Sauquoit resident among first Peace Corps volunteers to head overseas post-pandemic

Jacquelyn Scibior traveled the world with her family when she was younger.

Scibior remembers going with her parents and three sisters to places like Jamaica, where there was a culture shock of how children grew up and people lived. She vividly recalls going on a horseback ride while on the island and seeing kids living in huts with metal roofs.

“I remember asking a lot of questions,” Scibior said, noting her parents were as straight forward with her as they could be.

Her parents discussed how the kids had to walk several miles to go places, had to work to help their families and not be able to do things the typical American child takes for granted.

She took these memories with her through schooling in New Hartford and  at Clarkson University, where she earned a bachelor's degree in civil engineering.

Now 27 and living in Sauquoit, Scibior is preparing to go to Peru on Sunday, May 22, as part of the Peace Corps. Scibior’s aunt Deborah Morone also served in the Peace Corps, spending time in the Central African Republic.

“I’ve always known I’ve wanted to do Peace Corps. Since I was 12,13-years-old,” Scibior said.

About the Peace Corps

The Peace Corps is an international service network of volunteers, community members, host country partners and staff who are driven by the agency’s mission of world peace and friendship.

At the invitation of governments around the world, Peace Corps volunteers work alongside community members on locally prioritized projects in the areas of education, health, environment, agriculture, community economic development and youth development.

Since President John F. Kennedy established the Peace Corps in 1961, more than 240,000 Americans have served in 142 countries worldwide.

Scibior will serve as a health volunteer in Peru. She will work on issues surrounding infrastructure, water sanitation, health and COVID-19.

The exact work will depend on what the area she is working needs, Scibior said, noting she would know more once she arrived in Peru.

She will be working in the coastal region of Peru and staying with a host family, as is custom for the Peace Corps. She will be there for two years.

Peace Corps volunteers receive almost 12 weeks of training, which can include language, technical and cross-cultural training, she said.

Members of the Peace Corp receive a living wage, which is set at the same level as the community they are working in. They also can receive a readjustment allowance – typically $10,000 – to help them get back on their feet after their service.

Peace Corps volunteers also are eligible for educational help after service and their health care coverage is covered by the Peace Corps during their service.

“I am really excited to go,” Scibior said a little over a week prior to her departure. “Now is a critical time.”

According to a Peace Corp report completed in November 2019, 14,550 New York residents have served in the Peace Corps since 1961.

New York had 395 residents serving in March 2020, prior to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Pandemic problems

Scibior was slated to go to Peru in March 2020, but the pandemic changed that.

March 2020 was the first time the Peace Corps was forced to globally evacuate all of its volunteers, said Erin Curran, a media coordinator with the Peace Corps.

In all, over 7,000 volunteers were evacuated from posts in more than 60 countries over the span of two weeks, Curran said.

After that, the Peace Corps continued its work through a virtual service pilot, volunteering to aid in the United States’ COVID-19 response and continuing development work.

“The pandemic has set back years of development progress, exacerbated existing inequalities, and disproportionately impacted communities where the Peace Corps serves,” Curran said. “With decades of experience contributing to large-scale public health efforts, the Peace Corps is in a unique position to provide the grassroots, community-driven support critical to global COVID-19 response and recovery efforts.”

On March 15, the Peace Corps returned its first volunteers back to service in Zambia. The Peace Corps is recruiting volunteers to serve at 24 of the agency’s 60 posts, though all posts have enthusiastically requested the return of volunteers.

The Peace Corps will continue to monitor COVID-19 trends in all of its host countries and send volunteers to serve as conditions permit.

“The world is at a critical juncture,” said Peace Corps CEO Carol Spahn in a statement. “The largest global vaccination effort in history is underway while other widespread health, social, political, and environmental issues continue to erode the foundation of our global society. Actions taken in the next few years have the potential to fundamentally impact development trajectories for decades to come.”

Anyone interested in learning more about the Peace Corps can go to www.peacecorps.gov.

Ed Harris is the Oneida County reporter for the Observer-Dispatch. Email Ed Harris at EHarris1@gannett.com.

This article originally appeared on Observer-Dispatch: Sauquoit woman goes to Peru as part of Peace Corps