Archive - April 24, 2017

  We tend to praise and take pleasure in the successes of RPCVs, recognizing their achievement and credit their Peace Corps service, taking, I’m sure, reflected glory in their success, thinking to ourselves, “Well, I was in the Peace Corps, too!” But what about the thousands who came away from their two years (or less) with permanent illnesses and because of government bureaucratic screw-ups and limitations were unable to get medical or psychological help? We all know of someone. In fact, we all know of more than one RPCV in our group who has had medical and emotional problems because of their Peace Corps service. There are few stories, however, that are more tragic than what happened to Nancy Flanigan in Malaysia. A victim of a violent raped while in-country. Since the early ’60s she has spent decades trying to heal, not knowing until very late in her life that . . .