It’s an uncertain time in Washington, D.C. Donald Trump is working to cut the federal budget and the size of Uncle Sam’s workforce. One name isn’t making many headlines is the Peace Corps. Trump named a new chief of the program that sends volunteers to help in foreign countries. But, possible changes to the Peace Corps aren’t so far making their way to the public. APR looked into how the organization partners with Alabama universities and one volunteer who stepped up to help…
I was a Peace Corps volunteer in Kenya,” said Jennifer Ludwick, she lives in Birmingham.
“I was a Peace Corps volunteer in Kenya in 2004 to 2006 so in an area west Kenya and an area called Nyanza Province, I worked in a little village called Saddam,” said Ludwick.
She knew she wanted to volunteer for the Peace Corps. But, the first opportunity was in Peru and the scheduling didn’t work. She said no. Later, the opportunity to visit Kenya came up.
“So going in, I knew it was this huge chore and obstacle, whatever we were supposed to do, because all I knew I was doing HIV AIDS work, and it wasn't very specific, and that's at least during my age, that was intentional.” Ludwick said.
Kenya was reportedly the fifth most infected country in the world for the virus that causes AIDS. For Ludwick , it wasn’t just as simple as saying yes. She says there was training in Washington, D.C. before boarding a plan for Africa and her final destination the village of Saddam.
“So out in the village, I lived with this amazing family in this mud hut with an outdoor latrine, or what they called chose, and no running water, electricity, or any of that, which was, you know, you you know that doesn't exist in rural countries, but for some odd reason, like being there and being in it, it was very eye opening for it, but it was also magical” Ludwick said.
Ludwick currently works for the Human Rights Institute at the University of Alabama in Birmingham. UAB isn’t a stranger when it comes to involvement with the Peace Corps.
“That is called the Peace Corps Coverdale Fellows Program.” said Carin Mayo. She’s with the Graduate Programs Manager in the Department of Political Science and Public Administration at UAB. The program she’s talking about is tailored more for Peace Corps volunteers just back from the field. Mayo says the point is to keep these people thinking about public service, and without naming names, there’s one student who comes to mind.
“He is interested in public health policy. He has worked on some health policies here in the state, particularly in Alzheimer's and Alzheimer's care, and has helped write legislation for that. So, they really all come from different backgrounds and are different types of people.” Said Mayo.
The Peace Corps was started back during the administration of President John F. Kennedy. His inaugural address urged Americans to not ask what their country can do for them, but what could they do for their country. Mayo says she hasn’t seen that kind of empathy change among Peace Corps volunteers, but the times have.
“You know, the 80s were the me decade of, you know, everybody thinking about themselves and what they can get, and very capitalistic,” she recalled. “And then the 90s still had a little bit of that. But then we started to see more altruism. And then in the 2000s you know, we've seen many recessions and housing issues, and so many people that that are severely affected by poverty.”
“I'm always recruiting people for the Peace Corps.” And the job of recruiting Alabamians to join this international relief effort falls to Kenyatta Spiller. And it sounds like she really gets into it. “I don't care if I'm at the grocery store, I'm at the post office, everything leads back to the Peace Corps. It will completely change your life. Absolutely do it,” said Kenyatta.
And the numbers appear to reflect that. Kenyatta says that between the years 2018 and 2023 around eleven hundred Alabamians have signed up to work overseas as peace corp volunteers. It sounds like Jessica Ludwick didn’t need a lot of convincing.
“I wanted to see what this what the world looked like that I would see in National Geographic like this, world was such a foreign concept,” said Ludwick.
We met Ludwick at the beginning of our story. When recalling her visit to Kenya, this is what she had to say “When you look at America and how developed it. Newly developed as we are. And then you see pictures of Africa and mud huts and goat skirts and, you know, all the stuff. I just wanted to know what that was like.”
She’s been to other countries since her first visit to Kenya. Now, she’s going back.
“I haven't been back to my village, just because, working with other organizations, I'd go through Kenya or whatnot,” Ludwick said. “And where I lived, like the Nairobi is the center of Kenya, and so where I worked was about 10 hours away from that. But this trip in October, I'm going to go back to my village and go see them all, and I can't wait. So, it's going to be great.”