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Granitz's main focus in his village is introducing a new species of rice that doesn't require much water to grow (as the Sahara is slowly creeping south). He received a plot of land from his village chief and has been farming it since June.
Granitz shakes hands with the chief of his village, Jamagen. The village is made up of about 150 people, all clustered in compounds by family.
Granitz walks back to his village from the farm. The village sits on one of two paved roads in the country, which is both good and bad. It makes public transport a little easier, but has invited hordes of tourists who stop to snap pictures and give away toys and candy before moving on.
It's seven o'clock in the evening,
West African time, when Peter Granitz steps off a plane and is smacked by a wave of sweltering heat. He's been awake for more than
24 hours now, and the mixture of sweat and exhaustion have stymied his emotions. His body moves methodically, following the other
"IT'S THE TOUGHEST JOB YOU'LL EVER LOVE." —PEACE CORPS MOTTO
passengers off the plane and onto a rickety, overcrowded bus. There's no need to stop at the luggage terminal before boarding; everything he's brought with him fits into his framed backpack and tiny carry-on bag.
After more than a year of anticipation and a quick three-day preparation seminar that he and other Peace Corps volunteers attended in Philadelphia, Granitz gets his first glimpse of Gambia. A city of 1.5 million, Gambia has sub-tropical heat and two distinct seasons. It is located in West Africa, the smallest and most western country on the continent. Granitz will be the only American living in a remote village just outside of the city. He will call it home for the next two years of his life.
Grantitz, a 2005 graduate, is one of nearly 8,000 volunteers currently serving abroad as a member of the PeaceCorps. The University of Kansas produces more volunteers than
virtually any other university in the country, according to the Peace Corps organization.
"It's the toughest job you'll ever love"; that's the motto of the Peace Corps and, ironically, it seems to sum up the experience of a Peace Corps volunteer perfectly. It's tough. The decision to move away from family and friends for a full two years of your life is tough. The application process, testing and medical exams are tough. And once you're there, well, that's tough too. Yet, thousands of young Americans, including more than 800 former KU students, have volunteered abroad.
There are three major goals of the Peace Corps: to help the people of interested countries in meeting their need for trained men and women; to help the people served to have a better
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understanding of Americans; and to help Americans have a better understanding of other peoples. The dedication and hard work of Peace Corps volunteers are making these goals a reality every day for millions of children, farmers and families living in destitute areas throughout the world.
Yet, there is a continuing debate about whether Peace Corps volunteers need or should be in the countries where they serve. Proponents of the organization believe that the presence of volunteers promotes peace and
08> JAYPLAY 09.07.2006