The Peace Corps website recently featured Ashley Benson, who served as a Peace Corps Response Volunteer in Guyana. Working through the Catholic Relief Services, Ashley provided 6 months of much needed support to the “Program on Abstinence for Guyana”. Working with the goal of prevention in mind, Ashley found the experience to be rather rewarding. ” With this opportunity, “Ashley wrote, “I was able to include topics regarding not just the message of abstaining from sex; rather, abstaining from anything that could affect you in a negative or unhealthy way. This broader message developed into a 15-session curriculum encompassing topics such as self-esteem, goals, healthy lifestyles, discrimination, peer pressure, violence, sexuality, volunteerism, and much more.” Click the link above to learn more about Ashley’s experience.

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!

From February 23 to March 2, 2009, thousands among the 195,000 Peace Corps Volunteers who have served over the years in more than 139 countries will share their overseas experiences with schools and community groups throughout the United States.

Designated as Peace Corps Week, this weeklong celebration marks the 48th anniversary of the Peace Corps, founded on March 1, 1961, when President John F. Kennedy signed an executive order establishing it as a new government agency.

By giving presentations during Peace Corps Week, Peace Corps Volunteers help Americans better understand the people and cultures they’ve experienced, and the many benefits of service. Additionally, by making presentations in classrooms, Volunteers help create greater global awareness among students. For more of this article, click here.

For a complete list of Peace Corps Week activities across the United States, click here.

What is peacecorpsconnect.org?

PeaceCorpsConnect.org – our redesigned website is live…well almost. You are visiting the beta (test) version of the social networking portion of the site. Right now we are on schedule to officially launch Peace Corps Connect on January 20th.

Please be patient as we get settled in and continue to make changes. Look around, offer suggestions. We welcome your feedback and hope that you’ll be excited about possibilities that can emerge by connecting the Peace Corps community.

The PEACE CORPS CONNECT MISSION:

Peace Corps Connect engages those who served in the Peace Corps, or share the Peace Corps values, to build communities that inform, inspire, and integrate experiences that promote understanding and appreciation of other countries and cultures and sustainable development across the globe.

PEACE CORPS CONNECT PROVIDES:

• A “hub” of information about Peace Corps for current, future, and past volunteers, Peace Corps staff, and other interested individuals.
• Online building blocks to bring together individuals with similar interests.
• A springboard for advocacy initiatives to inform the Peace Corps community about “calls to action.”
• A library of institutional knowledge about the projects of current and past volunteers to promote development work.
• Resources for returned volunteers about careers, graduate schools, service opportunities, travel, and a variety of other relevant areas.

(http://www.peacecorps.gov/)

The Peace Corps is proud to announce the top colleges and universities on their annual list of “Peace Corps Top Colleges and Universities” for 2009.

For the third consecutive year, the University of Washington is No. 1 on the undergraduate list in the large schools category, with 104 alumni serving as Peace Corps Volunteers. The University of Colorado-Boulder has risen dramatically from sixth place last year to claim the No. 2 in the large schools category, with 102 Volunteers. Michigan State University has also risen up two spots from fifth place last year to take the No. 3 rank among the country’s large schools, with 89 currently-serving Volunteers.

The complete list can be found here.

Great blog post on the program by a Peace Corps Mongolia volunteer.

I received this note, it’ll help you figure out how to vote from abroad in a US election -

 I came across a website today that made it really easy for me to register to vote by absentee ballot for the US General Elections in November 2008. I thought it might be useful for those of you living abroad who haven’t already figured out how to vote and want to as well.

They walk you through a short set of questions, create a personalized document for you to print off and mail to the appropriate government office in your state, tell you where to send it and what to expect after that. Short and sweet.

http://www.votefromabroad.org/

The RPCV Mentoring Program is now online and both potential mentors and mentees are signing up!  Read through this email to learn more and to find out how your group can benefit and participate.

Background

The RPCV Mentoring program was started in 2007 with a fundamental goal in mind: to connect recently returned Peace Corps volunteers with RPCV mentors. 

Via phone, email and face-to-face meetings, these mentors help ease the difficult transition, provide a connection to the RPCV community at large, and say some of the most comforting words in the English language, namely, “I know what you’re going through. I’ve been there.”

For NPCA member groups, this is also a great way to find and involve returning PCVs immediately with your group and to offer additional avenues to engage other RPCVs in your community.

How it works, in a nutshell

1. Interested mentors and mentees apply by creating their online mentoring profile in www.rpcvmentoring.org.  That profile includes not only basic contact information, but also allows individuals to prioritize their particular needs and/or strengths.
2. NPCA staff review the applications and assign each individual to an NPCA member group based on their geographic location and/or country of service.
3. Group mentoring administrators review the profiles of their assigned mentors and mentees and make appropriate matches.

In the 2007 pilot program (in Miami, Chicago and Portland, OR), the groups also hosted an orientation, communicated regularly with the mentors and mentees and involved them in their activities and programs.  You can do the same.  There are resource materials on the website to assist and we’ll be communicating regularly with groups as this program builds.

How your group can participate

All NPCA member groups are invited – and encouraged! – to participate.  To get started, simply designate an administrator for the group.  Send me (at anne@rpcv.org) their name and email and I’ll contact them directly with instructions.  You can be off and running in just a few short minutes.

During the 17 years Peace Corps has had a post in Guyana, over 470 Volunteers have assisted in the areas of health, education, community development and information technology.  Those 17 years span over four decades and, although many things have changed during that time, the basic mission of Peace Corps and its Volunteers remains the same. Friends and RPCVs of Guyana (FROG) would like to take a moment to thank you for committing your time and energy to the service of Guyana and its people.  Your efforts have had an impact on more individuals then you realize. Thank you!

We here at FROG left Guyana with the idea that once you completed your service, the experience stays with you. We hope that you will join us on our mission to maintain our connection with fellow RPCVs, Guyana and its people. Below you will find more information about FROG and how you can join us!

Friends and RPCVs of Guyana (FROG)

In 2007, several Guyana RPCVs joined together to form a non-profit organization that connected former RPCVs with each other, with the greater development community and with new opportunities. Most importantly, we wanted to build on the work we did while Volunteers and continue helping Guyana – a country we love.

Currently, we at FROG are busy developing our infrastructure, gathering new members, fund-raising and developing a strategic plan. If you are interested in staying connected with fellow Guyana RPCVs, participating in Third Goal activities and supporting development projects, please join us! However, as a new non-profit, we are finding our way and learning as we grow. Bear with us, and please, feel free to contact us (support@guyfrog.org) with ideas, help requests, etc. That is why we’re here! Also, check out our new website at http://guyfrog.org!

How to Join

There are three easy ways to join Friends and RPCVs of Guyana!

1. Go to http://www.change.org/frog and click JOIN

2. Join through the National Peace Corps Association. Their membership includes a subscription to WorldView, NPCANews, and discounts on auto insurance, rental cars and more!

1. Go to www.rpcv.org
2. Click on Join/Renew.  
3. Follow their 3 step instructions for signing up with the NPCA.
4. Select Guyana as your Country of Service group!

3. Join us on FaceBook at http://www.facebook.com/people/Guyana_RPCVs/573529771

If you have any questions about FROG, want to keep up-to-date with FROG happenings or would like to get involved…please feel free to contact us at support@guyfrog.org and on our website at http://guyfrog.org!  

Plans are underway for our second annual weekend of FROG events in New York City this July. Join FROG through one of the methods listed above to get the latest details for those events! We hope to see you in July!

Sincerely,

FROG Board of Directors

Timothy Delaney, GUY 12 – President

Michael Geurink, GUY 13 – Vice President

Peter Theis, GUY 10 – Treasurer

Eric Terpstra, GUY 14 – Secretary

Scott Stadum, GUY 12 – Web Committee Chair

Cabul Mehta, GUY 13 – Board Member