When people asked me why I decided to join the Peace Corps, I always have a difficult time constructing a good answer. Truth be told, I didn’t join the Peace Corps to change the world. I joined because I wanted to continue living abroad but couldn’t decide where to begin finding a job. I liked the idea that the Peace Corps picks the country for me - throwing the dart so to speak.
For the first few months of my time in village, I had a hard time defining my role here. My French was terrible; how was I suppose to go change lives and “develop small enterprises”, when people can barely understand me when I am trying to buy food for dinner? After a while, I decided that these two years are really more of a self-discovery journey, and if I happen to impact someone along the way, great, if not, well at least I’ve somehow developed myself for the better.
Once the pressure was off, I found more confidence in my work. While the changes are still minute - saving envelopes for kids who fetch water for me, English lessons for school kids and neighborhood women’s group - I began to feel more comfortable in my language ability, and with that, things became smoother. My Books For Cameroon library project grew and somehow I found myself building 30 libraries in this country. To my surprise, I am actually advising entrepreneurs through business classes and someone is actually setting up a small business in the village.
Yet with the success, I realized that social change as I knew it before coming to Cameroon was a big idealized concept. In raising money for my project, I faced many obstacles. Foundations require complicated grant-requesting processes from non-profit organizations, and individuals were more willing to give their money to fancy campaigns dedicating to one great cause or another. So what is a young 20-something to do when she is trying to execute a project?
I am not alone. There are many other twenty-something volunteers and individuals out in the field, attempting to launch projects with what little resources they have. I meet them all the time, and we share similar struggles - not enough money, not enough power to find money, and a big will to achieve many things.
The truth is, people of our generation are out there making small changes, but they are small and thus often gone unnoticed. Yet what weighs more, I think, is the willingness to step out of one’s comfort zone and to attempt unveiling the source behind problems. By living with the people, understanding the culture context and that “our way is not always better”, significant relationships are formed and powerful changes are created.
The Changemaker
Wendy Lee is a second year Peace Corps Volunteer serving in a small village in Cameroon, West Africa. She documents her adventures through her blog Round II: Cameroon, where she draws connection between moving from Taiwan to the US and moving from US to Cameroon. Her goal in life is to live on every continent besides Antarctica and speak six languages. Her favorite foods in her care packages are Flavor-Blasted Goldfish and Peanut M&Ms.
Connect with her over at her blog, Round II: Cameroon, or on her Twitter @wendylee86!
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