A Peace Corps Volunteer died recently in Tanzania in a rock climbing incident.  Joseph Chow, 23 from Scarsdale, NY died in southern Tanzania after previously serving in Kenya until their program was suspended.  He then transferred to the Tanzania program and served as an education volunteer until his death on September 23, 2009.

You can read more about the article here:  http://peacecorpsonline.typepad.com/peacecorpsonline/2009/09/peace-corps-mourns-the-loss-of-tanzania-volunteer-joseph-chow.html

Fortunately, during my service I didn’t have to go through anything like this.  Peace Corps is already a difficult experience without something tragic like this happening.  I can’t imagine what the other PCV’s, PC Staff, his friends, and students are going through.  I hate to hear about unfortunate accidents like this during a PCV’s service.  It is also difficult for families who send off their loved ones assuming that they will be safe.  It goes to show that accidents can happen anytime, anywhere, and you never know when your time will come.  You just never expect it will come at a time when you are so young and experiencing some thing so great.

After my Peace Corps service I traveled through Central America.  I was on a secluded beach swimming with a friend when the tides came in and started to pull us out.  We were in a huge cove and no matter how hard we swam we just couldn’t get back to shore.  I remember swimming on my back, swallowing water, losing my breath, and I looked around and thought, “Is this where I die?”  I’ve never asked my self that question before but I was at the point where it could have went either way.  Luckily, both my friend and I made it back in but I’ll never forget that feeling.  Even on the most beautiful beach, where you think you are safe, where death is the last thing you are thinking of, it can creep up on you, and remind you that you are vulnerable when you least expect it.

Good luck to those who knew Joseph, I’m sure he was a wonderful person.  The Peace Corps community, whether current PCV’s or RPCV’s, we are all thinking of Joseph.  Peace Corps was the greatest experience of my life and I will be forever grateful for my time as a PCV.  I bet Joseph felt the same way about his time as a PCV, like most of us do.

Flag of Samoa

Below are some links and information about relief efforts to the island nation of Samoa. Support can come in many shapes and forms – from donations to forwarding links. Help however you can and know your support is appreciated!

United States

Red Cross
Donate directly to the Red Cross.

Washington, DC
Tsunami Relief Fundraiser
Friday, October 2nd, 2009
8pm-11pm
24 R ST NE

Honolulu, Hawai’i
American Samoa and Samoa Tsunami Relief Effort
We’re accepting food item donations at the American Samoa Office of Honolulu. Please drop off canned goods, bags of rice and bottled water at the office – 1427 Dilingham Blvd Suite 210, Honolulu, Hawaii 96817.

Northern California
First Samoan Congregational Christian Church in Sacramento
251 South Ave.
Sacramento , CA 95838
Office: 916-922-2220
They are collecting clothes, shoes, medical supplies, and other necessities for the victims of the Tsunami in Samoa.

Samoa

Kevin (a former Peace Corps volunteer now living in Samoa) and his wife Taialofa (the daughter of two Samoa RPCVs also living in Samoa) have set up an http://www.facebook.com/l/13498;www.rawshakti.com/tsunamirelief.php. They are using the money to buy food supplies and delivering them to the affected areas.
This is a quick, immediate way to donate and you can trust that all the money will go to those in need:

New Zealand and Australia

RELIEF COLLECTIONS TO BEGIN ON BOARD PACIFIC BLUE AND POLYNESIAN BLUE FLIGHTS MONEY, FOOD, BLANKETS, CLOTHING DONATIONS AT AIRPORT CHECK-INSNew Zealanders and Australians who would like to assist and donate clothing, blankets, or tinned food can drop donations off at Pacific Blue check-in counters at airports in New Zealand and Australia. The donations will be freighted to Samoa by Polynesian Blue for distribution by government or aid agencies.

Auckland, NZ
Community Garage sale. October 10th, 8am until 4pm at Pakuranga Baptist Church on Te Irirangi Drive in Auckland! All the money collected goes to the Red Cross!

Click link for postings about fundraising events and also requesting help in organizing various fundraising events, with all of the money collected to go to helping the victims of the tsunamis.

BBE Island Freight company in Auckland, NZ, is sending a container FOR FREE to Samoa where you can send boxes of non-perishable foods/clothing/tarp/blankets/tents/bedding, etc.. This container is going directly to Red Cross SAMOA, which is good to know.
Pick-up Available in the Weekends (contact Tina-0210596164 or Adelle-02120056842)

OR

Drop off at 8 Kingsford-Smith Place Airport Oaks from 8-5 weekdays. or 4 Edwards Rd Grey Lynn in the weekends. October 17th is cut-off date for shipment!

Red Cross NZ and AUS
NZ Red Cross

Australian Red Cross

Fa’afetai tele lava to our Samoan brothers and sisters, PCVs, RPCVs, friends and families!

Maps of the Peace Corps is a site hosting five decades worth of maps created by volunteers of their host communities.  Check it out!

Peace Corps Washington reported that all Peace Corps Volunteers in Samoa are safe. According to the Press Release,

“Peace Corps leadership in Washington, DC remains in constant communication with Peace Corps staff in Samoa and will continue to monitor and evaluate the situation. At this time, volunteers have been asked to remain in their host communities unless otherwise directed.

Peace Corps Staff in Samoa are assessing what involvement Volunteers may have in assisting with the recovery of Samoan communities.”

Cabul served in Guyana as a Peace Corps Volunteer from 2004 – 2006 in West Coast Demerara.  Cabul is now a dual-degree MBA-MPH candidate at the Boston University School of Management.  BU.edu recently spotlighted Cabul on their own side, heres a takeaway from the site -

Please tell us about your dual-degree experience.
Being a dual-degree MBA-MPH candidate has allowed me to see business innovations and public health initiatives from unique angles. If I’m at a management class and we talk about a positioning strategy to sell trial size toothpaste, I start to wonder about the potential effect this would have on dental hygiene in the population of a developing nation.  Correspondingly, when we have a discussion in my public health class on a global health initiative to distribute anti-retroviral drugs for HIV throughout a nation, I begin to contemplate the operational challenges and potential bottlenecks that may arise in such an endeavor.  The exciting challenge about going after both the MBA and MPH is trying to piece together the lessons learned from both programs to come up with comprehensive and effective solutions that help populations in both the U.S. and the developing world.