A few weeks into my training, I was walking home from school with another female volunteer. Although she lives on another side of town, neither of us wanted to walk home alone because we did not feel safe doing so.
On a small road that was very close to the main street, we stumble upon 5 very drunk men (we were not aware that this day was a holiday). We immediately put our heads down, did not make eye contact and started walking fast arm-in-arm because the men started leering at us. Sure enough, they proceeded to shout what I can only imagine to be derogatory comments in Georgian. At that moment, I felt very grateful that I was not walking home alone. Even though we don’t fluently speak Georgian, their non-verbal behavior was clear.
Troubled by this experience, I informed my teacher. Along with the other female volunteer, we both decided that we should speak with the Peace Corps’ Safety and Security Manager as well. We informed her about the incident in detail among other safety observations of the village. To my pleasant surprise, the Safety and Security Manager left no stone unturned as she took our concern very seriously.
Two days ago, she came to my village and interviewed various host families that have female volunteers. She also interviewed past female volunteers on their perception of our village. Sitting in on two of interviews was very helpful. It helped me understand the behaviors in a Georgian culture context. I was able to connect the dots to form a different picture in my mind. It allowed me the opportunity to have a candid conversation about safety. In both interviews, the families said that they feel very safe in the village.
When I came home later, my host brother informed me that he was troubled by the news. He essentially said that next time, I should take a picture of those men and show him the offenders. He would then make it a personal mission to go and talk to them. Receiving the ample support from my family and the Peace Corps warmed my heart and made me feel much safer.
To be clear, I do want to point out that there are many times I did not feel comfortable walking alone in many American cities. I don’t believe this is a Peace Corps problem or a Georgian problem. I think anybody could feel unsafe in a foreign environment and sometimes it takes time to adapt to the new situation.