Following are the details of the assignment I’ve accepted in North Macedonia. They emailed them to me in three mega-paragraphs. For easier reading, I’ve broken those up and added boldface lead-ins, but I haven’t edited it otherwise. I’m posting this here because these details don’t appear on the website linked to above and in my previous post on the subject.
Primary Duties
Community Development Associate Volunteers will have opportunities to support their local communities to assess their needs. They will assist community stakeholders and informal groups to work together in meeting those needs. These efforts may include activities such as: organizing capacity-building trainings for NGO staff, project development trainings, movie and discussion nights for youth, summer camps, adult English classes, fundraisers, and environmental clean-ups and other environmental education activities with children and/or adults. Furthermore, Volunteers can support their community partners to apply for funding from European Union programs and other international organizations.
As a Volunteer, you could be working with several NGOs, municipality, youth council, or other local organizations, however you will have one primary organization. The number of staff among organizations varies; you may work more closely with 1-2 co-workers or local volunteers. Peace Corps Volunteers will work directly with the staff or volunteers in your organization and report to and be supervised by the Executive Director/President/or Department Head of the NGO, local government department, or other local organization. Volunteers in this position focus on supporting local communities and organizations to effectively manage sustainable community development through the following approaches:
• Supporting organizations to assess community needs and build strategic partnerships
• Assisting organizations in program design, management, and evaluation that responds to community needs
• Strengthening life skills of youth through trainings, clubs, and camps for leadership development
• Co-organizing and co-facilitating community engagement activities, such as volunteering, especially for youth
There are many possible activities Volunteers and their communities can accomplish specifically in youth development, including, providing informal education sessions or long-term programs and trainings on gender equality, human rights, volunteering, leadership, youth participation, employment skills, life skills, prevention of violence and domestic abuse, self-defense, fitness, nutrition, substance abuse, safe-sex practices, and civic responsibility. You may also organize activities that promote tolerance and equal opportunities for under-represented populations, the economically disadvantaged, and those from diverse ethnicities. Volunteers may also promote local community service opportunities and motivate youth to develop strategies and activities for the constructive use of free time.
Educational institutions, municipalities, NGOs, and other local organizations generally have set working hours from 8:00am-4:00pm. However, many NGOs are not as strict regarding working hours. Most often, their work depends on the dynamics and timing of the activities they undertake, which can include weekends. Your schedule will depend on your particular local situation and how many organizations you have been assigned to. Keep in mind that the nature of the Community Development Associate assignment will be flexible, and in many cases you may have to take the initiative to identify ways of supporting your assigned organization(s). You are strongly encouraged to bring a laptop computer and/or tablet because Peace Corps North Macedonia uses a blended learning approach and a significant part of Volunteer training will be conducted online.
Living and working conditions
• Living Conditions: Volunteers will live in an independent housing due to COVID mitigation measures. Volunteers will have a resource family to assist them with integration. The resource family, identified by staff, might include family living on a separate floor of the same house, a neighbor or a counterpart/language tutor that live in the same village/town.
Volunteers will live in larger or small towns within one hour- hour and half from the capital. Permanent Volunteer sites will be used during Pre Service Training. Volunteers will be moving to their permanent sites after 1-2 week orientation in the capital after the arrival in country. Volunteers should come prepared to live as a typical local family does, the housing will be modest, yet functional and safe.
• Social and Cultural Norms: Volunteers should expect to have much less alone time than they may be used to. North Macedonia is a collectivist society and Volunteers who spend ample time with their resource families, neighbors and colleagues will enjoy a higher level of integration. During these interactions Volunteers should always practice COVID mitigation measures. Volunteers should be aware that it is common to smoke both indoors and outdoors and it may be hard to avoid during service.
• Diet: North Macedonia has a delicious cuisine, thanks to its hyper-local production of fruits and vegetables. Fresh seasonal fruits and vegetables are readily available year-round at local markets. Typical meals consist of chicken, pork (among the Macedonian population), rice, beans, pasta, and fresh salads. While difficult at times due to the meat-heavy diet, vegetarians have successfully served in North Macedonia.
• Weather: North Macedonia has four distinct seasons. Winter lasts from November to March with some snowfall and cold temperatures, similar to the Mid-Atlantic region of the U.S. Many public buildings are not heated or poorly heated. Homes will also likely be colder during the winter than in the U.S. because most homes lack central heating so Volunteers rely on wood-burning stoves and space heaters. Volunteers should come prepared with very warm winter clothes and clothes that can be layered. Summer lasts from June to September and can be hot and dry and air conditioning is not available everywhere. Fall is rainy and foggy and spring is pleasant with some rainfall.
• Dress Code: Personal appearance is important to people in North Macedonia and you are expected to dress professionally at your workplace. You will have regular occasions to dress up, so we recommend you bring more formal attire as well as professional clothes appropriate for everyday wear in the office. Men usually wear slacks and shirts (sometimes a tie), and a sweater or jacket in cooler weather. Women wear dresses, skirts (knee-length or longer) or slacks or pantsuits.
• Transportation: North Macedonia is a small country and Volunteers will be no more than 1.5 hours away from the capital city of Skopje. Transportation options that exclude public transportation will be expected and provided to Volunteers to mitigate exposure to COVID. Volunteers will live within walking distance from their work sites.
• Diversity and Inclusion: Volunteers of an American racial, ethnic, or national minority or whose religious or spiritual beliefs differ from the population in North Macedonia may experience a high degree of curiosity or unwanted attention. This can be uncomfortable, but Volunteers are encouraged to use these moments as opportunities to deepen local community members’ understanding of U.S. diversity by sharing their values and experiences. Peace Corps North Macedonia is committed to creating a supportive and inclusive environment for Volunteers of all backgrounds. Peace Corps Staff will address these topics during Pre-Service Training and identify support mechanisms for incoming trainees.
Job Location: Volunteers may be placed in any region in North Macedonia under a wide range of living situations, including, small villages, towns, and larger cities. An increasing number of Volunteers are placed in smaller communities anywhere from 1,500 to 10,000 people. When placing Volunteers, we focus on a match between the needs of the people of North Macedonia and your individual skillset. Priority will be given to sites that are within one to one and a half hours from the capital and have reliable transportation options. Permanent Volunteer sites will be used during Pre Service Training and after trainees finish PST and swear in as Volunteers they will begin their work in the assigned schools. Volunteers will be living in an independent housing and they will have a resource family to assist them with integration.
Cultural Attitudes and Customs in the Workplace: Respect tends to come with age and experience in North Macedonia. Peace Corps Volunteers who are younger or those without considerable experience may encounter difficulties initially in gaining respect from counterparts, supervisors, and co-workers. No matter your age or experience, your professional behavior—attendance, punctuality, dress and appearance and seriousness about your job will make your integration into the community easier.
Community Integration: In order to become a successful Peace Corps Volunteer, it is critical to build strong relationships and partnerships with your counterparts, colleagues, and community members. Volunteers should take proactive steps to integrate effectively into their host community. Volunteers are encouraged to attend local cultural events, drink coffee with colleagues at a local café, eat meals at their resource family or neighbor’s home, and play sports with friends but should always use COVID mitigation measures. Additionally, working diligently on your language skills not only helps with communication in your host community, it demonstrates respect for the culture and community. Volunteers learn Macedonian and/or Albanian during their Pre-Service Training (the first 3 months in North Macedonia) and are encouraged to continue on their language learning path by hiring a local tutor. In regards to the diet, vegetarians have successfully served in North Macedonia. However, in certain social contexts, such as eating at someone’s home, may require more room for flexibility because of the meat-heavy cuisine. The most successful Volunteers are those who are adaptable and open to accepting the culture where they will be living.
Diversity and Inclusion: Volunteers of an American racial, ethnic, or national minority or whose religious or spiritual beliefs differ from the North Macedonian population may experience a high degree of curiosity or unwanted attention. This can be uncomfortable, but Volunteers are encouraged to use these moments as opportunities to deepen local community members’ understanding of U.S. diversity by sharing their values and experiences. LGBTQ Volunteers may need to be thoughtful about disclosing their sexual identity in their communities and should use their best judgment to determine the best way to approach this with their counterparts and community members. Peace Corps staff is supportive and trained to provide the best support to all Volunteers. Volunteers representing a wide diversity of Americans have served with great success in North Macedonia. Peace Corps North Macedonia presents both great opportunities and challenges and Volunteers who come prepared to work where they are most needed, have good coping skills, and consciously work toward resiliency are most successful in managing their unique Volunteer experience.