and 1 boy and they took me in and treated me like another daughter, another member of their family. I can only hope and aspire to be as kind, selfless, and accepting as they are.”
“This is a photo of my host mom makes home made raciu, a type of liquor. In the photo you can see the double broiler to purify the alcohol percentage and the faucet where the pure alcohol drips from.”
“My husband and I walking to our host families home in Guyana, South America. We were in awe. Raw and natural beauty.”
“My host brother and I play soccer with a basketball. In other words, we ‘use available resources.’”
“This photo was taken my first fall in my village, Sept. 25th 2011. A fellow volunteer (Claire Oyler) came to visit my school one day and this was after my host brothers took us on a hike. Taken in Kyrgyzstan.” #PeaceCorps #PeaceCorpsVolunteer #Volunteer #CentralAsia #Kyrgyzstan #KyrgyzRepublic #hiking #hike #hostfamily #family #playful #fun via Instagram http://bit.ly/1QtXte0
Since it’s Thursday I thought it was time for a little throwback Thursday fun.
Here I am with my sister, Seynabou, from CBT (Community Based Training).
We match.
How cute is this!?
In Senegal it’s common for people to get matching outfits made to wear to special events so people know they came together/ belong to the same household/ are friends/ you name it.
Now for a little game of who wore it better…
You both look great!
“My little host sister in Armenia”
“On a 115 degree day in The Gambia, I walked outside to see my host sister and brother quietly laying on a mat and brought out a tube of bubbles. For 2 hours, we played and laughed and I have never seen so much joy on their faces. Spreading happiness isn’t all that hard, I realized, and I take this lesson with me throughout my service.”
“She Ain’t Heavy, She’s My Niece. Snapped by a visiting family friend, this picture depicts me carrying my beloved sister’s youngest daughter, escorted by my bush dog Knightly as we walk her two (not seen) older sisters the 3km to school one day. The baby is actually quite heavy and I was always captivated by the dozens of young children that carry their younger siblings around. I was reminded of the 1960’s song by the Hollies “He Ain’t Heavy, He’s My Brother,” a sentiment practiced daily in The Gambia. It encapsulated my service and Peace Corps in a way my words never can.”
“This is one of my favorite photos of my host niece, and a reminder of my early days at site. I took this photo during my first three months of service. During that time I was still adjusting to living with my host family and likewise they were adjusting to me. My host family decided to play dress up one night with my host mother’s closet full of traditional clothing. My host niece, who is almost exactly 20 years younger than I, wrapped a kebaya around herself. In the photo she was serious because at that point she was still shy around me. She has since warmed up and is actually quite the goofball. I feel like because of our age difference, in a strange way, I could always relate to her. We were both trying to learn a language and how to live in this new world together.”
“One of the last days of service in The Gambia, a tender moment between siblings where the brother always hides his smile but his smile can be seen in his eyes. It shows the support system of family, literally leaning on one another to get through the days, family is everything.”
My #HostMom (#MamaGazda) makes me delicious food each day! She is a wonderful cook of #vegetarian food! Salad, potato & squash dish, pancakes, bread, and the ever famous #Placinte!!! (at Peace Corps Moldova Offices)
I don’t know what it is about kids and the Peace Corps, in general, but I have the personal, but not always shared opinion that children are a volunteer’s best friend. As you’ve seen already, I have had the opportunity to befriend several kids so far. They help you adjust to volunteer life in so many ways. So far this guy, Erbol which means “be a man" in Kyrgyz, has been a source of laughs as of late. He has many different faces and is passionate about everything. His favorite word/noise is “da-dong!!“ which is a sound effect for pretty much everything he does. The best is when he runs to go kiss his baby brother on the cheek, and then takes his tiny baby hand to punch everyone within punching distance.
