Peace Corps Newsletter June 2003

TROPICAL CURRENTS – June, 2003

RPCVSF Calendar

JUNE 21st Partnership Dinner Bring a friend and join RPCVSF at the House of India, 22 Merrick Way in Coral Gables (across from Sears) -- 6:00 to 9:00 PM. RSVP to Farley at: (954) 927-8819 or [email protected]. Cost is $20 which includes dinner as well as a donation to support a Peace Corps partnership project.

JUNE 28th Palm Beach Pot Luck !!! Marlene Syverson will host a pot-luck social at her home-- 6103 Island Way, West Palm Beach from 6 - 10 p.m. on Saturday, June 28th. Please bring food, snacks or soft drinks/alcoholic beverages to share. To RSVP and for directions, contact Marlene at [email protected] or (561) 965-4643

A Recap on recent RPCVSF events! In Case You Missed IT Cinco de Mayo came two days early this year when 70+ RPCVSF members, family and friends gathered at the

Peace Corps Compound on May 3rd for piñatas, Margaritas, fajitas, chips, salsa good friends and a good time. The PCV class of 2020 provided first rate entertainment as they took their swings and demolished 5 piñatas under the watchful eyes of Forrest Hoover and Susan Walton. Thanks to all those who donated and/or bought at the Silent Auction, this event also raised $136 for The Colombia Project as well as collecting used eyeglasses, foreign coins and books for various RPCVSF projects. The May 18th NOM Picnic at Secret Woods brought out a lot of new faces including invitees Christine Beardsley (Paraguay), Amy Sindler (Lesotho), Phil Thoms (Kazakhstan), Christine Kerwin (The Gambia) and Hillary Renaldy (The Gambia). and a number of prospective nominees at varying stages in the recruitment process. Peace Corps recruiter John Eaves made the trip from the Atlanta regional office to meet with RPCVSF and the nominees and share

a personal story about his nephew, currently serving in Paraguay. Among the recently returned RPCVs were Aurora Fernandez (Morocco), John Lederman (Philippines), Luz Monte (Honduras), Linda Sagaille (Liberia), Ray Obregon (Uruguay) and Curtis Jepsen (Nicaragua) and Alissa Fiss who had attended a Nom picnic three years ago, just before leaving for Ukraine Special thanks are in order for Erin Seiler (Mali) who organized the event and to George, husband of RPCV Mary Lamberts who taught basket weaving for the 3rd year in a row - always a highlight of the Nom Picnic.

RPCV's Visit Mason Lodge By Emily Eisenhauer - China RPCVSF connected with a new audience last month, The Free and Accepted Masons, in Miami Shores. Bob Anderson - Gabon and Ghana, Steven Orr - Panama, Heather Blank - Paraguay, Kathleen Smarsh - Cote d'Ivoire, and I attended an open house at Mason Lodge #315 on March 25 to talk about our PC experiences. About 30 Lodge members were in attendance. We were treated to a pot-luck dinner thoughtfully prepared by the Masons and their families, and afterward shared our experiences from Africa, Asia and Latin America. The Masons are a fraternity of hand crafters that trace their founders to the builders of the Temple of Solomon. The Masonic Order has lodges all over the world that meet for community service and social functions. Historically, all members were men who worked with their hands and passed down their trades to their sons. In recent decades membership was extended to all other occupations as well. The Masons count many famous historical figures among their members, men as different as King James and Jose Marti. Bob Andersen, RPCV Gabon and Ghana, and a long time Mason organized the event. He was recruited by the Peace Corps in 1960 to build schoolhouses in Gabon. He worked with a team of five volunteers who traveled around Ghana erecting buildings at sites where Education volunteers would be assigned. Many thanks to Lodge 315 for hosting the event and for presenting RPCVSF with a check for $130 as the Lodge's Charity of the Month.

NEW FEATURE Since several RPCVs have recently sent letters and descriptions of their service in Nepal, TROPICAL CURRENTS is introducing a new feature to showcase a country or region in each issue. Many RPCV's have remarked that they were unaware just how different their experiences were from those of other volunteers -- even from other volunteers in the same country. Due to space constraints, all submissions may be edited. We will try our best to maintain the integrity of your work. The next issue will focus on countries in Central America, including Honduras, Nicaragua, Belize, Costa Rica, Panama and Guatemala. Please send your letters to [email protected]

A brief history of Peace Corps in Nepal The first Peace Corps Volunteers arrived in Nepal in 1962, making the country program one of Peace Corps' oldest. Those Volunteers trained their national counterparts in building infrastructure and in basic programs such as agriculture and education. Since that time, the population in Nepal has increased from nine to twenty million. There

are currently 89 volunteers in Nepal and as of January 2003, the total number of Volunteers to have served in Nepal is 3,709.

Basic Country information: Nepal is among the poorest and least developed countries in the world with nearly half of its population living below the poverty line. Agriculture is the mainstay of the economy, providing a livelihood for over 80% of the population and accounting for 41% of GDP. Industrial activity mainly involves the processing of agricultural produce including jute, sugarcane, tobacco, and grain. Textile and carpet production, accounting for about 80% of foreign exchange earnings in recent years, contracted significantly in 2001 due to the overall slowdown in the world economy and pressures by Maoist insurgents on factory owners and workers. Security concerns in the wake of Maoist activity, the June massacre of many members of the royal family, and the September 11 terrorist attacks in the US led to a decrease in tourism, another key source of foreign exchange. The government has also been cutting expenditures by reducing subsidies, privatizing state industries, and laying off civil servants. More recently, however, political instability - five different governments over the past few years - has hampered Katmandu's ability to forge consensus to implement key economic reforms. Nepal has considerable scope for accelerating economic growth by exploiting its potential in hydropower and tourism, areas of recent foreign investment interest. Prospects for foreign trade or investment in other sectors will remain poor, however, because of the small size of the economy, its technological backwardness, its remoteness, its landlocked geographic location, and its susceptibility to natural disaster. The international community's role of funding more than 60% of Nepal's development budget and more than 28% of total budgetary expenditures will likely continue as a major ingredient of growth.

Letter #1 From Ercilia Delancer, who served in Nepal from 2000 to 2002. FROM THE DOMINICAN REPUBLIC TO NEPAL I first became aware of the Peace Corps in 1976 when journalists covering Jimmy Carter's presidential campaign interviewed his mother about her two-year stint as a volunteer in India. As a recently arrived immigrant from the Dominican Republic, I was very impressed by Ms. Carter's and the Peace Corps' dedication to helping others and decided right then and there that one day, I too would be become a Peace Corps volunteer. Twenty-four years and several exhausting flights later I descended into Kathmandu, Nepal to begin my Peace Corps experience. My assignment entailed teaching high school English in a small village near the Indian border. The following are excerpts from several of my letters home. My first exposure to Nepal and its people occurred at the international airport in Bangkok, Thailand as I waited for the departure of the final flight segment of the flight to Nepal. A few of my fellow volunteers who had traveled to Nepal as tourists earlier in their lives pointed out the Nepalese who they easily recognized by their physical appearance, speech and mannerisms. Most of the men were short by western standards, dressed in western clothes and smoked nonstop while gesturing and talking loudly. The women sat nearby dressed in saris and kurta surwals (pants and tunic

combination) demurely avoiding any direct eye contact with strangers. As we got up to board the plane, the acrid body odor brought on my first reality check that I was no longer in an environment in which daily showers and cosmetic novelties like deodorant were common. We arrived in Kathmandu at noon on August 22, 2000, a contingent of thirty-nine hopeful, eager and scared volunteers from all over the United States ranging in age from 20 to 65. The immigration lobby at the airport consisted of two narrow counters located in a low-ceilinged, dimly lit building that, in spite of the heat, didn't have a ceiling fan, much less air-conditioning. Posters dotted the walls advertising the wonders of trekking in the Himalayas. As a typical American, I had expected that the Nepalese government would have made special arrangements to receive us, as we were coming to Nepal in an effort to improve their education, health and environmental systems. Instead, we stood for more than an hour in long lines in the stagnant air waiting for our visas and passports to be reviewed. We boarded several mini buses for the journey into Kathmandu, joining the chaotic horde of drivers making their way into the city on dusty two-lane roads. Looking out the window, it was difficult to determine whether the city was in the process of recovering from a war or whether it the disarray was a result of haphazard construction. The houses and apartment complexes were built of exposed red bricks, but where you would expect to see windows or doors, instead hung garish pieces of multicolored fabric that fluttered with the occasional breeze. Due to the monsoon rains, puddles of water accumulated everywhere, and dogs, pigs, buffaloes and cows roamed the streets freely. Trees, shrubs and vegetable gardens grew alongside the streets and apartment complexes where the occupants chased off wandering chickens, ducks and goats who seemed intent on an easy meal. My first meal consisted of rice, watered down curried lentils and spicy curried vegetables, which was not too different from my childhood diet in the Caribbean, except for the absence of meat. What was really shocking was finding out that this would be our staple meal, served twice a day, everyday for the entire year. Thankfully my cooking abilities allowed me to mix things up a little by improvising with ingredients found in the local marketplace. In spite of my idealistic idea that since I originally came from a third world country, I could easily assimilate into another one, my stay in Nepal was fraught with the typical pitfalls faced by any foreigner. During my time in Nepal, I came to terms with the cultural differences, none more important than how the Nepalese value sameness, in that the group has prevalence over the individual, and any intent to challenge the status quo is viewed as a transgression against the Hindu Gods. As a result, everyone seems to dress similarly, eat the same food, listen to the same music, express the same opinions, etc. This was so different from the American sense of individualism and helped to explain some of the open and sometimes hateful looks directed towards my clothing and the way in which I carried myself as a woman. Once I began teaching, I experienced similar resistance when I tried to implement modern teaching methods that ran contrary to the current system in which material is taught and learned through rote memorization. The time I spent in Nepal was the most frustrating, exhilarating, instructive, humbling and exciting time in my life. I thank the Nepalese people for sharing so much with me and for helping me work thought my occasional stubbornness, self-centric behavior and impatience. As with most Peace Corps volunteers, I came to my host country with the goal of sharing and teaching others and ended up learning as much if not more in the process. ---------------------------------(The following letter is printed as it was received per instructions from the author.) Letter #2 from Joe Gmyrek Nepal 85-87, Thailand 64-66, Poland 90-82 Adapted from a letter to a former PCV November 2002 I've just completed my fifth return visit to Nepal since ending my tour in 1987 as an English teacher in the village of Jajarkot, perched on the mountain. With no roads feeding into that Western Zone, I would fly into Chauchari valley and trek five hours up to my site - Nepalis would easily cover that distance in less than four hours, but I could never compete with them. Our district was isolated in those hills located three quarters of the distance from the center of

Nepal and its Capitol, Kathmandu on a straight flight line West toward the Pakistani border -- beautiful country, but, to repeat, isolated and inaccessible. During my first two return visits, we were still able to fly to the valley and spend a few leisurely days absorbing the unparalleled beauty of that area. Unfortunately, that option has now been taken away from us by the Mao insurgency, systematically tearing the country apart. That entire district we used to work in is now in their control. Schools are closed, shops are empty, and palpable fear pervades the countryside. Not only in that District, but in two or three other isolated areas around Nepal, particularly in the Far East toward Burma (Myanmar). By the way, the Mao are not communists. They profess to be some brand of super socialists, at a cost for Nepal of more than 7000 dead. What happened? This insurgency - neither religious nor ethnic - started seven or eight years ago by a wealthy Nepali group (now allegedly ensconced in India, whose government reportedly does not support the insurgency). The primary aim of the insurgents is a call for the total abolition of the Nepali Royal family. A major crisis occurred a year ago when the then Crown Prince murdered the King and Queen (his Father and Mother) along with four other members of the Royal Family. The Crown Prince 'committed suicide' and his uncle, the deceased king's brother took over the throne. This tragedy only serves to feed into the hands of the insurgents, who rumor that is was the present King who brought about the near total slaughter of the Kingdom. It appears that conspiracy theories are not unique to America. With that short, and admittedly incomplete background - coming into Kathmandu today is like coming into embattled Afghanistan. Streets are blockaded. Sand-bagged bunkers are dotted all over town especially at the airport and at strategic commercial sites, creating an atmosphere of siege. People from the most affected countryside areas are flocking to Kathmandu creating complete gridlock, as that of a refugee city. Bandits unconnected with the MAO insurgents have set up their own trade or extortion in all parts of the country, affected or unaffected by the presence of insurgents in any given area. I say this without exaggeration. It's either pay or be shot. No less than a Ministerial level victim was murdered while I was in country, because he hesitated to pay on demand. Like the problem in Colombia, where kidnapping for ransom is most popular, Nepali bandits don't tie themselves down with that kind of practice. Rather, like the old Chicago Mafia, they simply pay you a visit for their pay. You immediately sign your own death warrant if you dare go to any 'Authorities.' Sorry if I am sounding too grim, but the pervasiveness of this problem is well documented. Despite these conditions, Peace Corps, as yet, has no intention of leaving Nepal. What's the answer? I can't end this letter with a sugarcoated, five line message of hope. This type of insurgency has been extant in Peru and in Colombia, in particular, for decades. Nepal tries to function around it, but in economic chaos. This in a country that, for the most part, at best functioned on a subsistence level. Restricted travel, particularly at night, curtails the import of basic necessities. Prices are sky-rocketing. Tourism is plummeting. My heart bleeds for Nepal. A country now in deep hurt. Nepalis don't deserve this. Philosophically, and powerlessly, they ask “Que garne? What to do. I wish I knew. Letter #3 is from Melissa, wife of Peace Corps Nepal Small Business Program director Steve Kassovic- dated. February 14, 2003 Dear All, Drowned out, perhaps, by the drumbeats from Washington, peace has broken out in Nepal in the form of a cease-fire between the interim government and the Maoists. The move was completely unexpected, and the only clue in advance was a rumor, which spread through USAID that the most prominent Maoist leaders had been killed in India. A few minutes spent listening to the radio, which never wavered in its transmission of Nepali love ballads sung in high nasal voices, convinced us that no big story was breaking, but it should have been a clue that something was up. The next morning we all heard that the top Maoist leaders had been helicoptered at night into the royal palace and had hammered out a peace deal with the king in a marathon session lasting from 11 PM to 2 AM, all of which turned out to be false except for the fact that a cease fire had been negotiated, though in an altogether less theatrical fashion. The joy

with which people leapt on this announcement was wonderful to see (all but the mainstream political parties, who were excluded from the interim government and hence from the negotiation, which they accordingly denounced as “not transparent”. They may not know much, but they know their buzzwords.) Katmandu was the perfect place to experience a giddy sense of hope upon hearing about the cease-fire. For people in the hills and the far west where the fighting has been concentrated, there must be a bitter sense that this comes too late for the thousands of families whose members have been killed or “disappeared” by either the Maoists or the security forces. Katmandu has hardly been a safe haven, with the downtown, broad-daylight murder just the Sunday before the cease-fire of the chief of Special Forces, his wife and his bodyguard. But for most city dwellers the Maoists were a looming threat that obscured the future, and suddenly the future looks a little brighter. Peace negotiations have not even begun; I assume that they are still in the stage when you endlessly debate the shape of the negotiating table. Nevertheless, between the spring-like weather and the hint of peace, people are in a party mood and there seem to be even more festivities than usual. Last Thursday Steve was invited to a sacred thread ceremony (sort of a Hindu Bar Mitzvah), the dedication of a household shrine and a wedding all in one afternoon. I wonder what sort of conjunction of planets produced such an auspicious day. Unfortunately, the stars decreed that all of this should take place during working hours, so I missed it all; Steve ended up missing the shrine dedication and cutting short the thread ceremony in order not to miss the buffet line at the wedding. I was curious to know what goes on at a thread ceremony, but he was able to report only that many prayers were said and everyone (well, all the men) wore turbans. I mentioned the flurry of ritual activity later to my colleagues and they said of course, that Thursday is incredibly auspicious; you don't even have to consult an astrologer before scheduling an event on that day. I also had my evening commute lengthened by a traffic jam caused by a wedding procession in which the bride and groom were proceeding slowly (very slowly) down the street in a horse-drawn wagon. The bride was beneath her red and gold veils, but the poor groom had nowhere to hide from the stares of Katmandu rush hour traffic. The next morning through the fog I saw a small elephant in the grounds of a temple, which I pass on the way to work, and I assume it was in town for even grander nuptials. One of Steve's colleagues nearly ran into an elephant with her car as she was rushing to work; this was in the same neighborhood, so I assume it was the same elephant, although she reported it as a huge pachyderm. I think the explanation lies in the fact that elephants in the fog appear larger when you almost run into them. I have not been invited to a wedding so grand that it features an elephant of any size. In March, however, the son of one of my colleagues is marrying a princess (her father was the younger brother of the current king and was killed in the Palace Massacre in June 2001) and although so far he has not shown any signs of inviting the entire staff of USAID, I am always hopeful.

PC Suspends China Program Due to SARS By Emily Eisenhauer (RPCV China) On April 5th I got an email from a former student in China that said, “Today we heard our dear teachers Matt and Cali must leave. All of our students are very sad and crying. It is said there is a disease in China. I don't know.” This was the first news that I had heard with respect to the suspension of the Peace Corps' operations in China as a result of the SARS epidemic. Having recently completed my PC service in China, I had to find out more. I checked the Peace Corps website (http://www.peacecorps.gov) and saw the following message from director Gaddi H. Vasquez announcing the temporary suspension of the program in China: “The health and safety of Peace Corps volunteers is the highest priority of the Agency. After a thorough assessment of

growing concerns with regard to the outbreak of Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS), it was determined that it would be in the best interest of the volunteers to temporarily suspend the program in China,” stated Director Vasquez. “We will continue to monitor developments and look forward to returning Peace Corps volunteers to China when conditions permit.” A few days later I got another email from a volunteer who had been flown back to Washington, D.C. confirming their evacuation in which I was given further information concerning the future of the program. “China Groups 8 and 9 were given 48 hours to pack their bags before being evacuated along with the PCMO. Peace Corps' China Group 8 has COSed early, China Group 9 will be given the choice of reassignment or early COS, and PST for China 10 (to begin the end of June) has been suspended.” I was disappointed and angry. Peace Corps had put in so much time and effort to build trust with the Chinese government and schools since the first volunteers had arrived in 1993 to assist in a teacher training project. Now eight years, a major spy incident, the bombing of the Chinese Embassy in Bosnia and 182 volunteers later, the future is in doubt. The program had come so far. Volunteers were teaching at more than two dozen colleges and institutions across several provinces within Southwestern China. Permission had finally been given to allow volunteers to live with host families, a new environmental education program had been created and many fantastic Chinese staff had been hired. China's Population- 1,253,595,000 Total Volunteers since 1993- 182 Language Spoken- Mandarin On April 21st, the Chinese government announced a further 109 SARS cases in Beijing. This latest report comes after an earlier announcement of 339 previously undisclosed SARS patients. The new numbers bring the total of confirmed cases in China to 1,959. In an indication that the Chinese leadership is now taking seriously the need for transparency in SARS reporting, the health minister and Beijing mayor, both of whom played down the seriousness of SARS, were removed from their Communist Party posts. Unfortunately, no one knows what SARS will do. The WHO says a vaccine could be a year away. In China, the battle between man and nature goes like this: the people slowly and painstakingly, over centuries, shape the environment to suit their purpose. Then nature takes a big swing back with floods, droughts, or other drastic measures. China will survive, and rebound. Let's hope the Peace Corps will be there to help.

New RPCVSF Web Site Administrator Arthur “Arty the one man party” Walton (Solomon Islands 94 - 96) has agreed to take on the responsibilities for our web site: (www.rpcvsf.org ). When not working on the website, Arthur can be found teaching Mathematics at the Gulliver Academy where he is also a department chair. Arthur has been living in Miami for 4 years with his wife Susan (RPCVSF Board of Directors- Solomon Islands 94-96), and their daughter Makira. Arthur is also a former, and hopefully future, star of the Peace Corps softball team. On behalf of all of us, Thank You! Arthur.

RPCVSF History In 1984, at the suggestion of Peace Corps, five RPCVs convened in Miami and formally founded RPCVSF. Those 5 RPCVs, named below, then drew straws to select the first officers who were as follows: Cynthia Day, Treasurer; Anker Lerritt, President; Dibba Lerritt, Secretary; Steven Orr, General Director; David Schrier, Vice President. In RPCVSF's first year the organization grew to about 20 members, meeting at various locations in an attempt to increase membership. Later in that first year, the Charter was filed and RPCVSF was incorporated. The following year, RPCVSF achieved 501(c)(3) status with the Internal Revenue Service. Today, RPCVSF has over 200 active members including original members Steve Orr and David Schrier.

Development work - in Florida! “Thank you RPCVSF” I wish to thank RPCV of South Florida and Scott Luongo of Toys for Tots for offering a donation of baby toys and children's books to Redlands Christian Migrant Association (RCMA). These items have been given to our centers in the Florida City and Homestead areas and will be distributed to migrant farm worker families whose children are enrolled in our programs. Who is RCMA? We are a non-profit, non-sectarian organization, providing services to the migrant farm worker population and other rural poor families. RCMA began in 1965 in the Redlands area of South Dade County when Mennonite missionaries saw a need for child care of the migrant families so they could work in the fields without bringing the children to this dangerous environment (open wells, farm machinery, pesticides etc.). They started with two childcare centers with an enrollment of 75 children. Today, RCMA has over 70 programs serving more than 6000 children daily in 19 Florida counties. Besides 0-5 childcare, RCMA has before and after-school programs, two charter schools, one in Immokalee (Collier County) and the other in Wimauma (Hillsborough County). There are four Centros Comunitarios de Aprendizaje (CCA), (Community Learning Centers), two of which are fully operational with Internet access and adult education classes in Spanish which can be taken online from Monterrey Tec, the largest Spanish content virtual university, GED classes, English and computer classes, just to mention a few. In the afternoon children from the community also arrive to use the computers to complete their homework assignments and related research. RCMA has many needs. Each year, we must raise almost $500,000 statewide local match to draw down the federal dollars, but we also accept donations in kind, be it material or volunteer time. We can use toys, books, clothing for children and adults, furniture and household items. Volunteers can help out in many centers where their skills can be matched with the needs. As the coordinator of the Reading Is Fundamental (RIF) program, I am responsible to see that we raise the matching funds to get this grant each year (I have been doing this for six years). Currently the 25% match we must raise is $6,308 and for the current season we are still short over $2,800. With a total budget for RIF of $24,418 per season we are able to give each child three books to take home to keep. We are also firm believers in parent involvement and the RIF program has specific requirements to that effect.

Irene G. Brammertz, MPH, M.A. RCMA Family Literacy Specialist 402 W. Main Street Homestead Area Office Immokalee, FL 34142-3933 1-800-282-6540 [email protected] www.rcma.org

NEW JUNE 6th HAPPY HOUR EXPERIMENT In an effort to improve the social agenda of the RPCVSF, we have organized a Happy Hour in Broward for all RPCV's, their friends and family. This event is to take place on June 6th starting at 5:30 PM at Irelands Inn Beach Resort. We selected this location in an effort to increase involvement from our members living in Broward and Palm Beach counties. If this event is a success, we will make an effort to schedule a Happy Hour in West Palm Beach in August.

Irelands Inn Beach Resort 2220 N Atlantic Blvd, Fort Lauderdale, FL 33305 (954) 565-6661 We will meet at the Oceanside Cafe within the hotel located next to the beach. Cocktails and a lite bite menu are served with a tropical flair. For those wanting to stay on after the happy hour, next door is the Edgewater Lounge, featuring a live band for your listening or dancing pleasure.

Directions: Starting from I-95: Get off at the W OAKLAND PARK BLVD E/FL-816 E/NW 31ST ST via exit number 31A. continue for 3.94 miles and then turn RIGHT onto N OCEAN BLVD/FL-A1A S. Continue for 0.67 miles before turning LEFT onto NE 23RD ST. for 0.06 miles and then turn RIGHT onto N ATLANTIC BLVD. 0.07 mile

Peace Corps & AIDS: Education and Prevention South Florida RPCV Ginger Bush (Senegal 62-64) has been a sex therapist in Boca Raton (45 miles north of Miami) for over 25 years. Recently Ginger (She doesn't dwell on her last name.) attended the World Sexology Congress in Havana, Cuba, to deliver a paper on Peace Corps programs for AIDS Education and Prevention. Her preparation

received the cooperation of Peace Corps/Washington. In the discussion following the presentation, a Canadian delegate spontaneously offered that she had participated in and observed at length the Peace Corps AIDS work in Kenya and that she felt that program was very successful and a model for all others. - Greg Zell

Thank you letter from Peace Corps Romania Dear Helene: When I received notice that there was a package waiting for me in Alexandria, I was glad to see that it was the box of books from you! I have spent much of this afternoon stacking and sorting the books, deciding which ones will go where and which I can read first! I told my two classes today that I have some new books for them, and they immediately looked toward the bookcase to see if they were already available. I'm good, but not that good! My first project is to catalog the books and transport them to the schools. Again, I sincerely thank you and the RPCVSF for the books. We will enjoy them and get much use out of them. I know that 'Book Reports' will be on my schedule for next semester! If you ever have any more books, please send them our way! With best regards Joanne Best-Rosiorii de Vede, Romania

Miami Children's Museum to Open Soon

RPCV Catherine Raymond is the Director of education & Exhibits at the Miami Children's Museum, which will open to the public on September 7, 2003. The museum will be a magical place, where children of all ages can play together, learn, imagine and create. The Miami Children's Museum will offer hundreds of interactive exhibits, classes, camps, birthday parties and learning materials related to the museum's four themes - arts, culture, community and communication. Designed by Arquitectonica, at a cost of $25 Million, the 56,500-square-foot facility will include 12 galleries, classrooms, a parent/teacher resource center, an educational gift shop, a 200-seat auditorium and a dining area. Catherine and the rest of the museum's staff look forward to seeing you in September. Phone 305-373-KIDS (5437)www.miamichildrensmuseum.org Small World of Family Picnic Greg Zell The Atlanta Recruiting Office sends out the invites for our Family Picnic using its mailing list which never seems to match our local list. A gentleman came up to me and said he thought we met in training at Teachers College, Columbia University, in 1962. I squinted at his nametag. I am known to be big on nametags, but I wasn't wearing my glasses. I could swear his said “Cliff Outlaw- Liberia”. One of our Latin American members must have screwed up. But, at this event, we made out our own nametags. I drew a blank. “So you trained with Nigeria 6, but served in Liberia?” I asked.

Family illness prevented him from going to Nigeria with our group in January, 1963. Instead, he went to Lincoln University in Pennsylvania for Liberia training in February. He was a primary teacher in a bush school, one of the few primary educators I have met among RPCVs. At the time, Western North Carolina was his home. Now, the retired teacher lives in Coral Springs, north of Ft. Lauderdale.