Madagascar – Peace Corps Worldwide

The Volunteer Who Has Been Highly Recognized for His contributions to the Creative Arts | Tony D‘Souza (Cote d’Ivoire)

Mar 16 2024

Profile in Citizenship by Jeremiah Norris (Colombia 1963-65) • • • Tony D’Souza served as a Volunteer in Cote d’Ivoire from 2001 to 2002, chronicling his life in a small African village, before, during, and after a Civil War. He was born in Chicago to an RPCV mother (India 1966-68) and Indian father. After graduating from high school, he rode a bicycle across Alaska, then went on to earn a BA in English in two and a half years at Carthage College. Afterwards, he earned a MA in English at Hollins University in Virginia, and then a Master’s in Fine Arts (MFA) at the University of Notre Dame. Tony feels that this degree gave him two years to surround himself with people who loved books, commenting that “most of life isn’t as pleasant as that. Before his time in the Peace Corps, Tony managed to work in a kibbutz in Israel, and . . .

PCV Vanessa Paolella | Letter from Madagascar

Dec 10 2023

Sometimes, I imagine I know what it’s like to be Patrick Dempsey. Everyone stares at me when I go grocery shopping. Making small talk on the street inevitably draws a crowd. Strangers want to take photos of me. Girls giggle to each other when I say “hello,” or, too shy to approach, they instead point and call to me from yards away. The major difference in my comparison, as I’m sure you might guess, is that no one has graced me with the title of “Sexiest Man Alive.” Not yet, anyway. That, and my only claim to fame here in Madagascar is presumably being the lone white person for miles. I’m the first Peace Corps volunteer to live in this village and likely the first foreigner. Being able to hold a basic conversation in Malagasy only draws more attention. Foreigners rarely make the effort to learn Madagascar’s native language, . . .

Elizabeth Strojan (Madagascar) new head of Louisville Metro Housing

Nov 29 2023

In the news — Mayor Craig Greenberg of Louisville, Ky. announced Wednesday that Elizabeth Strojan will be the new Executive Director of the city’s Metro Housing Authority beginning in early 2024. Strojan is a native of Louisville and a Jefferson County Public Schools graduate. She is currently the Chief of Staff and Senior Vice President of Administration and External Affairs at the New York City Housing Development Corporation. That’s the nation’s largest municipal Housing Finance Agency. The mayor’s office cited among her credentials that she has worked to create and preserve affordable housing for New Yorkers since 2017. “Elizabeth Strojan is a rising star in the nationwide affordable housing industry, and we are incredibly fortunate she has chosen to come home to Louisville and lead LMHA,” Greenberg said. “Having the right leader at LMHA can make the difference between an organization that misses opportunities and one that innovates. She . . .

SO FAR by Kamaka Dias (Madagascar)

Apr 11 2022

So Far is a collection of writings, poems, pictures, and nonsense from Kamaka Diasʻs (Madagascar 2016-19) three years living in Madagascar serving in the Peace Corps. In this book, Kamaka shares his unique experiences and perspectives through his blog-style writing and brutal honesty. He promises to never use big words, only his big heart. As soon as you pick up this book youʻll be embarking on a journey unlike any other. No matter what walk of life you come from, youʻll find something that will resonate with you in So Far. Kamaka is a native Hawaiian from Hilo, Hawaii. He grew up on the Big Island of Hawaii and attended a Hawaiian immersion school all of his life until his senior year when he moved to Oʻahu and graduated from Kaiser High School. He attended The University of Hawaii at Mānoa and studied abroad in Spain and Argentina. Immediately . . .