Paul Hamel

Special to The Desert Sun

Approaching my 50th anniversary as a Peace Corps Volunteer (PCV), I’d like to remind everyone that Peace Corps volunteers sometimes don’t get the respect they deserve.

It seems that “serving our country” is a feeling reserved for those who do so in uniforms. I argue that Peace Corps volunteers serve our country equally.

Many of America’s best friends live in rural areas throughout the world. They may hear disturbing stories about America through the media, but they also know their neighbor, the “American volunteer” who teaches their kids in their local school or helps organize an agricultural co-op where they work. In these areas the Peace Corps represents American values at their best. Not only do PCVs have a job to do, they also foster lasting, personal, and positive relationships and perceptions of America.

As an example, after 44 years, I returned to the town of Bafia, Cameroon, where I had served as a volunteer building a school and teaching English. I met my former landlord, Benjamin Bidias, who was still living in the same house that I lived in.

I was immediately welcomed as if I was a long, lost friend. There was a ceremonial shot of whiskey and hours of sitting on the porch with his family reminiscing about the past. It was as if I had never left. I found out that during my decades of absence, Mr. Bidias had become his country’s Minister of Finance.

Everywhere I went in town, whether it was the provincial governor, the bishop, teachers, students or the local chief, I was greeted with broad smiles and extended hands of friendship. It felt personal. And, I was proud to be an American. Like it or not, each PCV is an informal, personal ambassador for our country.

I will be attending the 50th anniversary reunion of my Cameroon Peace Corps group here in Palm Springs from Oct. 2-4. About two dozen former PCVs will attend. Our main goal is to eat, drink, sit back, reminisce, and get reacquainted. Mayor Robert Moon will join us during our first get-together.

We rarely hear much about the Peace Corps anymore. Rest assured the Peace Corps is still around and doing a great job.

Here are a few facts: There have been more than 230,000 volunteers since it was established on March 1, 1961. Volunteers have served in 141 countries. The number of volunteers today is 7,379, of which 63 percent are female and 37 percent are male. Married couples make up only 2 percent and singles 98 percent. The average age is 28, and those over 50 make up 6 percent. Some 308 volunteers have sacrificed their lives while pursuing their mission.

Sometimes people ask me what it was like serving in the Peace Corps. I usually reply that it was a life-changing experience that has influenced me greatly throughout my years. My experience taught me many valuable lessons that have helped to guide me: self-reliance, appreciation for what I have, the art of giving without expecting anything in return, and feeling that I have made a difference in the lives of others.

Paul Hamel is the owner of Hamel Publications and a partner of a film company, Frogg1Productions in Palm Springs. He is also the author of two books about Cameroon: "Return to Bafia, Cameroon — Memoirs of a Peace Corps Volunteer" and a travel book, "Cameroon Travel Adventure."