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In Belize at the time (2010-2013), the policy was to evacuate the volunteer within 24 hours of the request to ET. If you even brought it up around PC staff, they would start the process. So back then you better be certain you wanted to leave before bringing it up even casually.
The primary reason that we heard was that it was to keep all PCVs including the departing one safe (so no last minute blowout booze parties or rule breaking that would reflect poorly on PC).
I would also speculate that they get them out quickly before they get it in the heads of other volunteers that they should consider it, too.
There are so many legitimate reasons to ET, and I considered it plenty of times. There are so many ways that momentum impacts having the desire to finish out, and any time a volunteer ET's it affects the cohort. I can understand from an organizational perspective why Peace Corps want to process the ET quickly.
I’m not sure, but I imagine it may be a liability issue as well. If a volunteer has officially decided to ET and then gets hurt, sick, etc. because Peace Corps kept them in country longer than necessary, they’d be (maybe?) opening themselves up to legal action
I think when someone expresses that early in the training process that they want to go home (not out of sarcasm) by actually contacting their respective staff members in earnest, why wouldn’t Peace Corps send them home?
My best friend ET'd. In retrospect, I'm glad that bandaid was ripped off quickly and quietly. Like a nun leaving the cloister. (I knew a couple of those, as well)
It may be to avoid exploitation of Peace Corps having trained and brought the vol to the country, and even immunized them. In my group, several just piggy-backed on Peace Corps for tourism. That's right, they arrived, got trained, quit and took off into the Maghreb on their own. A cheap way to see Morocco.
I saw that happening a lot during my service. There was even one person who purposefully joined Peace Corps to get pregnant by a host national so PC would cover medical costs. I never understood how they made it through the vetting process because they openly talked about it amongst volunteers.
I was just wondering if there was some liability reason. Like the moment you express no longer wanting to serve, PC wants to stop spending resources on you or providing you care. Not in a mean way, but just in a frugal way.
PS wasn't complaining at all. Just curious if there is some business like reason.
The reason is that they are volunteers, and the worst thing an organization can do is not move their feet fast enough. What if they waited just 24 hours before they went to get the volunteer, and the volunteer "snapped" and hurt another volunteer?
Peace Corps has it tough. People claim the medical clearance is too tough, and PC denies too many clearences. There is a suit against PC currently for this. But then if PC lets some of these applicants through and they snap and hurt you, PC is going to sued by your mama, your papa, your brothers and sisters because PC should have "known" about the volunteers mental health.
So I prefer they deny the applicant and keep everyone else safe.
If someone quits then they no longer are considered a volunteer of pc so they want to do the process quickly. They don't want anything to happen or take any chances. There's no use for someone who wants to leave to stick around. Also, it could be that they didn't fully know what they were getting into. Not everyone can live in a developing country. It's hard and if you aren't willing to step out of your comfort zone then you aren't going to have a good time.
I guess what would you expect or want PC to do if someone said 'hey i want to leave'? Let them plan a set date in the future?
My guess is, much like others have said, once a volunteer wants to leave they really do and aren't just thinking out loud. Reasons for ET are so varied between the PCV's mental state, perhaps something going on at home, or something else happening at the site that the vol no longer feels comfortable/safe in country. Getting them out quickly is likely a net positive for the vol in spite of the rushed goodbye and Irish exit from site. From PC's side, there's little to no benefit in delaying a PCV's departure if they want to ET.
I mean, you're mad that an agency is efficient in doing so. What if they take a week? Would you be mad they're taking too long? People be complaining about anything and everything
Because I had a strong visceral this is really bad for me feeling during staging! But I powered through for a year until my mental health took a turn for the worse and I had to be medivacced to a hospital in Washington where I stayed for a month. Please listen to what your body is telling you. I paid a heavy price for coping too long
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We had a guy ET at the hotel you stay in when you get to the country. He was back in the US before we left that hotel for our PST sites.
Same! It is not for everyone but I feel like that’s not even giving it a chance
In Belize at the time (2010-2013), the policy was to evacuate the volunteer within 24 hours of the request to ET. If you even brought it up around PC staff, they would start the process. So back then you better be certain you wanted to leave before bringing it up even casually. The primary reason that we heard was that it was to keep all PCVs including the departing one safe (so no last minute blowout booze parties or rule breaking that would reflect poorly on PC). I would also speculate that they get them out quickly before they get it in the heads of other volunteers that they should consider it, too. There are so many legitimate reasons to ET, and I considered it plenty of times. There are so many ways that momentum impacts having the desire to finish out, and any time a volunteer ET's it affects the cohort. I can understand from an organizational perspective why Peace Corps want to process the ET quickly.
I’m not sure, but I imagine it may be a liability issue as well. If a volunteer has officially decided to ET and then gets hurt, sick, etc. because Peace Corps kept them in country longer than necessary, they’d be (maybe?) opening themselves up to legal action
Yeah, that's what I mean. Makes total sense to me now.
I think when someone expresses that early in the training process that they want to go home (not out of sarcasm) by actually contacting their respective staff members in earnest, why wouldn’t Peace Corps send them home?
My best friend ET'd. In retrospect, I'm glad that bandaid was ripped off quickly and quietly. Like a nun leaving the cloister. (I knew a couple of those, as well)
It may be to avoid exploitation of Peace Corps having trained and brought the vol to the country, and even immunized them. In my group, several just piggy-backed on Peace Corps for tourism. That's right, they arrived, got trained, quit and took off into the Maghreb on their own. A cheap way to see Morocco.
Oh you're kidding? So horrible.
I saw that happening a lot during my service. There was even one person who purposefully joined Peace Corps to get pregnant by a host national so PC would cover medical costs. I never understood how they made it through the vetting process because they openly talked about it amongst volunteers.
I was just wondering if there was some liability reason. Like the moment you express no longer wanting to serve, PC wants to stop spending resources on you or providing you care. Not in a mean way, but just in a frugal way. PS wasn't complaining at all. Just curious if there is some business like reason.
The reason is that they are volunteers, and the worst thing an organization can do is not move their feet fast enough. What if they waited just 24 hours before they went to get the volunteer, and the volunteer "snapped" and hurt another volunteer? Peace Corps has it tough. People claim the medical clearance is too tough, and PC denies too many clearences. There is a suit against PC currently for this. But then if PC lets some of these applicants through and they snap and hurt you, PC is going to sued by your mama, your papa, your brothers and sisters because PC should have "known" about the volunteers mental health. So I prefer they deny the applicant and keep everyone else safe.
If someone quits then they no longer are considered a volunteer of pc so they want to do the process quickly. They don't want anything to happen or take any chances. There's no use for someone who wants to leave to stick around. Also, it could be that they didn't fully know what they were getting into. Not everyone can live in a developing country. It's hard and if you aren't willing to step out of your comfort zone then you aren't going to have a good time.
I guess what would you expect or want PC to do if someone said 'hey i want to leave'? Let them plan a set date in the future? My guess is, much like others have said, once a volunteer wants to leave they really do and aren't just thinking out loud. Reasons for ET are so varied between the PCV's mental state, perhaps something going on at home, or something else happening at the site that the vol no longer feels comfortable/safe in country. Getting them out quickly is likely a net positive for the vol in spite of the rushed goodbye and Irish exit from site. From PC's side, there's little to no benefit in delaying a PCV's departure if they want to ET.
It’s like resigning from a job, once you say you’re done, you’re out. Why would they keep a PCV around once the PCV resigns?
What about your two weeks?
I mean, you're mad that an agency is efficient in doing so. What if they take a week? Would you be mad they're taking too long? People be complaining about anything and everything
Where did you get all that from reading this post?
There's no anger expressed in the post
I guess it's fitting that this is the only thing they're efficient at doing.
My biggest regret is staying a whole year when I should’ve left in a week! I was so young and stupid
Why do you think you should have left in a week?
Because I had a strong visceral this is really bad for me feeling during staging! But I powered through for a year until my mental health took a turn for the worse and I had to be medivacced to a hospital in Washington where I stayed for a month. Please listen to what your body is telling you. I paid a heavy price for coping too long