The United States Peace Corps: 7 810 volunteers, 250 American administrators, and 1 500 host-country staff members in 75 countries, and God knows how many people managing and recruiting from the U.S. side - all run on a yearly budget that wouldn't quite buy an F-22. Don't even try to compare it to a B2, that just brings tears. Not that the financial side is all that important; sometimes it's just good to know where you stand.

Now, what you really came for:

The Goals of the Peace Corps

From the Corps's point of view, the program is about three things:
    1. Helping the people of interested countries meet their need for trained men and women.
    2. Helping promote a better understanding of Americans on the part of the peoples served.
    3. Helping promote a better understanding of other peoples on the part of Americans.

While many of the countries PCVs are invited to have a solid base of trained, professional citizens, most government institutions are still grossly under-staffed. There are never enough doctors, nurses, or teachers to go around. This is where the Peace Corps steps in. In addition to volunteers in the health and education fields, the PC also looks for people able to work in small enterprise development, environmental and agricultural work, and specialists in information technology.

As for the volunteers, their goals and reasons for joining are as myriad as their number. Some see it as service to their country, others as a great educational opportunity. A few look at the P.C. as penance for being born into a priveledged society, and of course you'll find the occasional "hippie on the dole" getting a free ride to see the world. Many volunteers simply believe they have skills that could help other people, and they want to do what they can while they have the chance.

Whatever your reason for wanting to join, the Corps won't turn you down. While motive isn't important, they do expect the individuals they invite to have the basic skills necessary to do the job assigned. To find out more about the type of assignment you might get, go to my assignments page, or check out www.peacecorps.gov/.