State your name, background on yourself, and what inspired you to join the Peace Corps.
My name is Aaron Hilliker and I grew up in the great state of Michigan! I grew up in a small town in central northern Michigan, quite comparable to the small town living in Vanuatu. I was active in band, boy scouts, key club, and national honor society. After high school, I traveled to the big city of Grand Rapids and studied political science and community development. After college I was sitting down with my academic advisor and thinking about my path. They had me apply to three grad schools, three jobs, and three service organizations. Luckily, I didn’t make it too far before Peace Corps accepted my application and I was off to the never-been-heard-of-before country of Vanuatu! To my mothers lament, it was about the farthest I could get from Michigan without traveling to space.
What was your role in the US Peace Corps and what island did you serve on?
I served as a Water and Sanitation Volunteer. My focus was on reproductive health, water supply, and non-communicable diseases. None of those were really my specialty, however, Peace Corps trained me and provided valuable resources to make sure I succeeded in my role. I was placed in Endu Village on S/E Ambrym. The entrance to the famous Marum and Benbow volcanoes. I also served one extra year as a Peace Corps Volunteer Leader. I served from 2016-2019.
What training village did you train?
My first training village was Tassiriki Village on Moso island. Shout out to Papa Ishmael and Mama Jeannette. It was my first impression of village life and I will never forget it. My second training village was Epau. This is where I really started grasping Bislama That was all due to the fact that my host mother, who spoke English quite well, absolutely refused to speak English to me. It was that tough love that really broke down my fear of making mistakes while speaking Bislama.
What is your fondest memory of service?
I think my fondest memories of service were when I was doing my baseline surveys to learn about the community I was living in and their needs. I went and visited every family. Every compound. I spoke to every person. I wrote information down. I heard their life story. I heard their troubles. I heard their accomplishments. It was really a great way to make connections with people that I will cherish forever.
Looking back on your service, do you wish for anything different?
I do wish I had learned how to prepare for my site earlier on in my service. Only after 2 years did I finally understand what to pack to site and how to ship it to site. Example being packing food. You didn’t have to just eat wild yams and island cabbage for two years. I learned that ABM had lots of premade sauces and dried lentils and beans that I could send back to my site to help diversify my menus. Besides that, I had a wonderful time during my service and wouldn’t wish for anything different!
What is the number one lesson you learned while serving in Vanuatu?
I think the number one lesson was to not be afraid. Yes I did embarrass myself a couple times. Yes I didn’t always know what was going on. But doing something is better than regretting to do something later on. I tried to go into every situation looking to learn and find a better understanding of myself, my community, and my purpose.
What did you learn about yourself?
I learned that nothing will get done if we just sit around and talk about things. You have to take action and sometimes it might feel uncomfortable. Sometimes it might feel scary. But in the end, you will have accomplished something great and you didn’t set the world on fire. It is ok to make that first step to get things rolling.
What was your lowest point in the Peace Corps?
I think my lowest point was when I received the news that both my grandfather and great grandfather had both passed within days of each other. Luckily, I was in Port Vila and could facetime with my family. It was sad I could not be there. I traveled back to my site the next day and I told my family what had happened. They all gathered around and we had a little funeral dinner at my house. It was powerful to see my family members in my village come together and mourn someone they had never met. We cried, ate, and said some prayers for my grandfathers. It was one of the lowest points but it turned into one of the most welcoming and meaningful moments.
What was your highest point or something you are most proud of?
I think my highest point was finally getting our grant approved and seeing it all in motion. My counterpart and I planned and planned and planned for everything. Then when everything came I sat back and watched as the community came together to implement the plan we had developed. Pipes were paid, tanks were placed, and water was flowing. It was so great to see people who used to have to ration their water be able to use all the water they needed.
Out of all the volunteers who served with you, how many do you keep in contact with? Other than Friends of Vanuatu.
I have quite a few volunteers I keep in contact with. I’ve gone to weddings, vacations, and dinners with many of them! It is a nice little community of people who understand what you went through. We always have such a great time when we get together.
What made you join Friends of Vanuatu? What is your role at FOV2?
I joined Friends of Vanuatu because a dear friend Vanna had asked me to be on the board. I was originally given the task of creating a “Friends of” group and ultimately was not able to accomplish the task. Vanna took it on after I left and created this wonderful group we see here. I have been the communications director ever since! Almost 6 years now!
What are you doing now professionally?
I now work for the State of Michigan in their Department of Labor and Economic Opportunity as an Adjudicator of issues between employers and employees. Hoping to get back to the Peace Corps at some point!