Working Ourselves Out of a Job

“If you have come here to help me, you can go home again. If you see my struggle as a part of your own survival, then perhaps we can work together”
(Australian Aboriginal quote)

We’ve been in Philadelphia for two days now and have been bombarded with group activities and Peace Corps information. What I have taken from this orientation is that eventually we want the Peace Corps to be unnecessary. Ideally we want to work ourselves out of a job. If we can develop (and of course execute and evaluate) sustainable programs, then the Peace Corps becomes obsolete. Hopefully we won’t be so good at what we do that we’ll be out of a job before our contract is up. I’ve also said the word “fungal” a few times.

The people we’ve met seem to be pretty much what you would expect a Peace Corps Volunteer to be like, so I’m excited about our group. There are 30 of us headed to Cameroon and about the same headed to Togo. We leave tomorrow after getting our Yellow Fever shots, stop in Brussels for a few hours then end up in Cameroon in the evening on Saturday. Finally. Africa. Here. We. Come.

Goodbye again to everyone, we’ll miss you terribly. Also- Jim and Becky, if we don't get to talk to you, Congratulations. There’s is nothing we’ll miss more than sharing your wedding (cake) with you and your families.

-Jessie and Brian