Search Results for “Eres Tu” – Page 73

Do you have a good moringa recipe?

Feb 15 2015

Michelle Chirby (Benin 2012–14) wrote to Peace Corps Worldwide: I met Marian at an RPVC event in Oakland last night, and I wanted to reach out regarding an opportunity that I think may interest your community of bloggers. I am an RPCV (Benin, 2012-2014) who worked often with moringa — a ubiquitous tree in West Africa (and most of the global south), known from its nutritional value and many other special uses. Now I work for Kuli Kuli, an Oakland-based start-up company founded by Lisa Curtis (Niger 2010) that sources moringa from women-owned farming cooperatives in Ghana. We make “superfood” products with moringa, while also partnering with an NGO on the ground to address malnutrition in the rural communities from which we source moringa. Next month, Kuli Kuli is launching its Organic Moringa Powder in stores, and to celebrate, we’re hosting a recipe competition for chefs and/or bloggers to create . . .

Best Politician in the McConnell House? It May Not Be Mitch

Jan 08 2015

Best Politician in the McConnell House? It May Not Be Mitch by Sheryl Gay Stolberg, The New York Times Senator Mitch McConnell is a skilled politician. But he may not be his family’s best. That honor might go to his wife, Elaine Chao. As the sometimes-dour Mr. McConnell took command of the Senate yesterday, Ms. Chao roamed the corridors of the Capitol, happily shaking hands with veteran members, welcoming freshmen and their spouses (all of whose names she seemed to know) and parrying with reporters. “Today is not so much about my husband becoming majority leader — today is the day that, I hope, the country will take a new direction,” she said. Asked why her husband never sought to be president, she had an explanation at the ready: “He’s always been a creature of the Senate.” If that sounds practiced, there is a reason: Ms. Chao has deep experience in Washington, . . .

New York Times:Report Faults Care of Peace Corps Volunteer

Nov 27 2014

Report Faults Care of Peace Corps Volunteer By Sheryl Gay Stolberg New York Times NOV. 24, 2014 WASHINGTON – A Peace Corps doctor caring for a gravely ill volunteer in China ignored a fellow physician’s warnings that the volunteer needed intravenous fluids “in 30 minutes or he is going to die,” and altered her notes about his treatment after submitting them to headquarters for review, according to a confidential report by the agency’s independent watchdog. In a detailed examination of the death of Nick Castle, a 23-year-old volunteer who was the subject of an article in The New York Times in July, the Peace Corps inspector general cited “cascading delays and failures in the treatment” of Mr. Castle as a factor in the death, and said the Peace Corps doctor, Jin Gao, had “failed to use prudent judgment.” Dr. Gao resigned in September and could not be reached for comment. . . .

Review — OUTPOST by Chris Hill (Cameroon 1974-76)

Nov 25 2014

Chris Hill (Cameroon 1974-76) begins his new book: Outpost: Life on the Frontlines of American Diplomacy by telling his favorite story, his account of how as a PCV in Cameroon he tried to overhaul a corrupt credit union only to have his efforts rejected, largely because he did not understand the community’s internal dynamics and culture. What happened was something like this, Chris discovered that one board of directors had stolen 60 percent of their members’ money. He reported this to the members, who promptly re-elected them because the board reflected carefully balanced tribal interests and it really didn’t matter to the members if the board directors ran a good credit union or not. Hill said the lesson was that “When something’s happened, it’s happened for a reason and you do your best to understand that reason. But don’t necessarily think you can change it.” In his book he then sums up, “Years later, . . .

A Writer Writes: Red Dress Magic by Karel Amaranth

Nov 16 2014

A Writer Writes Red Dress Magic by Karel Amaranth Karel Amaranth is a family friend (she attended college with my wife) and has a Bachelors degree in English and Creative Writing, and a Master of Arts degree in Fine Arts and Art Therapy. She completed a Masters degree in Public Health at New York Medical College writing her thesis on an innovative project to address maternal mortality. While not an RPCV (well, no one is perfect) she has been working for 3 years with the Rotary Club of Makindye in Kampala, Uganda as the co-founder of Holistic Care for Mothers. She traveled to Uganda this past summer to visit health facilities and women’s groups to assess the needs of the communities and assist in strategic planning with Rotary Clubs, health providers and government officials, including the King of Tororo. Holistic Care for Mothers has distributed more than 10,000 birthing kits . . .

Review: In Manchuria by Michael Meyer (China 1995-97)

Nov 14 2014

In Manchuria: A Village Called Wasteland and the Transformation of Rural China by Michael Meyer (China 1995–97) Bloomsbury Press February 2015 384 pages Pre-order: $28.00 (Hardcover), $9.99 (Kindle) Reviewed by William Siegel (Ethiopia 1962-64) I’ve had an interest in literature about China since I discovered a volume of translated Chinese poems on my parent’s bookshelves. The book, a handsome hardbound edition in bright orange linen, had a picture on the front of a lone figure in flowing robes standing on a boat poling across a swift river. Inside was a poem by Li Po titled “The River Merchant’s Wife.” In the poem, as a nine or ten year old, I first found that words could evoke feelings such as the notion of longing. Michael Meyer’s absorbing second book about China (his first, The Last Days of Old Beijing, is one I’m looking forward to reading), brings us a fresh, inside . . .

David Hapgood (PC Evaluator 1962-65) Dies in Manhattan

Nov 04 2014

Thanks to an alert from Kitty Thuermer (Mali 1977-79) I’ve learned that David Hapgood, one of the legendary early evaluators of the Peace Corps has passed away in New York. Hapgood co-authored the first inside Peace Corps books on the agency, Agents of Change: A Close Look at the Peace Corps. It was written with another evaluator, Meridan Bennett. In their acknowledgments they state that: “This book is anything but official,” and then go onto praise their boss, Charlie Peters, who headed the Peace Corps Division of Evaluation from 1962 to the spring of 1968. As they write, “The unique process of self-criticism known in the Peace Corps as evaluation would never have existed without Charlie Peters’ courage and imagination.” Hapgood and Bennett’s book was published by Little, Brown & Company in 1968. I always enjoyed that the book was dedicated to “H.C.N. Without whom this book would never have . . .

Rereading Paul Theroux's (Malawi 1963-65) Girls At Play, Part III

Nov 03 2014

What strikes me now rereading Girls At Play is how Theroux did not linger with prose on the beauty of Africa, as he has quite wonderfully uses his evocative skills in other books and essays. In those early books he does not wax and wane as RPCV writers tend to do (including myself) on descriptions of the landscape. In those three novels, he was more interested in the play of personalities in Africa than the lay of the land. Theroux’s third novel on Africa is Jungle Lovers which focuses on Malawi, looking at the changing political and social climate of the country. It came about because of what happened to him when he was teaching at the university in Kampala. “Jungle Lovers was the result of my departure from Africa,” Paul writes. “In 1968, after five years in Malawi and Uganda, my wife and I were attacked by rioting students . . .

Rereading Paul Theroux's (Malawi 1963-65) Girls At Play, Part II

Nov 02 2014

Theroux’s first novel Waldo was a picaresque story of a young man who became a success as a writer. It sold around 4000 copies, which was impressive for a first novel, but did not generate enough money for Theroux to quit his day job. His second novel Fong and the Indians, was the first of many “African books” and it was his first book (of many) that dealt with the complexities of a changing Africa. The protagonist was a bungling anti-hero, Sam Fong, a Chinese Catholic grocer. It, too, had limited sales and while it had good reviews, especially in England, it didn’t make any best seller lists. Then came Girls at Play a year later. Paul would write about writing Girls at Play: “My future wife taught at a girls’ school in Kenya. While I was writing (Fong and the Indians), I courted her by driving hundreds of miles . . .

Peace Corps Update for RPCVs

Nov 01 2014

Thank you to John Coyne for forwarding the following Peace Corps Update designed specifically for RPCVs. I believe that it is published through the Office of the Third Goal. The webpage has a menu specifically designed to link RPCVs to more information. Here is the link to view that entire webpage: http://www.mailoutinteractive.com/Industry/View.aspx?id=626719&q=799195384&qz=899601 Of real interest to RPCVs might well be the description of the positions open with Peace Corps Response. Scroll down to that heading. Much of this information can be found in other parts of the official Peace Corps website. However, this Update is designed specifically for RPCVs and includes the personal letter from Director Carrie Hessler-Radelet. At first glance, I am not sure how much of an incentive the loan program would have to those RPCVs struggling with gigantic student loan debt. The plan appears to require 120 payments be made first. I think that is ten years. . . .

Rereading Paul Theroux's (Malawi 1963-65) Girls At Play

Nov 01 2014

I have been working my way through a new collecting of short stories by Paul Theroux, Mr. Bones: Twenty Stories, which Houghton Mifflin Harcourt published this September. Only one of the stories (so far) relates to his time in Africa. It is entitled, “I’m the Meat, You’re the Knife.” It is the last story in the collection. (Writers–or perhaps their editors–) selected the best stories for the first and last ones in any collection. I first read Girls At Play in the late Sixties. This novel was his third. His first book was Waldo (1967), next three were set in Africa. Fong and the Indians (1968), Girls at Play (1969), and Jungle Lovers (1971). At the time, I remember reviewers were saying Theroux was ‘writing too fast,’ that he should slow down his publishing. At the same time Saturday Review called Fong and the Indians “a small masterpiece.” (If he . . .

Peace Corps and the NPCA have signed a MOU to Cooperate by focusing on Third Goal Activities

Oct 23 2014

The National Peace Corps Association is a membership association for Returned Peace Corps Volunteers. It is not an official part of the Peace Corps. However, it has always advocated for the Peace Corps Community. Now the Peace Corps has established a more formal relationship with the NPCA. This Memorandum of Understanding was signed during the NPCA’s annual gathering last June. Read the Memorandum of Understanding between the Peace Corps and the National Peace Corps Association by clicking MOU between Peace Corps and NPCA The following description of the activities is from that Memorandum of Understanding: “V. AREAS OF COOPERATION A. Under this MOU, subject to certain limitations applicable to each party, the Peace Corps and NPCA intend to collaborate on areas of mutual interest that may include, but are not limited to, activities and initiatives that serve to educate the public on the Peace Corps and its mission, programs, and . . .

Review: At Home on the Kazkh Steppe by Janet Givens (Kazakhstan 2004-06)

Oct 12 2014

At Home on the Kazakh Steppe: A Peace Corps Memoir by Janet Givens (Kazakhstan 2004–06) Ant Press, August 2014; Birch Tree Book, 2015 208 pages $14.99 (paperback), $4.99 (Kindle) Reviewed by Leita Kaldi Davis (Senegal 1993–96) • At 55, Janet Givens and her husband, Woody, join the Peace Corps and go to Kazakhstan. Woody had been a Professor of Speech Pathology at Temple University, and Janet was a Certified Gestalt Psychotherapist. Leaving their comfortable life, their children, their grandchildren and their beloved dog was heartbreaking, but they met the challenge wholeheartedly. Their first months with their host family brought the predictable culture shock, with emotional tensions that nearly shattered their marriage. While Woody expected respect in his university teaching position, as an expert in his field, Janet wanted the grass roots Peace Corps experience, without cell phones or lap tops, learning how to teach young people English in a baffling . . .

The Peace Corps Announces Record-Breaking Application Numbers in 2014

Oct 09 2014

In the fiscal year ending 9.30.2013, Peace Corps applications were at an all time low, at 10,091. The total of serving Volunteers on September 30, 2013 was 7209. Director Carrie Hessler-Radelet announced an ambitious goal of doubling the number of application for fiscal year 2014, which ended this September 30, 2014. The Director streamlined the application process, and personally toured college campuses touting the value of Peace Corps service, as well as initiating a media campaign promoting Peace Corps. While not quite doubled, the effort has resulted in an recent historic high number of applications at 17,336. The increase occurred despite the negative publicity associated with the New York Times article describing the medical care received by serving PCV Nick Castle (See: https://peacecorpsworldwide.org/trail-of-medical-missteps-in-a-peace-corps-death-–-nytimes-july-25-2014/) and the ongoing negotiations between the Peace Corps and the Office of the Peace Corps Inspector General over the implementation of the Kate Puzey Peace Corps Volunteer Protection Act. . . .

JOBS for RPCVs

Sep 09 2014

Peace Corps has a webpage with job and career information on its official website. Here is the link to the Peace Corps jobs information: http://www.peacecorps.gov/resources/returned/careercen/ The Peace Corps Returned Services for Volunteers team emailed the following: “All Peace Corps jobs are listed on www.avuecentral.com. You will need to register and create an account to view the jobs, just as you would with USAJobs.gov.” Peace Corps staff pioneer, Dr. Robert B. Textor, crafted the policy of limited tenure at Peace Corps. His dream was a Peace Corps agency with an almost all RPCV staff. Returned Peace Corps Volunteer, (The Gambia 1987-89) Erica Burman is the Director of Communication at the National Peace Corps Association, Erica Burman – Communications. She reports that the NPCA also maintains a job page. Anyone can access the page, you do not have to be a member of the NPCA. Thanks to Erica for the following link: http://www.PeaceCorpsConnect.org . . .

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