Consolidation

Hey everyone,
I just returned to site from a 3-day long trip to a nearby Issan Province spurred by a consolidation simulation. Every Peace Corps country has a standard operating procedure ensuring the safety and security of Volunteers will be upheld in any event. Here they call it the EAP: Emergency Action Plan. Our EAP has 5 different action stages that assess the level of necessary precaution that needs to be taken given a circumstance. Part of the EAP responsibilities for Volunteers are to always being accessible by cell phone, inform PC Headquarters when leaving site, and provide details about whereabouts. Things are this way for important reasons. We all know that things can happen at any given moment with little or no warning and Peace Corps wants to make sure to know where Volunteers are in order to guarantee everyone is safe. Take natural disaster or violent outbreak, for example.

Consolidation is the last stage before evacuation so it deserves considerable attention. Basically it consists of Volunteers from different regions meeting at a consolidation point in their respective regions and awaiting further instructions from Peace Corps Headquarters. Understanding the EAP, especially during a consolidation is crucial. In the event a consolidation is issued, you can believe that the situation is very serious. As part of EAP protocol, it is necessary to test the system in order to make sure it works. When I went to my regional consolidation point this last week, it was to test the response rate and ability for Volunteers to understand and apply the consolidation process—a consolidation simulation. I was obligated to leave site and put myself in the consolidation mind frame—what would I do if this were a real emergency? We were asked to identify other methods of communication and respond to the alert as fast as possible. Within my region, there were about 15 people that made the trek and successfully consolidated in less than 24 hours of receiving the go-ahead. Admittedly, most of us had the sneaking suspicion a simulation was coming and had already prepared for travel. Though, if a real consolidation were to happen, we would in most likelihood know it was coming and have time to prepare ourselves. While together, we discussed the experience and gave suggestions on how to improve response times, availability, travel methods, etc. It was a simulation well spent.

What's more, since everyone had made the trip anyways, we got to stick around for a little while and spend time together. I’ve gotten used to leaving site more frequently than I did when I first got here. Since PST II, I’ve realized more how important it is to be a part of the Volunteer network and to try to share more in our experiences together. It just makes sense because the other Volunteers are really the only people who truly understand my daily experience given they are experiencing the same or similar things. Sometimes, it’s nice to have a conversation in “Tinglish” with another English speaker about Thai-napping’s and karaoke overload—among other things—and have them completely get what you’re talking about. We also have a great time together and I find that after spending a short amount away from site with other Volunteers is extremely refreshing. We don’t get to see each other often because we obviously have projects and activities going on at site most of the time. Plus, our Peace Corps allowance doesn’t allow for extensive personal travel and all the costs associated with being away from site. Which is why I’ve taken to saving up for instances like the consolidation weekend. That way, I can treat myself to some shopping and nice meals when I’m away. After consolidation, we spent a couple days frequenting a burger joint and a fabulous Italian restaurant, exploring, shopping, dancing, laughing, playing games, and engaging in deep conversation. By Saturday, I was rejuvenated to get back to site, which has become more and more reminiscent of a legitimate home. It feels good to be back once again.