Microeconomics

Peace Corps volunteers are just that, volunteers, so they technically aren’t paid. However, the Peace Corps, as funded by the US government, does provide a stipend so that volunteers can eat and buy basic necessities. I recently complained about how expensive internet access is, so I think that the relative cost of internet should be put into perspective. (For ease of math, I will assume that $1 = CFA 500. The CFA is pegged to the Euro.)

Peace Corps provides a stipend of $3 / day during the training period; the pay goes up to a whopping $7 / day once I’ve sworn in as a volunteer. Frankly, it is definitely enough to get by. I usually spend between $0.30 - $1 / day on lunch and my host family provides dinner and breakfast. Toilet paper is easily my biggest expense at $0.50 per roll, but toilet paper is expensive because only Westerners purchase it. I can go to the cyber cafe relatively frequently, but since it costs $1 / hour I consider it to be a luxury. It is actually more economical than sending mail via post as letters to the US cost approximately $1.60 to send.

Here are the prices of other items I purchase on a regular basis:
-0.5 liter soda (Coke, Fanta, Sprite) = $0.60 - $0.80
-65 cL beer (local brands) = $0.90 - $1.20
-Cover for local nightclub hotspot = $1
-Bicycle parking = $0.05
-Soap = $0.70
-Stack of 5 guavas = $0.20
-Text message to a cellphone in my network = $0.06
-Cheeseburger and fries at local hotel for poolside eating = $7 (I have only purchased this once due to its extremely high cost)
-Entire grilled chicken (lean, “free range” – not Purdue) = $4 - $6 (ibid)

I had a filling in a molar repaired today in Ouagadougou and it cost $28 for the work and $17 for the consultation.

So that is basically how I am using your tax dollars.