Kenya – Peace Corps Worldwide

New Book: My African Anthology, by Robert Gribbin

Dec 18 2024

My African Anthology By Robert Gribbin (Kenya 1968-70)) Publisher ‏ : ‎ Independently published (August 9, 2024) Language ‏ : ‎ English Paperback ‏ : ‎ 351 pages ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 979-8335491563 Available on Amazon.com ($17.00) My African Anthology is a compendium of anecdotes, articles and stories that mirror years of living and working in Africa. Beginning in the sixties with my first sojourn on the continent, the items both factual and fictional paint a compelling portrait of the Africa I knew. From the Peace Corps Kenya era are snippets of Luo tribal consternation regarding America’s moon landing, competing in the Safari road rally, trouble with noisy bees, and a shape shifting terror. From Bokassa’s Central African Republic – stories of a man lost in the forest, the president’s mistress, a search for gold, plus an eye-witness account of the lavish coronation. A later return to that beleaguered nation, . . .

Novelist, teacher, and founder of “Dangerous Writing‘ Tom Spanbauer dies at 78 (Kenya)

Sep 27 2024

Obituary — Tom Spanbauer (Kenya 1969-71) author of The Man Who Fell In Love With The Moon [1991] and I Loved you More, died September 21, in Portland, following a long battle with Parkinson’s disease. Spanbauer was born in Pocatello, Idaho, in 1946. After waiting tables while earning his MFA from Columbia University in 1988, he served two years in the Peace Corps in Kenya, then lived across the United States before moving to Portland in 1991, shortly after publication of his cult classic The Man Who Fell in Love With The Moon. His other novels include Faraway Places, In the City of Shy Hunters, I Loved You More, and Now Is the Hour. His books explore issues of race, sexual identity, and making a family of choice. In Portland, he founded the “Dangerous Writing” workshop from his home. The workshop, which spanned three decades, left a line of enthusiastic students. “It is a terrifying thing to . . .

Memorial celebration set for RPCVs Joe and Cristina Kessler

Aug 15 2024

Memorial celebration set for Joe and Cristina Kessler PCVs from 1973 to 78 in Honduras, Kenya, and Seychelles by Sara Kirkpatrick Virgin Islands Daily News Friends and colleagues of former St. John residents Joe and Cristina Kessler are invited to gather for an online memorial celebration of the couple at noon Sunday. They died earlier this year. The Kessler and Dombrowski families have asked participants to join them on Zoom and raise a glass at 12 p.m. EDT for a simultaneous, worldwide toast with a drink of their choice. Dombrowski is Cristina’s maiden name. Following the toast, family, friends and colleagues will be able to share remarks and remembrances in smaller break-out rooms. Joe and Cristina Kessler were well-known throughout the Virgin Islands. Joe served as president of the Friends of the Virgin Islands National Park for 17 years before retiring in 2018. He also organized the . . .

Review | Theroux’s Close Shave by Christopher West Davis

Aug 05 2024

A review by Christopher West Davis (Kenya 1975-78) Originally published in The Hawaii Review of Books Three years ago, Paul Theroux (Malawi 1963-65) ended his birthday card to himself—“Facing Ka‘ena Point: On Turning Eighty,” published in The New Yorker and probably the closest thing to an autobiography he will ever offer—with the perfect vignette. He was sitting, scribbling in his favorite place to write—a folding chair on a Hawaiian beach he has watched erode away for years. A young man comes towards him, limping from a war wound. He said he remembered seeing Theroux in the same place before he went off to Afghanistan. “And you’re still here,” he said, “in that chair!” “I’m not finished,” Theroux replied. And he wasn’t, (likely isn’t still). In the same essay Theroux describes his life as writing one book after another since 1963—amassing thirty-two of fiction, twenty nonfictions, and one . . .

Peace Corps names UW-Madison its No. 1 volunteer-producing university for 2023

Jun 03 2024

Community health and teaching by the ocean UW-Madison graduates thrive in Peace Corps BY BEATRICE LAWRENCE JUNE 3, 2024 One recent University of Wisconsin-Madison graduate is in Kenya learning about community-based health care to help pregnant people and young children. Another is in a small Costa Rican mountain community helping students in what she described as, “The hardest job you’ll ever love.” A third is teaching sixth graders in South America near the shores of the Atlantic Ocean. All of these recent graduates joined the Peace Corps, which can be a pretty common path for students leaving UW-Madison. In April, the Peace Corps announced that UW-Madison was its No. 1 volunteer-producing university for 2023. Since President John F. Kennedy created the Peace Corps in 1961, more than 2,700 volunteers have come from UW-Madison. Three of those volunteers joined WPR’s “Wisconsin Today” from across the world to . . .

New books by Peace Corps writers | March — April 2024

May 01 2024

To purchase any of these books from Amazon.com — CLICK on the book cover, the bold book title, or the publishing format you would like — and Peace Corps Worldwide, an Amazon Associate, will receive a small remittance from your purchase that will help support the site and the annual Peace Corps Writers awards. We include a brief description for each of the books listed here in hopes of encouraging readers to order a book and/or to VOLUNTEER TO REVIEW IT. See a book you’d like to review for Peace Corps Worldwide? Send a note to Marian at marian@haleybeil.com, and she will send you a free copy along with a few instructions. P.S. In addition to the books listed below, I have on my shelf a number of other books whose authors would love for you to review. Go to Books Available for Review to see what is on that shelf. PLEASE, PLEASE join in our Third . . .

Michael Carson (Kenya) is new head of International Storytelling Center

Apr 25 2024

RPCVs in the news — WJHL Tri-Cities Michael Carson (Kenya 1989-91) is a non-profit executive who has devoted his career to social and economic development. His technical assistance and strategic advice has helped transform small businesses, community-led health clinics and schools, and agriculture enterprises in conflict settings and emerging economies. Michael has provided capacity building and organization development advice to organizations as diverse as the government of Guinea’s Ministry of Health, East African youth and women’s cooperative enterprises, the Arusha Municipal Council, the Zanzibar Handicraft Producers Association and Bosnian natural producers associations. Born and raised in Chicago, Illinois, Michael started his international experience when he joined the Peace Corps. “I joined the Peace Corps in 1989 and went to Kenya and really gained a perspective for African culture, for international cultures,” said Carson. “And I have worked in International Affairs for almost 30 years.” Carson’s father grew up . . .

Guy Consolmagno (Kenya) found his “home” in the African Night Sky

Apr 13 2024

RPCVs in the news . . . ] ‘Pope’s Astronomer’ Explores Journey in Faith and Science at Fairfield U. Talk by Emilia Otte, CTExaminer 4/11/24 FAIRFIELD CT — In 1983, volunteer Guy Consolmagno lay in bed at a Peace Corps Training Facility in Kenya, feeling severely homesick. He had made up his mind to return to the United States the following day believing he wasn’t cut out to be an adventurer. But on his last night in Kenya, Consolmagno decided to take one final look at the night sky. “I later counted there were 15 of the brightest stars in the sky visible at that moment. Most of them are old friends of mine — stars that my dad had taught me when I was a kid, growing up on the shores of Lake Huron,” said Consolmagno, who has a doctorate in planetary sciences. “And I’m looking at this sky, and . . .

Review | TALES OF AN IKUT SWAMI by Cristina Kessler (Honduras, Kenya, Seychelles)

Mar 25 2024

Tales of an Ikut Swami Cristina Kessler (Honduras 1973–75, Kenya 1975–76, Seychelles 1976–78) [Cover design Frank Welffens; Photographs by Cristina Kessler] Self-published $12.00 (paperback) Reviewer — Leita Kaldi Davis (Senegal 1993–96) • • • Cristina met her husband, Joe, in 1973 during training in Puerto Rico. As a volunteer, he was assigned to Peru and she to Honduras. Six months later he transferred to Honduras. Peace Corps told them they could only serve together if they were married, so they agreed to risk it for a year. That was 50 years ago this August! They served from 1973 to 1978 in Honduras, Peru, Kenya and the Seychelles. Joe was later hired by CARE and they were sent to Sierra Leone. As an Ikut Swami — Malay for one who follows her husband — Cristina . . . and Joe spent twenty years in Africa, seven years in Latin America and two years in Asia, living . . .

Talking With Children’s Book Award Winning Writer Cristina Kessler

Mar 25 2024

John interviews . . . Cristina Kessler Cristina Kessler is an award-winning author of nine books set in Africa, where she lived for 19 years. She’s received the 2015 Lumen Award, given for “excellence in nonfiction for young readers” with Hope is Here!; She’s received the Henry Bergh Children’s Book Award from the ASPCA for Excellence in Humane Literature for Young Readers; the Africana Book Award, from the African Studies Association, honoring outstanding books about Africa for children and young adults; and has been included many times on the Notable Books for a Global Society list. She writes about nature and cross-cultural topics. I asked Cristina what she did before the Peace Corps. I graduated from California Polytechnic in San Luis Obispo, CA in 1972. I majored in Criminology and minored in Political Science. My first job upon graduating was working as a mushroom sorter in the Santa Cruz . . .

Green Bay Packers honored RPCV Dan Krause (Kenya) during Sunday’s game

Jan 08 2024

In the news Packers honored RPCV Dan Krause during Sunday’s game against the Bears Jan 07, 2024 The Green Bay Packers and Network Health paid special tribute to U.S. Army veteran Daniel Krause during Sunday afternoon’s game against the Chicago Bears for ‘Operation Fan Mail.’ Operation Fan Mail, the program that recognizes military families and veterans at each Packers home game, marked its 17th season this year. After Krause graduated from high school, he joined the U.S. Army as a medic. He went on to graduate with honors from UW-Stevens Point. He also served in the Peace Corps (Kenya 1992-994) and graduated from law school at New York University, where he also earned a master’s degree in philosophy. He then practiced law for the Menominee and Oneida tribes, then opened his own law office in Shawano, Wis. He served for a total of 31 years, serving . . .

Joe Lurie (Kenya) interviewed by Bill Miller (Dominican Republic) of Global Connections TV

Dec 06 2023

Thanks for the ‘heads up’ from Mark Walker (Guatemala 1971-73) • Bill Miller (Dominican Republic 1968-70) interviewed Joe Lurie (Kenya 1967-70) on Global Connections TV (GCTV) which is aired on UN TV and for universities around the world. The focus of the interview is cross-cultural communications, and Joe’s book, Deceptions Perceptions. • Mark Walker (Guatemala 1971-73) has reviewed Perceptions and Deceptions on his site.

Florence Phillips (Guatemala, Jamaica, Kenya) is still volunteering. You can too!

Oct 28 2023

Born in New York to Jewish parents who fled Europe before the holocaust, RPCV Florence Phillips knows firsthand what is like to be the child of immigrants who don’t speak English. “My parents could not talk to my teachers; my parents could not help me with homework,” said Phillips. But all of that would change when she joined the Peace Corps. Florence served three tours of duty as a Peace Corps Volunteer in three different countries. 1988 – 1989 PCV Guatemala Organized 12 Mayan Indian women in a small village and assisted them in forming a cooperative weaving business. Established local and tourist markets for their products. 1990 – 1992 PCV Jamaica Small Enterprise Development and Business Advisor. Secondary projects established included teaching remedial reading and tutoring at primary school level; organized sport activities; taught adult literacy. 1997 – 1999 PCV Kenya Small Enterprise Development and Business Advisor. Taught . . .

WHAT’S GOTTEN INTO YOU by Dan Levitt (Kenya)

Oct 03 2023

What’s Gotten Into You: The Story of Your Body’s Atoms, from the Big Bang Through Last Night’s Dinner by Dan Levitt (Kenya 1981-83) Harper Publisher January 2023 400 pages $12.99 (Kindle); $5.95 (Audiobook) $15.99 (Hardcover); $21.99 (Paperback) For readers of Bill Bryson, Neil deGrasse Tyson and Siddhartha Mukherjee, a wondrous, wildly ambitious, and vastly entertaining work of popular science that tells the awe-inspiring story of the elements that make up the human body, and how these building blocks of life travelled billions of miles and across billions of years to make us who we are. Every one of us contains a billion times more atoms than all the grains of sand in the earth’s deserts. If you weigh 150 pounds, you’ve got enough carbon to make 25 pounds of charcoal, enough salt to fill a saltshaker, enough chlorine to disinfect several backyard swimming pools, and enough iron to forge a . . .

PC Trainee makes TIME MAGAZINEs “Time100 Next”

Sep 27 2023

In the news In 2020, Rikki Held joined 16 other young people in Montana to file a lawsuit against the state for violating their constitutional rights to a clean and healthful environment by contributing to climate change through its continued extraction of fossil fuels. Rikki Held stepped forward to become the lead plaintiff in a lawsuit brought by Our Children’s Trust — a not-for-profit law firm that specializes in environmental cases — suing the state of Montana for violating its own constitutional guarantee that it would provide citizens “a clean and healthful environment.” The case, Held v. State of Montana, was the first constitutional and the first youth-led climate lawsuit to go to trial in the U.S., and it resulted in a historic ruling — one that could provide a road map for similar efforts. On Aug. 14, the Montana District Court sided with Held and her fellow young plaintiffs, . . .