Daughter Going to South Africa for Peace Corp

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Midwest Dad

1 year ago 12/03/2018 9:40am CST

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My daughter has accepted a position in the Peace Corp and is being sent to South Africa. She does not know much about where she is going, only that it will be rural.

She spent almost her entire jr year in college at the University of Cape Town and spent about 3 months in Uganda during the summer last year.

My family is from south Africa, though most emigrated out in the 1960s.

I am not excited about this assignment given the very high crime rate as well as country that seems to be in a state of chaos.

Any thoughts on the Peace Corp or safety in SA?
rojo

cofounder

1 year ago 12/03/2018 10:13am CST
re: Midwest Dad

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I'm sure ex Peace Corps volunteers will have some good info - better than me. My basic thought process is if she's volunteering in a rural community, those people are going to want to help her and keep her safe. I assume it would be WAY safer than say living in the city.

Acutally, I just found crime stasticis. If I was a dad, I'd be nervous. It appears that15% of Peace Corps women are victimized by a crime each year it looks like.

https://files.peacecorps.gov/documents/open-government/2015_Statistical_Report_of_Crimes_Against_Volunteers.pdf
Karl Hungus

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1 year ago 12/03/2018 10:51am CST
re: Midwest Dad

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Midwest Dad wrote:
Any thoughts on the Peace Corp or safety in SA?

If she's pretty and blonde, then you're screwed. Does she know how to fight?
hmmmmmmm

1 year ago 12/03/2018 2:56pm CST
re: Midwest Dad

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Served two years in Angola with the PC recently. She will be fine. Well off, really.
vivalarepublica

1 year ago 12/03/2018 4:08pm CST
re: Midwest Dad

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University of Cape Town is in a plush neighborhood, definitely different than where the crap goes down. Like in the US, crime is different in the cities vs. rural areas, and even within different neighborhoods in the city.
Reality Check 69

1 year ago 12/03/2018 4:33pm CST
re: Midwest Dad

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She's sharkin' under the guise of dogooding.

RPCV2018

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1 year ago 12/03/2018 6:42pm CST
re: Midwest Dad

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Hi, I was a Peace Corps volunteer in South Africa and was recently evacuated from there. The program is honestly atrocious. While the safety and security personnel try their best, volunteers continue to be placed in unsafe areas with organizations that are barely functioning and are forced to take minibus taxis to Park station, Johannesburg. Much of the crime is due to Peace Corps absurd public transit policies that do not match the realities of living in south Africa.
None of my friends from South Africa had been victimized as many times as PCVs were. People in my Peace Corps group were robbed at gun and knife point multiple times, some were shot at and stabbed, several rapes, and many have been assaulted. I would not recommend the program to anyone, the staff are mostly atrocouius and do not care about the safety of volunteers or productivity. Many of the volunteers who claim they are having a great time are in deep denial.
Also, Peace Corps left all the volunteers in the North West province this year when it became ungovernable and didnt even know where most of their sites were. PCVs had to find their own ways out, luckily none were killed.
Your daughter will most likely be going to KwaZulu Natal if she is leaving in January.
If you can, try to encourage her to postpone and apply for Botswana or Namibia. I've heard they are much better programs. Peace corps south Africa is sadly notorious for being the bottom of the barrel.
upyearsarefast

1 year ago 12/03/2018 6:45pm CST
re: Midwest Dad

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More importantly, does she plan to run the Comrades Marathon while there?
MAlkattan

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1 year ago 12/03/2018 7:00pm CST
re: Midwest Dad

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Don’t worry. Peace Corps won’t put a volunteer where they might be in danger - it’s a liability for them. I was in Guinea recently as a Peace Corps Volunteer. Guinea is arguably way worse than SA and I was fine. I wasn’t perfectly safe but I was fine. People in SA are more likely to protect your daughter than harm her. The most dangerous thing she will probably do is travel in vehicles - same as the US. Let your daughter grow. Your daughter will find herself in uncomfortable situations and it will help her grow. Might be some rough times but no permanent damage. You do hear some horror stories about Peace Corps but you know what? There are horror stories from people who go to college. There are thousands of Peace Corps Volunteers placed rurally around the world in worse places than SA and you might only hear one or two stories a year of tragic incidents (mostly traffic accidents).

About the blonde/blue eye thing - more people will help her cause of it cause they see it as interesting and foreign. No one will target her cause of it - they don’t have the same beauty standards as us.

If you want accurate info - find the SA Peace Corps Facebook group and post questions to there. Past and present members can answer your questions.

Also, if you daughter feels as if she is being placed in a dangerous situation - she is welcome to leave and anytime.

Though I’m sure she will be fine.
MAlkattan

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1 year ago 12/03/2018 7:03pm CST
re: MAlkattan

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Also, any comments from past of current SA volunteers trumps any of my comments.
yikes____

1 year ago 12/03/2018 7:07pm CST
re: Midwest Dad

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https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/affidavits-of-peace-corps-volunteers-tell-stories-of-assault-and-frustration/2011/08/29/gIQAdlforJ_story.html?noredirect=on&utm_term=.55f736c226f4
RPCV2018

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1 year ago 12/03/2018 7:11pm CST
re: MAlkattan

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It really wasnt South Africa that was the problem in terms of danger, it's Peace Corps South Africa. I've heard the program in western and northern Africa was/is so much better run!!! Glad you had a good time.

Amazing Duh

1 year ago 12/03/2018 9:23pm CST

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It’s amazing what guilt, college professors and a stupidity can convince a person to say in 2018.
txRUNNERgirl

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1 year ago 12/03/2018 9:46pm CST
re: rojo

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rojo wrote:

Acutally, I just found crime stasticis. If I was a dad, I'd be nervous. It appears that15% of Peace Corps women are victimized by a crime each year it looks like.

https://files.peacecorps.gov/documents/open-government/2015_Statistical_Report_of_Crimes_Against_Volunteers.pdf

rojo, you ARE a dad.

15% seems pretty light compared to the US.
curtbentley

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1 year ago 12/03/2018 10:04pm CST
re: Midwest Dad

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I spent a couple years working in townships around Bloemfontein, Witbank, Joburg, and Pretoria during the late 90s. Crime was high then, maybe even more so than now (though I haven't followed the news closely there for years). For the most part I felt very safe. There were a couple of neighborhoods that we just wouldn't go in (based on reputation), but never really felt threatened. Back in those days in the townships, we were the only white people I would ever see there, and I (with a very drunken exceptions) always felt very safe and welcomed. I think rural areas would be even safer. I think with just normal safety precautions your daughter will be fine.

I love that country. It's an amazing place. She'll love it.

Midwest Dad wrote:

My daughter has accepted a position in the Peace Corp and is being sent to South Africa. She does not know much about where she is going, only that it will be rural.

She spent almost her entire jr year in college at the University of Cape Town and spent about 3 months in Uganda during the summer last year.

My family is from south Africa, though most emigrated out in the 1960s.

I am not excited about this assignment given the very high crime rate as well as country that seems to be in a state of chaos.

Any thoughts on the Peace Corp or safety in SA?
curtbentley

registered

1 year ago 12/03/2018 10:07pm CST
re: curtbentley

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and I (with a few drunken exceptions...i.e., the occasional drunk resident who yell derogatory things at us) felt very safe...

Just clarifying...haha.
Pygmy runner

1 year ago 12/03/2018 10:10pm CST
re: curtbentley

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So you intend to be financially supporting your liberal daughter throughout her adulthood, do ya?
Not Juli-arse or Floyd

1 year ago 12/03/2018 10:10pm CST
re: RPCV2018

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RPCV2018 wrote:

Hi, I was a Peace Corps volunteer in South Africa and was recently evacuated from there. The program is honestly atrocious. While the safety and security personnel try their best, volunteers continue to be placed in unsafe areas with organizations that are barely functioning and are forced to take minibus taxis to Park station, Johannesburg. Much of the crime is due to Peace Corps absurd public transit policies that do not match the realities of living in south Africa.
None of my friends from South Africa had been victimized as many times as PCVs were. People in my Peace Corps group were robbed at gun and knife point multiple times, some were shot at and stabbed, several rapes, and many have been assaulted. I would not recommend the program to anyone, the staff are mostly atrocouius and do not care about the safety of volunteers or productivity. Many of the volunteers who claim they are having a great time are in deep denial.
Also, Peace Corps left all the volunteers in the North West province this year when it became ungovernable and didnt even know where most of their sites were. PCVs had to find their own ways out, luckily none were killed.
Your daughter will most likely be going to KwaZulu Natal if she is leaving in January.
If you can, try to encourage her to postpone and apply for Botswana or Namibia. I've heard they are much better programs. Peace corps south Africa is sadly notorious for being the bottom of the barrel.

As a South African I can fully identify with this post. I can fully understand that the program is badly run by a bunch of incompetent people who just don't give a [email protected] about anything and attach no value to human life.

Whether she is blonde does not make a difference, rather ask whether she is white or black. If white her chance of being a target of brutal hate crime just goes way up - reality of living in SA.

Rather go somewhere else.
George Soros = Emperor Palpatine

1 year ago 12/03/2018 10:33pm CST
re: Not Juli-arse or Floyd

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Not Juli-arse or Floyd wrote:

As a South African I can fully identify with this post. I can fully understand that the program is badly run by a bunch of incompetent people who just don't give a [email protected] about anything and attach no value to human life.

Whether she is blonde does not make a difference, rather ask whether she is white or black. If white her chance of being a target of brutal hate crime just goes way up - reality of living in SA.

Rather go somewhere else.

^This

Also this:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a_bDc7FfItk
Al, Dee Lusion

1 year ago 12/04/2018 9:31am CST
re: txRUNNERgirl

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txRUNNERgirl wrote:

rojo wrote:

Acutally, I just found crime stasticis. If I was a dad, I'd be nervous. It appears that15% of Peace Corps women are victimized by a crime each year it looks like.

https://files.peacecorps.gov/documents/open-government/2015_Statistical_Report_of_Crimes_Against_Volunteers.pdf

rojo, you ARE a dad.

15% seems pretty light compared to the US.

Do you really think 15% of women are victimized in the US?

Do you seriously think the US is less safe than South Africa?