Editor’s Note: This is the second installment in a 2-part series about the Peace Corps. To view the first story, ‘The Peace Corps: Area mom reflects on El Salvador,? visit www.thecitizenonline.com.
When Ryan LaPrairie joined the Peace Corps in 2006, he never imagined he would have to defend his two-room, mud brick house in Ghana, Africa from a raging brush fire.
But he did, using a machete and a tree branch, and managed to save the home with the only casualties being a few burnt leg hairs.
LaPrairie, the 2002 Brandon High School valedictorian, decided to join the Peace Corps during his last semester at Grand Valley State University.
‘I spent a significant amount of time researching international relations and the unequal distribution of power between the haves and have nots; particularly, a book by Paul Farmer called Pathologies of Power,? said LaPrairie, responding to questions from The Citizen via e-mail recently. ‘I simply decided to be part of a solution rather than contributing to the world’s problems.?
LaPrairie and about 45 other Peace Corps volunteers received 12 weeks of technical, cultural and language training in the Brong-Ahafo region of Ghana. He is currently stationed in the Nkwanta district in the northern part of the Volta region and there are 35 volunteers in his group.
LaPrairie facilitates health, water, and sanitation projects in Ghana. He notes that sustainability is one of the goals of Peace Corps and he mostly works in education, capacity building and networking.
‘Essentially, I’m helping people to help themselves,? LaPrairie, 24, said. ‘Each day varies so much that I am unable to describe anything typical about it. I spend much of my time interacting with community members and trying to comprehend the complicated dynamics of social, governmental, tribal and family relations. However, most people would be surprised how much time I spend doing normal, everyday things such as laundry, cooking and cleaning. In a place without running water or electricity, laundry must be done over several hours of hand washing and every meal made from scratch.?
His home has a screened-in porch and a roof made of corrugated tin. He has built a small, shaded courtyard out of bricks and straw because without even a fan to run, the temperature of the home’s inner rooms regularly reaches into the triple digits. The experience, LaPrairie noted, is the most frustrating, uncomfortable and stressful experience of his life; however, at the same time, he likes what being a Peace Corps volunteer is doing for him.
‘I have a much better understanding of the world than I ever would have if I stayed in America,? LaPrairie said. ‘I’m much stronger and more well-rounded than I was while in the U.S.?
In the village in which he serves, one of the most remote areas in Ghana, the people are mostly poor and uneducated yam and manioc farmers. The median income for a household of six is less than $1 per day.
‘Ghanians have a very laid-back approach to life, especially compared to America,? LaPrairie said. ‘Social interaction definitely takes priority over work, which for an American trying to achieve some sort of development, can be quite frustrating.?
In the more rural areas, the culture has remained unchanged for thousands of years, LaPrairie said, but in metropolitan areas, he notices western culture creeping in. He has not seen much of the rest of the country, as the Peace Corps living allowance doesn’t allow for much extra cash. Recent inflation and the expense of getting in and out of his remote area confines him to his site, although he doesn’t mind, since he says he didn’t join the volunteer organization to be a tourist and leaving the site regularly would reduce his ability to get work done.
LaPrairie misses home.
‘Growing up in such a comfortable place like America can really spoil a person,? he said. ‘But my guilt takes over rather quickly when I see what people around me are living off of.?
His service ends in November, and he said he will return home and apply to grad schools ‘as soon as my plane touches the runway.? He hopes to have a career in international affairs and diplomacy, ‘giving a voice to the little guy.?
What he has learned from his experience as a Peace Corps volunteer is quite simple.
‘I learned that I know much less about the world than I thought I did before I left for Africa,? he said. ‘The longer I’m here, the more I realize that life is far more complicated than I ever imagined. I’ve learned an extreme amount about myself and not all of it was positive. Regardless, I have a much better understanding about who I am.?
For more information on the Peace Corps, visit www.peacecorps.gov.