South Africa – Peace Corps Worldwide

Peace Corps Community in the News (week of January 5, 2025)

Jan 11 2025

Hove author uses his fascinating personal experience of evading the Vietnam-era draft as a basis for his latest thriller, by Sophie Morgan in Sussex News | January 3, 2025. “Like my character, I was caught up in the Vietnam war draft lottery. Like him, I was going to go to Harvard Law School. Like him, I went to teach in a private school in Maine. Like him, I got a low number in the draft, meaning that I would be drafted and probably sent to fight in Vietnam. Like him, I had a humiliating medical examination. Unlike him, I took the exit route of joining the Peace Corps [considered national service in lieu of the military]. I was sent to a rural part of south India, where I learned the local language, which later led to my PhD and academic career. I was lucky. My character was not.” — Stuart . . .

New books by Peace Corps writers | July through August, 2024

Sep 03 2024

New books — 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 maybe 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. PLEASE, PLEASE join in our Third Goal effort and volunteer to review a book or books!!! Songs of Mali by Ruth Gooley (Mali 1980-81) Peace Corps Writers May 2024 102 pages $15.00 (paperback) Songs of Mali . . .

Robin Seyfert (South Africa, Zambia) | “Handmade Hope”

Jan 18 2024

In the news — By Christine Spicer .Viewpoint, PLNU RPCV Robin Seyfert knows beauty can be found in people and places that are overlooked or even steeped in darkness. As the founder and managing director of Basha Enterprises Ltd., she sees women who have been trafficked or who are vulnerable to exploitation find hope and healing through dignified work in a safe environment. Basha Boutique sells jewelry, kantha blankets, accessories, and Christmas items, all handmade by women who are rebuilding their lives. The kantha is a profound symbol of Basha Boutique’s work and mission. “A kantha is a quilt made of old saris stitched into straight, even rows,” Seyfert explained. “They are all sewn freehand. We take old discarded saris and stitch them into a blanket that is really beautiful. As each artisan transforms the worn cloth, she is also rebuilding her life.” ‘Basha’ means house in Bengali, and ‘asha’ means . . .

C.D. Glin (South Africa) is member of the president’s African Diaspora Engagement in the United States

Sep 27 2023

President Biden Announces the Inaugural Members of the President’s Advisory Council on African Diaspora Engagement in the United States Today, President Biden is announcing the inaugural members of the African Diaspora Engagement in the United States. The establishment of this Council was a significant commitment announced by Vice President Harris on behalf of the Biden-Harris Administration during the 2022 U.S.-Africa Leaders Summit, aimed at enhancing dialogue between United States officials and the African Diaspora. In accordance with Executive Order 14089, the Advisory Council comprises up to 12 members appointed by the Secretary of State, and represents the diversity of the African Diaspora from African American communities around the United States and African immigrant communities across the continent and the Caribbean. RPCV C.D. Glin, Member C.D. Glin (South Africa 1997–99) President of the PepsiCo Foundation and Global Head of Social Impact for PepsiCo. In this role, Glin leads the food and . . .

Alan Toth (South Africa 2010-12) Goes Free With Posh Corps

Jan 24 2016

Three years ago, I started working on the Posh Corps project. The idea was simple: to discuss the modern Peace Corps experience honestly. I wanted to cut through the mythology and the marketing, and capture the experience of volunteering in a rapidly changing world. I spent three months in South Africa shooting the film. I returned to the United States and spent six months editing the film. In 2014, I started selling the film and screening it around the country. By the end of 2015, Posh Corps sales had almost recovered the production costs, and I started thinking about making a change. Today, if you visit poshcorps.com, you’ll find that all the feature films on the site are free. In fact, almost everything on poshcorps.com is now free, with theexception of licenses. I still ask people to pay for public screenings and educational licenses, as this helps cover the costs . . .

Peace Corps vs Posh Corps

Oct 15 2014

In the mail the other day I received a CD documentary film about the Peace Corps entitled, Posh Corps. The video was new to me, but it turned out that the documentary has been around for a year, and there have been several showings in California. I was out of the loop. The video focuses on Peace Corps Volunteers serving in South Africa in recent years. The disk also contains interviews with RPCVs who were in Asia, West Africa and Eastern Europe. Those interviews focus on the struggle that PCVs have in coming home. I see a lot of material produced by RPCVs, mostly books, but I was really impressed by what the director, producer and editor Alan Toth has achieved with this film. Alan was in South Africa from 2010-12. Today he works at a non-profit documentary production company in the San Francisco Bay area. Posh Corps is his . . .