October 2022 – Page 2 – Peace Corps Worldwide

Talking With Danusha Goska (CAR & Nepal)

Oct 18 2022

An interview by John Coyne (Ethiopia 1962–64) Danusha Goska (CAR 1980-81) and (Nepal 1982-84) was born in New Jersey to peasant immigrants from Poland and Slovakia. She has lived and worked in Africa, Asia, Europe, on both coasts, and in the heartland of the US. She holds an MA from the University at California, Berkeley, and a PhD from Indiana University, Bloomington. Her writing has been awarded a New Jersey State Council on the Arts Grant, the PAHA Halecki Award, and others. Her book Save Send Delete was inspired by her relationship with a prominent atheist. In 2018 she published God Through Binoculars: A Hitchhiker at a Monastery. Danusha, you did two tours as a PCV. What were your assignments? I was assigned to teach TEFL, English as a foreign language in the CAR and Nepal. What did you bring away from those tours? Were they alike? The most . . .

“In That Time of Our Life” by Jeremiah North (Colombia)

Oct 17 2022

By Jeremiah Norris (Colombia 1963-65) One night into my assignment to La Plata, Huila in 1963, I was reading in the dimness of a 40 watt light bulb a banned copy of La Violencia en Colombia. I was riveted by its 1948 description of the lunch-time assassination of Jorge Gaitan, the liberal leader, at a side-walk restaurant next to the country’s leading newspaper, El Tiempo. As its principal author, Orlando Fals Borda wrote: “it was a lone act which stripped with a single bullet the thin veneer of civility from an entire society”. La Violencia then goes on to detail a country’s descent into anarchy. By nightfall, Bogota was in flames. The country’s elite troops were standing shoulder to shoulder, rank upon rank, on the steps of the Ministry of Justice, firing volley after volley into the maddening crowd. They had long given up on shooting people in . . .

Peace Corps in LIFE–When We Were New & Special–1961

Oct 16 2022

Craig Storti (Morocco) — THE HUNT FOR MT. EVEREST

Oct 16 2022

The height of Mt. Everest was first measured in 1850, but the closest any westerner got to Everest during the next 71 years — until 1921 — was 40 miles. The Hunt for Mt. Everest tells the story of the 71-year quest to find the world’s highest mountain. It’s a tale of high drama, of larger-than-life characters — George Everest, Francis Younghusband, George Mallory, Lord Curzon, Edward Whymper, and a few quiet heroes: Alexander Kellas, the 13th Dalai Lama, and Charles Bell. It is a story that traverses the Alps, the Himalayas, Nepal and Tibet, the British Empire (especially British India and the Raj), the Anglo-Russian rivalry known as The Great Game, the disastrous First Afghan War, and the phenomenal Survey of India — it is far bigger than simply the tallest mountain in the world. Encountering spies, war, political intrigues, and hundreds of mules, camels, bullocks, yaks, and two zebrules, . . .

Grab Your Reader by the Throat

Oct 13 2022

by John Coyne (Ethiopia 1962-64) I am a great believer in writing an opening sentence or opening paragraph that hooks the readers and keeps them reading. Writing have change from when a writer could move leisurely into a tale and keep the attention of a reader with long narrative and descriptive sentences. Anytime you are anywhere — glance around — you’ll see people reaching for their iphone, checking messages, national news, or just the weather. No one, it seems, has the time or patience to read anything longer than an email. Today, no reader wants to turn a page of prose unless the next page is promising more surprises. Readers want what they’re reading to be fast, funny, or forget it. Here is what I mean. I have written these openings to grab the reader by the throat and keep him or her reading. This is a short . . .

Kate Mangino (Togo) EQUAL PARTNERS: Improving Gender Equality at Home

Oct 13 2022

From gender expert and professional facilitator Kate Mangino comes Equal Partners, an informed guide about how we can all collectively work to undo harmful gender norms and create greater household equity. As American society shut down due to Covid, millions of women had to leave their jobs to take on full-time childcare. As the country opens back up, women continue to struggle to balance the demands of work and home life. Kate Mangino, a professional facilitator for twenty years, has written a comprehensive, practical guide for readers and their partners about gender norms and household balance. Yes, part of our gender problem is structural, and that requires policy change. But much of our gender problem is social, and that requires us to change. Quickly moving from diagnosis to solution, Equal Partners focuses on what we can do, everyday people living busy lives, to rewrite gender norms to support a balanced homelife so . . .

As of August 23, There were 405 Peace Corps Volunteers Serving

Oct 13 2022

I am sorry for the aging information. I received the final response to my original August 5. FOIA request on October 7, 2022. The FOIA request is 22-0141. I do not know what caused the long delay, In June, I had made a FOIA request for the number of serving Volunteers and received a prompt and detailed response. (https://peacecorpsworldwide.org/number-of-peace-corps-voluntees-serving-as-of-june-28-2022/) This is what I had requested, anticipating the same kind of response I had received earlier. “Documents which show how many more Volunteers entered service after June 28, 2022 and were in service as of August 4, 2022;” and on August 30, 2022, you clarified your request to indicate you would, “like to know the number of Volunteers as of August 23, 2022.” ” A search conducted by the Office of the Chief Financial Officer provided the following information: between the dates of June 28, 2022 and August 23, 2022, an additional . . .

God Through Binoculars by Danusha Goska

Oct 13 2022

A spiritual memoir and travelogue, God through Binoculars: A Hitchhiker at a Monastery is about where you go when you have nowhere left to go. After a difficult childhood and a series of tragedies and misfortunes, author Danusha Goska finds herself without hope for the future. Supported by her passion for travel and discovery, as well as her commitment to Catholicism, Goska decides on a retreat at a remote Cistercian monastery. What results is a story about family, friends, nature, and God; the Ivory Tower and the Catholic Church. God through Binoculars is utterly naked and, at times, politically incorrect. Some readers will be shocked. Others will be thrilled and refreshed by its candor, immediacy, and intimacy. Her previous, highly-rated book, Save Send Delete, was enormously well-received, and readers will find that Goska’s ability to tell a masterful story with a powerful message continues in God through Binoculars. God Through . . .

Keeping Up with Bill Owens (Jamaica)

Oct 12 2022

Air Mail “My dad thinks it a good idea to take all the leaves off the tree and rake up the yard. I think he’s crazy.” Banana bikes, top, and a Tupperware party, above, photographed by Bill Owens. “Tupperware is a homemaker’s dream,” said one subject. “I enjoy cooking, dogs, cats, kids, soccer, and living here.” Keeping Up with Bill Owens The chronicler of small-town America is out with a new book, corresponding to the 50th-anniversary exhibition of his seminal work, Suburbia OCTOBER 8, 2022 “I’m always interested in the story behind the story about what America is about,” the photographer Bill Owens has said. “Not the superficial images of America.” Born in San Jose in 1938, Owens was raised on a farm, then joined the Peace Corps, shipping out to Jamaica (1964-65). He took a camera with him and learned how to use it. When Owens returned to Northern California to study visual anthropology, . . .

Kathy Tschiegg (Honduras) | CAMO director receives award from Kent State

Oct 12 2022

Kathy Tschiegg, pictured at the Sept. 17 Salsa Sizzle fundraiser, which this year raised $41,278 for Central American Medical Outreach, was recently given Kent State University’s Distinguished Citizen Award. Tschiegg is CAMO’s founder. Each year Kent State University selects alumni who exemplify excellence and giving back to the community. This year’s Distinguished Citizen Award went to Kathryn “Kathy” Tschiegg of Orrville, who serves as the executive director of Central American Medical Outreach. CAMO is supported by hundreds of volunteers each year, which is a testament to Tschiegg’s leadership, collaborative spirit and ability to unite people around a cause. One such volunteer is Judy Seaman, a friend of CAMO and member of its Salsa Sizzle Planning Committee since its inception 14 years ago. “The millions impacted by Kathy’s vision and leadership are a testimony to a life well lived and shared. She is certainly well deserving of this wonderful award,” . . .

Carrie Hessler-Radelet (Western Samoa) | New Head of Global Communities

Oct 11 2022

Former Peace Corps Director Carrie Hessler-Radelet Steps into New Role as Global Communities’ President & CEO (Western Samoa) Global Communities’ President & CEO, Carrie Hessler-Radelet Silver Spring, MD, Oct 03, 2022 — Carrie Hessler-Radelet (Western Samoa 1981-83) stepped into a new role as President & CEO of the international nonprofit organization Global Communities. Hessler-Radelet has served as the organization’s President since April 2020, a position she assumed following a merger with Project Concern International (PCI). “I could not be prouder and more honored to represent the thousands of Global Communities team members in more than 30 countries working every day to save lives, advance equity and secure strong futures,” Hessler-Radelet said. “We are incredibly well-positioned to advance our mission by connecting decades of proven programming with an adaptive mindset and fresh perspective as we stand with communities in meeting today’s most pressing challenges, from crisis and climate change . . .

2023 Indiana Teacher of the Year — RPCV TARA COCANOWER (Romania)

Oct 10 2022

Tara Cocanower, a world history teacher at Bluffton High School, has been named the 2023 Indiana Teacher of the Year. The Indiana Department of Education (IDOE) announced on Wednesday that the 2023 Indiana Teacher of the Year has officially been named. IDOE says the honor has been awarded to Tara Cocanower, a world history and AP U.S. history teacher from Bluffton High School. Cocanower was named a top three finalist on Sept 26, along with Jason Beer of Homestead High School and Joshua DeBard of Lebanon High School. For many educators, becoming a teacher is a calling to serve others and make a positive impact on the world, one student at a time, and Mrs. Tara Cocanower is the embodiment of someone who was truly meant to be a teacher. When you see the way she connects with her students, it is clear to those around her that in . . .

RPCV Doctor Michael Daignault Tells Us to Take A Walk

Oct 09 2022

Are you getting your daily steps in? Walking could save your life. Dr. Michael Daignault (Eastern Caribbeon 2003-04) USA TODAY • Did you know that getting in your daily steps could save your life? A new study of more than 2,000 adults showed that taking at least 7,000 steps a day reduced mortality by 50% to 70% compared with those who took fewer steps. The average age of study participants was 45, and they were followed over 11 years. This is the kind of evidence-based study I like to share with my patients in the ER. Although our time together is limited, I try to discuss diet and exercise with my patients as much as possible. I’ve found that most patients who don’t typically exercise find it daunting to start. They assume their only option is to transition from not exercising to joining a gym. While a lot of people can make that leap, I . . .

The Volunteer who built schools in Africa . . . after leaving Peace Corps — Cindy Nofziger (Colombia)

Oct 08 2022

by Jeremiah Norris (Colombia 1963–65) Cindy Nofziger’s personal journey went from being a Peace Corps Volunteer at a leprosy hospital in Sierra Leone, West Africa, from 1985 to 1987 to subsequently founding “Schools for Salone” to help rebuild the national educational structure that had been destroyed by the country’s civil war that lasted from 1991-2001. In 2005, Cindy returned to Sierra Leone (also known as ‘Salone’) for the first time it was possible to do so since the end of the decade-long civil war.nThe civil war had rolled back all educational gains. Rural communities like Masanga, Cindy’s old site, were the worst hit. Schools were destroyed, or they just weren’t being built. While there, she reconnected with an old friend, John Sesay, from the 1980s. John asked Cindy to help build a community school, and . . . thus, Schools for Salone (SfS) was born. Since then, SfS has . . .

Former Peace Corps Directors call on Senate to pass the Peace Corps Reauthorization Act

Oct 08 2022

Read this news and link to text of the letter at the NPCA website: https://www.peacecorpsconnect.org/articles/former-peace-corps-directors-call-on-senate-to-pass-the-peace-corps-reauthorization-act • “In a bipartisan show of support, ten former Peace Corps Directors who have served under Republican and Democratic administrations alike call on the Senate to pass the Peace Corps Reauthorization Act. The most sweeping Peace Corps legislation in a generation, it would bring important reforms and support for Volunteers as the agency seeks to meet the needs of a changing world.” From the Press Release: Today, 10 former Peace Corps Directors who served in both Republican and Democratic administrations sent a letter to Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) and Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY), calling on them to pass the Peace Corps Reauthorization Act (S. 4466). These bipartisan former Peace Corps Directors specifically asked the Senate to move the legislation, co-authored by Senate Foreign Relations Committee (SFRC) Chairman Robert Menendez (D-NJ) and Ranking . . .

Archive - October 2022