Spring 2008

TULANE SCHOOL OF PUBLIC HEALTH AND TROPICAL MEDICINE
Master’s International Program
Notes from the field
Spring 2008
“Written for students, by students”
April 2008
Coordinators’ Corner
Greetings from New Orleans!
Hopefully the past few months
have been productive, fun, and
rewarding. After a very early
Mardi Gras (February 5th!!), we
are back to work and already 4
weeks into the spring semester.
As always we have many MIs
finishing their PC service and
even more just heading to site.
MI Coordinators: Sawyer and Darci
Additionally, Yinan Peng, a PCV
in Kenya, was evacuated and transferred to Botswana. Perhaps the highINSIDE THIS ISSUE:
light of last semester however, was a
visit from Peace Corps Director Ron
Tschetter and Crisis Corps Director,
Pg.2 Greetings from Dean Johnson
Mary Angelini, in October.
It has
been a busy time in the world of MasPg. 3 PC Rwanda, MI Coordinator
ter’s International!
Darci
Pg.4/5 News from Kenya and The
Gambia
Pg.6 Update from Togo
Pg.7 Letters From Home
Pg.9 Director Tschetter visits Tulane
Pg.10 IN THE NEWS
Pg. 12 Meet the New MI’s
Pg.14 New Tulane MI Coordinator
Pg15 Current MI’s in the field
Pg.16 Clinton Global Initiative
Pg.17/18 FUN STUFF!!
Additionally, we would like you to be
aware of some changes to the MI program that are coming up in the near
future. Darci Eswein, who joined us
as co-coordinator in June 2007, left in
mid-March to start her Practicum in
Texas (see Hello and Goodbye, Darci).
We have hired a new coordinator,
Steve Bennett. Don’t be surprised if
you start receiving e-mails and updates from him. There is a little bio
introducing him later on!
With that said, please do not forget to
send us your quarterly reports! Not
only are these reports very important
for us to keep track of you while you
are abroad, but they are also MANDATORY! There are a number of MIs
who went to site in the past few
months that we have not heard from.
You can send your report via snail
mail or email...just make sure you
send them!
We always like to hear from
our MIs so please keep the
emails and pictures coming.
Our newsletter only gets better with contributions from
our students in the field!
Take care and stay safe.
Cheers,
Sawyer and Darci
Mary Berghaus and Kendra LaSar
in Honduras
Youth in Kenya use puppetry and
costume drama to teach their
peers about the dangers of HIV
PAGE 2
NO T E S FR O M T HE FI E LD
S P R I NG 2 0 0 8
Greetings from Dean Johnson!
D e a r
M I
s t u d e n t s ,
Warm greetings to you from the
School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine and from New Orleans! I'm very pleased to share
with you that 17 new Master's International (MI) students began
coursework at the School during the
Fall 2007 semester and 3 new students joined the MI ranks for the
smaller Spring 2008 class. We now
have 21 Master's International students studying at the School! These
young men and women are truly
making a difference in New Orleans
and soon, they will join a cadre of
volunteers like yourself, the world
over, who are committed to the mission of Peace Corps.
Tulane's ties to Peace Corps remain
stronger than ever! Last April, I
had the pleasure of serving on a
panel together with Peace Corps
Deputy Director, Dr. Jody Olsen.
Our discussion was titled; Graduate
Education and the US Peace Corps:
Collaborative Partnerships That
Make a Difference in Our World.
Throughout the presentation, Dr.
Olsen confirmed her ongoing com-
mitment to increasing
Peace Corps collaboration
with other graduate degree programs across the
US. In addition, that commitment was reaffirmed in
October 2007, when Peace
Corps
Director
Ron
Tschetter joined us at the
School of Public Health
and Tropical Medicine in
Dean Jeffery Johnson and Peace Corps Director Ron Tschetter
celebrating the 20th Anniversary of Master's International Programs.
One special part of this particular
issue of Notes from the Field is a
In regards to our own current MI
wonderful sampling of letters from
Coordinators, I am very happy to your families and loved ones.
share with you that Sawyer Thank you for sharing these
Pouliot received her MPH in May memories with us! Finally, one of
2007 and has been diligently the longstanding traditions of this
working on her PhD in Interna- post Mardi Gras issue is that we
tional Health and Development. include with each Newsletter, a
Despite her doctoral studies, she
"Big Easy Lagniappe Mardi Gras
continues to serve as your MI Co- Gift Bag" for each MI Volunteer
ordinator. Also, Darci Eswein, our serving in-country. Enjoy and
newest MI Coordinator, left her please know that the TU MI Office
MI post in mid-March 2008 to is here for you!
complete her public health practicum on the Texas/Mexico border. With best wishes,
Please join me in wishing Darci all Dean Jeffery Johnson
the best!
LPCA WELCOMES YOUR INVOLVEMENT
The Louisiana Peace Corps Association
is a non-commercial, nonpartisan organization. Its goals are to promote the mission and goals of the Peace Corps, encourage charitable, cultural, and educational exchange between the Peace
Corps volunteers and the community at
large, and support the mission and goals
of the National Peace Corps Association.
Membership in LPCA is open to anyone
who subscribes to the goals of the
LPCA.
LPCA Members work on a house in the
Faubourg St. Roch neighborhood during
―Rebuilding Together‖.
The LPCA holds several events throughout the year. In 2007, service projects
included: painting classrooms at the International School of Louisiana; removing invasive plants at Lafitte National
Park; and painting a home in the 9th ward
as part of Preservations Resource Cen-
ter’s ―Rebuilding Together.‖ Ethnic dinners in 2007 were held at Bennachin,
Nile Café, and Tandoori.
I encourage all MI students, their friends
and anyone else interested to participate
in LPCA events throughout the year and
also visit the LPCA blog
www.louisianapca.blogspot.com.
-Susannah Coolidge
LPCA President 2007-2008
RPCV Niger
S P R I NG 2 0 0 8
NO T E S FR O M T HE FI E LD
PAGE 3
Peace Corps Returns to Rwanda
Washington, D.C., February 19, 2008 –
President George W. Bush, who is visiting
Rwanda as part of his five-nation African
tour, announced the return of the Peace
Corps to Rwanda today, during an open
press briefing with President Paul Kagame
o f
R w a n d a .
―We’ll be sending the Peace Corps back
into Rwanda,‖ said President Bush.
―First time it’s been here since 1993.
These are good, decent folks, coming
to your country simply to help—help
people realize their God-given talents
and realize the blessings of a peaceful,
h o p e f u l
l i f e . ‖
The Peace Corps will establish an office in Rwanda this summer, and by
December, 35 Peace Corps Volunteertrainees will arrive in the country. Fifteen of the Peace Corps Volunteers
will work in the education sector,
teaching English, math, science or
information technology, while also addressing health and HIV/AIDS prevention
and awareness. Twenty Peace Corps Volunteers will be funded by the President’s
Plan for Emergency Relief (PEPFAR) and
will focus on HIV/AIDS, collaborating
directly with PEPFAR implementing organizations and the Rwandan Ministry of
Health. These Volunteers will focus on
Hello and Goodbye,
Darci
Darci experiences the fine cuisine (AKA
Guinea Pig) of Cusco, Peru!
three main components under PEPFAR:
1) care and treatment; 2) orphan and
vulnerable children services; and 3)
treatment, including home-based care
s
e
r
v
i
c
e
s
.
In the first year, Volunteers will be assigned to and collaborate closely with
Rwandan administrative authorities at
the district, sector, cell and local levels;
international and Rwandan NGOs; associations; cooperatives; and private sector
p
a
r
t
n
e
r
s
.
All Peace Corps Volunteers will receive
training in Kinyarwanda and French, live
and work for two years at the community
level, and collaborate with their counterparts to build capacity and support sus-
Darci Eswein, is an MPH candidate in
the department of International Health
and Development. As PCV in the Republic of Macedonia (2004-2006), she
served as a community development
volunteer working with local NGOs,
grant writing and implementing various
projects, some successful and others
disastrous. Working with Tulane’s MI
program since June, she has helped to
welcome the largest MI class to date,
and she’s had the opportunity to share
her experience with other Tulane students. Darci completed her course work
in March before heading to the Texas/
Mexico border for her Practicum experience. She will miss Tulane and New
Orleans but is excited for what might be
next.
tainable HIV prevention efforts.
Volunteers will also help build the
capacity of rural communities to
develop comprehensive HIV/AIDS
prevention strategies, and will conduct community-based training and
other outreach efforts focused on
prevention through abstinence and
being faithful. Education Volunteers will incorporate HIV/
AIDS prevention activities
into their classrooms, train
fellow teachers, and organize
after school pro grams .
In 1994, the Peace Corps officially closed its program in
Rwanda due to political instability in the country. At the
invitation of the Government
of Rwanda, Peace Corps will
re-establish its presence in
Rwanda this year and will play
a role in assisting the government to meet its goals as outlined
in Rwanda’s Vision 2020: ―to reconstruct the nation and its social
capital; develop a credible and efficient state governed by the rule of
law; develop human resources in
line with the objective to turn
Rwanda into a prosperous knowledge-based economy; develop basic infrastructure including urban
planning; develop entrepreneurship
and the private sector; and modernize agriculture and animal husb
a
n
d
r
y
.
‖
The Peace Corps is celebrating a
47-year legacy of service at home
and abroad. Since 1961, more than
190,000 Volunteers have helped
promote a better understanding
between Americans and the people
of the 139 countries where Volunteers have served, including
Rwanda. Peace Corps Volunteers
must be U.S. citizens and at least
18 years of age. Peace Corps service is a 27-month commitment.
-Source:
US Peace Corps http://
www.peacecorps.gov/index.cfm?
shell=resources.media.press.view&news_id
=1304
PAGE 4
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Peace Corps/Kenya Program Temporarily Suspended
WASHINGTON, D.C., Feb. 5, 2008
- Peace Corps operations in Kenya
will be temporarily suspended to ensure the safety of the 58 remaining
Peace Corps Volunteers serving in
Kenya. With growing instability in
Kenya, and following the unrest associated with the recent elections on
December 27, 2007, these Volunteers
who remained working at their sites
in the eastern, central and coastal
regions of Kenya, will now be transitioning out of service.
Peace Corps Director Ron Tschetter
said, "Our first priority is the safety
and security of our Volunteers. Over
5,000 Peace Corps Volunteers have
served in Kenya in the last 42 years,
building deep friendships with the
people there. The Peace Corps has
become an integral and positive element of the U.S. partnership with
Kenya and the Kenyan people."
The 58 Volunteers from the eastern
region of Kenya will be granted close
of service in good standing, or offered an opportunity to transfer to
another Peace Corps country. The
ultimate goal of Peace Corps/Kenya
is to return Volunteers to their communities in Kenya when the security
situation improves. The Peace Corps
staff will remain in Kenya and main-
tain the program during the temporary
s u s p e n s i o n .
Peace Corps/Kenya had a total of 144
Volunteers serving at the time of the
recent elections. During the initial post-
and returned to the U.S.; and some have opted
to temporarily suspend their service in hopes
of returning to Kenya soon.
Since 1965, more than 5,000 Peace Corps
Volunteers have served in Kenya. Volunteers
work in the areas of education, small business
development, and health and HIV/AIDS prevention. Volunteers in Kenya also served in a
unique deaf education program which began
in 1992 as a way to train educators on better
teaching methods, and to broaden the production of learning materials and facilities for
deaf and hard of hearing students. The program now includes computer training and
health and HIV/AIDS education programs, as
part of the President's Emergency Plan for
AIDS Relief.
Peace Corps/Washington is in constant communication with staff in Kenya and the U.S.
Embassy in Nairobi. The Peace Corps will
continue to evaluate and monitor the situation.
election unrest, Volunteers were consolidated in a variety of safe locations.
On January 4, Volunteers in the western region of Kenya were moved from
their sites and began transitioning out
of the country, due to the growing security concerns. Some of the western
Kenya Peace Corps Volunteers were
transferred to volunteer assignments in
other Peace Corps countries; others
ended their service in good standing
Each Peace Corps program has an Emergency
Action Plan (EAP) specific to that country and
developed in cooperation with the U.S. Embassy and Peace Corps/ Washington. The
plans are tested frequently and information is
updated constantly. Volunteers are thoroughly
trained in their role and responsibilities in the
EAP. Posts are prepared for all emergencies.
-Source: US Peace Corps http://
www.peacecorps.gov/index.cfm?
shell=resources.media.press.view&news_id=1301
PCVs Evacuated from Kenya: A Personal Account
When I first got my country assignment, I could almost hear a collective sigh of relief from my family
and friends. " Kenya is one of THE most stable countries in Africa. If you HAVE to go to Africa, that is a
good choice!"...or something to the same effect.
fellow volunteers. As I said goodbye to my neighbors
and colleagues, they waved and casually commented:
"When you come back, we will have a new president!" I
laughed, waved, and went on my way, fully expecting to
return home before the New Year's.
Merely seven months later, I am writing this article
in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, because half of the Peace
Corps Kenya volunteers have been temporarily relocated to this city, due to the political violence and civil
unrest.
However, two days after the election, on 29th of December, much of the country went up in flames, including the nearest town to Iten, Eldoret. By that time, I
was in lock-down with seven other PCVs in a house outside the Victoria Lake port city Kisumu. We stayed in
lock-down for five days. During those days, we aimlessly wandered around the house, avidly listened to
news on a shortwave radio, and in general, were made
restless by boredom. The news from the outside world
sounded more grim by the day, and inside this house, we
My site was Iten, Kenya. It is a peaceful small town
nested in the middle of the Great Rift Valley, renowned for being the training ground for world
famous long distance runners. I left my house on the
24th of December, going on Christmas vacation with
S P R I NG 2 0 0 8
NO T E S FR O M T HE FI E LD
were worried about our food supply (How much
food? Where to buy food? Who actually wants to go out to
buy food? Who is cooking? Cleaning dishes?), entertainment (Not another episode of "House"!), and the ever
higher possibility of snapping at each other (Just give me
some personal space, please).
PAGE 5
ing to return to Kenya in the foreseeable future. Then came the
news that Peace Corps Washington determined that the western
half of Kenya is no longer safe for volunteers. The western half
included the Western, Nyanza, and upper Rift Valley provinces. I am not going back to site. Not now, maybe not ever.
I will not have the chance to properly say goodOn January 1st, Peace Corps was able to “My heart goes out to Kenya, bye to my friends, neighbors, and colleagues; I
coordinate with CDC Kenya to send two my home for seven months, the will not be able to deliver the books promised to
pick-up trucks to the house, and moved us beautiful, peaceful, cheerful, one of the primary schools; I will not be able to
to a secure location in Kisumu. The ride and sometimes annoying coun- implement my work plan for the new year; I will
try, that I was beginning to
was a harsh reminder of what was happennot be able to clean my house, pack my posseslove.”
ing in Kenya while we were worrying about
sions, give away furniture, and make sure that
food supplies. There were road blocks, consomeone will get my flowers and take care of
structed from piles of stones, and overturned and thorthem. I will not get closure. A part of me is lost in Iten, Kenya,
oughly burned vehicles,. We drove around the road blocks,
and it will be very hard to ever retrieve it.
drove through crowds of young men shaking their fists,
Throughout my experience, I never felt that I was in danger. I
making the sign for "Thursday", the planned rally day for
felt anger, frustration, sadness, emptiness, detachment; I also felt
the opposition party.
stronger bonds developing between me and fellow volunteers
I have been on this road many times before, and it was alwho were cooped up in a house for days on end. My heart goes
ways busy and peaceful. Seeing the roadblocks, the burned
out to my Kenyan host family and friends, who have to witness
out and looted gas stations, the blackened cars and trucks,
their country descent into chaos. My heart goes out to Kenya, my
the young men waving machete, and the black ashes swirlhome for seven months, the beautiful, peaceful, cheerful, and
sometimes annoying country that I was beginning to love. My
ing in the wake of the car, filled me with sadness.
only wish is for the country to regain its footing, for the people to
We only stayed in Kisumu for two more days. At dawn on return to their lives. Maybe one day I will have the chance to go
January 3rd, we left Kisumu via Peace Corps chartered
back. And this time, I will be able to properly
planes, and moved to Dar es Salaam, Tanzania. On the way say "Habari" (hello) and "Kwaheri" (goodbye) to my friends, to
to the Kisumu airport, we drove through a silent, deserted,
Iten, to Kenya, and to this part of my life.
and partially destroyed downtown Kisumu. The places I
used to shop, the internet cafe I used to go for coffee and
email, the restaurant I used to eat, many of them were
Yinan Peng is a Tulane SPH&TM MI student. She
looted and burned, leaving behind empty blackened shells,
is currently finishing her Peace Corps service in
reminding me of better and happier days.
Botswana
Even after a week in Dar es Salaam, I was still fully expect-
Return to The Gambia
In September of 1997, I walked out of
Darsilameh (Upper River Division,
The Gambia) and headed across the
Sahara desert by bush taxi; it took 10
years to find my way back. This past
summer I had the privilege of returning without notice to the Mandinka
village I called home for over 2 years.
It took 3 days to travel from New Orleans to Darsilameh, located 400 km
up the River Gambia; 3 airplanes, 6
bush taxis, 3 ferries, and 2 pirogues
later I walked into my village.
In many ways very little had
changed: the smells were the same,
the roads were still in poor condition,
there were still no bridges in the
country (The Gambia is split by the
River Gambia into North and South
Banks), the people were still very
friendly and accommodating, upcountry travel was still hot, malaria
remained rampant, and many of my
former acquaintances were still living in the village performing many of
the same tasks. Life in Darsilameh
remained full of challenges associated with daily survival and
livelihood activities in an environment with few resources or
opportunities. One noticeable
difference was that many of the
compound kids I knew had
grown up and moved to Banjul
or Dakar to find their way in
this world; money would sometimes return to the compound, a
gift from a son or daughter
working far away. Only those
children with little formal
Gambia, Cont. on pg.6
NO T E S FR O M T HE FI E LD
PAGE 6
Gambia, Cont. from pg.5
schooling remained in the village compounds
to maintain the traditional way of life.
Upon arrival I was happy to note that my hut
was still standing and in good shape, although
painted a different color and the outdoor toilet
(hole in the ground) had been moved. While I
was a resident of Darsilameh in the 1990’s,
my hut was painted white and trimmed with
yellow and pink stripes, presumably to distinguish my house from the other houses in the
village in the event that someone came looking for the American. The hut is now painted
white and trimmed with a deep red. It is as if
they were expecting my arrival…
Words can not describe the excitement of seeing Kebaa (compound head), his three wives,
and a handful of other village acquaintances
after 10 years; the experience was well worth
the time and energy spent traveling to this
remote place. I am hopeful that our paths will
cross again in the not so distant future.
Joseph Keating, PhD (RPCV, The Gambia) Professor: Department of International Health and Development
S P R I NG 2 0 0 8
Tree of life: Magical Moringa in Togo
With a high prevalence of essential amino acids, but comparing
HIV, a lack of adequate care and treat- gram for gram, the leaves of Moringa
ment (including ARVs), and significant have seven times the vitamin C of
malnutrition problems,
Togo’s HIV infected population is in desperate need
of alternative solutions for
leading a better quality of
life. As malnutrition accelerates the process of HIV
and weakens the body’s
defense against opportunistic infections, it is essential
that people living with HIV
and AIDS (PLWHAs) meet
their more demanding nutritional needs. PLWHAs
require a 10-15% addiPCV Ashley Blocker planting Moringa
tional energy intake and a
seeds
with other PC-Togo Volunteers and
50-100% increase in prohost country nationals.
tein intake so maintaining a
balanced diet in Togo is
oranges, four times the vitamin A of
not easily accomplished.
carrots, four times the calcium of
I was assigned to work with an milk, three times the potassium of
NGO dedicated to the prevention of bananas, two times the protein of
HIV/AIDS and the care of PLWHAs in yogurt and 3/4 the iron of spinach.
the community. The NGO has 98 HIV Adding just a spoonful or two of
positive members registered and only a moringa powder to any meal is
small percentage of those that need enough to significantly enhance its
ARVs are able to get them. Since nutritional content.
ARVs are almost impossible to obtain,
most of the care provided by this NGO Moringa is a very useful tool when
centers around emotional support and many other conventional methods of
the occasional distribution of rice or treating HIV positive people are uncorn flour. Funding is almost impossi- available. I plan to use the next
ble to find here so I am focusing all of month or so, before the planting season starts in May, to organize and
my efforts on nutrition.
educate the HIV positive members of
During pre-service training, the organization through a series of
the Natural Resources Management workshops on the nutritional implicaAPCD introduced us to several medici- tions and potential of moringa. I hope
nal plants including Moringa Oleifera. to get the group interested enough to
NRM volunteers have been using mor- recruit members capable of working
inga trees in community gardens for the to help me in the preparation and
past couple of years, but recently planting processes of the field. FortuCHAP volunteers have decided to jump nately, I have a nearly unlimited acon board.
cess to moringa seeds (through Peace
The resilient, fast growing Corps) so I plan to start with 300-500
moringa tree is packed with many vita- trees on a plot of land donated by a
mins and minerals and has such an ex- member of the organization. Due to
traordinary nutritional value that it lives moringa’s ability to grow quickly,
up to its title of ―the miracle tree.‖ Not
only do the leaves contain all of the
Moringa, Cont. on pg. 8
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PAGE 7
Letters from home!!
This year, in an attempt to help our MI students stay connected to home, we have
added this section to the newsletter. We called all of the emergency contact numbers
you left us before you went abroad and gave your family and friends a mission. We
asked them to write a brief letter to their “student” currently serving in the Peace
Corps. Several voicemail messages and one “hostile customer” later (clearly there was
confusion and the parent thought we were prank calling their house and threatened to
report us to the Attorney General!) here is what we received...
ENJOY!
Hi Kristina,
Just a little note to let you know how proud of you we
are!! We've always been proud of you- your strength
and drive are remarkable. We're sure you'll make a difference there in Honduras and everyone will be better
off having known you. They'll miss you when your 27
months are over just as we'll miss you now. You go girl!!!!
Love, Mom and Dad
Hi Kar e n :
We w an t t o w ish y ou g ood h e alt h an d h ap p in e ss
an d st ay saf e w h ile y ou'r e se r v in g y our t im e in
Gh an a. We m iss y ou lot s an d look f or w ar d t o h av in g y ou h om e soon .
Hi Mary,
I am SO proud of you! I love reading your informative
and entertaining blogs about life in
Honduras, and your work in educating people there about the danger
of AIDS. I'm glad that you seem so
content with what you are doing
and where you are (most of the
time!). I look forward to seeing
you when I come to visit in
April. And I look forward to the day
when you come back to the
states! But in the meantime, stay
safe, and keep doing good
works! Take care of yourself.
With much love,
Mom :)
Sarah,
We are all very proud of you and hope
that this will be a valuable experience
to help you achieve your aspirations.
We miss you very much, but admire
your adventurous spirit. You are an
amazing friend, sister, and aunt.
Love, Vanessa
Ash,
A day has not gone by since you left for Togo, that
I do not think about you a million times a day. I
respect you for following your dreams, and pursuing
the goals you want in life. Keep safe, healthy and
happy, and know that I miss and love you very
much, as do Cy and Kaci.
I love you,
Mom
PAGE 8
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Letters from home!! (continued)
Hi, Serena!!
Mom and I are very excited about the
trip to South Africa in May-June. By
the time you receive this newsletter,
we will have forwarded the driving
trip itinerary to you. Notice we did
include the shark cage diving activity—though rest assured mom will be
watching from the boat, if not terra
firma. We are very proud of you. Remember the Chinese expression: qing
chu yu lan (the color qing comes from
blue but is superior to blue)? Well,
you have certainly surpassed us in
knowledge, especially in your academic field and the geography of
South Africa. So we are coming as
your students. Especially me, geodad. While you are enjoying the heat
and humidity of summer now, we are
having near record amounts of cold
and snowfall with no end in sight. By
May we should both be in balmy seasons, our spring, your fall. Mom has
tackled Facebook functions assiduously, but the learning curve requires
more mental energy than I am willing
to contribute at the moment. Sad
news! A gunman, a graduate student
at Northern Illinois U, went into a
lecture hall and shot about 20 students. Four died, many others still
critical. He also shot and killed himself. This happened today (2/14) so
details still unfolding. I think you
may be safer there than the average
student in American today. Stay safe!
We are eagerly awaiting our visit.
Love, mom and dad
Dear Adrien,
On this day (Dad's birthday!) we have 2 stories to tell you, both of which
happened to Dad:
Ever since we can remember, either in the morning, before his siesta, or
getting to bed for the night, we've had the pleasure of the same routine:
Dad looking for his keys, his papers, his watch, his "perfect pen," his cell
phone (usually out of batteries and so he's got to borrow Mom's, which is
always charged!), one of his 20 pairs of glasses (2 of them missing either
one or both rims) to be able to see far and close--very, very close--and his
bipper. Well, last week in the wee hours of the morning, after a long busy
night on-call, Dad was walking down the hall and, as usual, was carrying
his bipper on his pants. Unfortunately for the bipper, the pants were not
his normal corduroys but instead, loose scrubs and teh bipper was holding on for its life. To top it off, the clasp was loose--an accident waiting to
happen. Well, that's exactly what happened: the bipper went down the
toilet (what incredible plumbing pressure at this hospital!) and is now
swimming far away in the Missisippi River toward the Gulf. This time
the bipper has disappeared for good!
Speaking of corduroy pants, this winter we've had some sporadic cold
days, and on each of those days, Dad has been happy to wear his favorites
pants. Well, at the last Saints' game at the Superdome, it was no exception. On that day, Dad and Lola were invited in the suite, where they
were introduced to a representive of the French government. And, guess
what?! He was wearing the same kind of pants: CORDUROYS! And, at
the sight of these two gentlmen, one French, the other Franco-Swiss--and
certainly the only two in the entire Superdome wearing corduroys--Lola
couldn't resist asking: "What's wrong with the French people?"
Love from all of us.
Our son, Brian Deskin, is currently with the Peace Corps in Fiji. This area
of Fiji is particularly remote and not the tropical paradise one would
imagine, he is in an arid environment except during the rainy season, which
is also the cyclone season in Tavua.
February third we received word that the Christmas package we mailed
December 4th had arrived. We were relieved, not only because he went
through Christmas without a gift from home, but also because we had chosen a
gift (a digital camera) that we felt Brian could use in his work in Tavua
with the Department of Health.
Brian thanked us for the gift we had so carefully chosen and then went on
profusely thanking us for the coffee press and French Market coffee with
chicory! It was the coffee he missed and the smells of New Orleans that
meant so much to him! Now, If we could only figure out a way to send him
fresh beignets he would be in heaven.
Respectfully submitted by Meg and Bill Deskin
S P R I NG 2 0 0 8
Moringa, Cont. from pg. 6
I will lead the first transformation of
leaves into powder during that time, and the
product will be dispersed among the HIV
positive members.
Ideally, I would like this project to
develop into a sustainable income generating
activity for the NGO and its HIV positive
members. With an overwhelming number of
malnourished children and adults in Notsé
and other surrounding villages, there is a
large market for a product like moringa powder. It is my hope that as the group becomes
more proficient in the cultivation techniques
they will expand their moringa garden and
branch out, promoting and selling moringa to
the rest of the community.
Ashley Blocker is an MI student who began
her PC service in Togo in June 2007
Director Tschetter addresses the crowd in
the Collin C. Diboll Auditorium at
TUSPHTM
NO T E S FR O M T HE FI E LD
PAGE 9
Peace Corps Director Ron Tschetter Visits
Tulane School of Public Health
On October 19, 2007, the Master’s International program had the great honor
of welcoming the director of the United
States Peace Corps, Ron Tschetter, to
the Tulane University School of Public
Health and Tropical Medicine. In an
absolutely wonderful event, Director
Tschetter spoke to a gathering of about
50 Tulane students and faculty, many
of whom are Returned Peace Corps
Volunteers or are current MI students.
Also in the audience was former Peace
Corps deputy director and US Ambassador to Djibouti, Chuck Bacquet.
Director Tschetter discussed his goals
for future Peace Corps expansion into
additional countries, increasing recruitment from the population of ―baby
boomers‖, and developing a method
for evaluating Peace Corps’ impact
worldwide. He also responded to
questions from the audience regarding volunteer safety and in-country
support, as well as support for Returned Peace Corps Volunteers. Director Tschetter spoke about the importance of successful Peace Corps partnerships such as that of the MI program at TUSPHTM.
MI Coordinators Darci Eswein and Sawyer
Pouliot with Peace Corps Director Ron
Tschetter.
U.S. Health Alert!!
A new study reports that nearly one out
of every four American teenage girls
has an STI. The most common diseases
among girls tested were HPV, human
papillomavirus (18%), and Chlamydia
(4%). Each of these diseases has serious
consequences for women. For example,
HPV, in addition to causing genital
warts, can lead to Cervical Cancer.
Within the study, part of the National
Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, nearly 50% of African American
girls between 14 and 19 were infected
compared to 20 percent of white teenage
Finally, Director Tschetter spoke
girls.
about his service as a Peace Corps
Volunteer in India (1966-1968). Mr. ―High S.T.D. infection rates among
Tschetter, who served with his wife, young women, particularly young Afrispoke fondly of his time in India and can-American women, are clear signs
said that he generally returns to India that we must continue developing ways
every five years.
to reach those most at risk,‖ said Dr.
John M. Douglas Jr., who directs the
Accompanying Director Tschetter on
CDC division of S.T.D. prevention. The
his trip to New Orleans was Mary Anpresident of the Planned Parenthood
gelini, Director of Crisis Corps. ReFederation of America, Cecile Richards,
turned Peace Corps Volunteers from
said the new findings ―emphasize the
TUSPHTM had the opportunity to
need for real comprehensive sex educahave lunch with Ms. Angelini where
tion,‖ and that ―the national policy of
she spoke briefly about opportunities
promoting abstinence-only programs is
for RPCV’s to become involved with
a $1.5 billion failure, and teenage girls
Crisis Corps around the globe.
are paying the real price.‖
Both visitors emphasized the importance of MI students’ knowledge and
experience in enhancing volunteer Source: MSNBC, Associated Press. 2008
service worldwide.
PAGE 10
NO T E S FR O M T HE FI E LD
S P R I NG 2 0 0 8
In The News...
Race to ‘08
Clinton Total: 1,480
The Democrats:
Need 2,025 delegates win the nomination
Obama Total: 1,611
Pledged: 1,404 Super Delegates: 207.
In the Illinois State Senate, Obama worked with Democrats and
Republicans to help working families get ahead by creating programs like the state Earned Income Tax Credit, which provided
over $100 million in tax cuts to families across the state in three
years . He also pushed expansion of early childhood education.
In the U.S. Senate, he has focused on tackling the challenges of a
globalized world. His first law was passed with Republican Tom
Coburn, a measure to rebuild trust in government by allowing
every American to go online and see how and where their tax
dollars are spent. As a member of the Veterans' Affairs Committee, Obama has fought to help Illinois veterans get the disability
pay they were promised, while working to prepare the VA for
the return of the thousands of veterans who will need care after
Iraq and Afghanistan. He traveled to Russia with Republican
Dick Lugar to begin a new generation of non-proliferation efforts designed to find and secure deadly weapons around the
world. He is also working to bring auto companies, unions,
farmers, businesses and politicians of both parties together to
promote the greater use of alternative fuels and higher fuel standards in our cars.
Pledged: 1,243 Super delegates: 237
Since her path-breaking election to the United States Senate,
Hillary has been a steadfast advocate for middle-class families, working to help create jobs, expand children's health
care and protect Social Security from privatization. As the
Senator representing New York after 9/11, Hillary has fought
to strengthen our approach to homeland security and to improve our communications and intelligence operations. As
the first New Yorker ever named to the Senate Armed Services Committee, Hillary has been a tough critic of the administration's bungling of Iraq and a fierce advocate for
proper equipment, health benefits, and treatment for military
families.
Her commitment to supporting the rights guaranteed in Roe
v. Wade and to reducing the number of abortions by reducing
the number of unwanted pregnancies was hailed by the New
York Times as "frank
talk...(and) a promising
path." Hillary is one of the
original cosponsors of the
Prevention First Act to increase access to family
planning. Her fight with the
Bush Administration ensured that Plan B, an emergency contraceptive, will be available to millions of Ameri-
The Republican:
Needs 1,191 delegates to win the nomination
On March 4, 2008 Senator John McCain clenched the Republican nomination for Presidential candidate, after defeating Governor Mike Huckabee in Vermont, Rhode Island, Ohio and
Texas. John McCain is now the Republican nominee for United States President in 2008.
McCain has been a U.S. senator from Arizona since 1987. A 1958 graduate of the U.S. Naval Academy, McCain
had a 22-year military career as a pilot and officer in the Navy. Five of those years (1967-73) were spent in a
Vietnamese prisoner of war camp after he was shot down over Hanoi during the Vietnam War. McCain left the
Navy in 1981, was elected to Congress in 1982, and then was elected as U.S. senator from Arizona in 1986.
In 2000 he ran for the Republican presidential nomination, but was defeated by George W. Bush. After Bush was
reelected in 2004, McCain ran again for the Republican nomination in 2008, and his primary wins have given
him enough delegates to be assured of the nomination at the GOP convention in September. His 1999 book Faith
of My Fathers told the story of his family's military history and his own experiences as a POW.
S P R I NG 2 0 0 8
NO T E S FR O M T HE FI E LD
PAGE 11
In The News...
IN U.S.
WORLD NEWS:
NEWS
UGANDA
New York Gov. Eliot Spitzer Announces
his resignation after prostitute scandal
After tense political and personal battles NY Governor Eliot
Spitzer became the first NY Governer to be forced to resign in
almost a century. ―I am deeply sorry that I did not live up to
what was expected of me,‖ he said. ―To every New Yorker,
and to all those who believed in what I tried to stand for, I
sincerely apologize. Over the course of my public life, I have
insisted — I believe correctly — that people regardless of their
position or power take responsibility for their conduct,‖ he
added. ―I can and will ask no less of myself. For this reason, I
am resigning from the office of governor.‖
Vaccine Program Vanquishes a Dangerous
Type of Childhood Meningitis
By Donald G. McNeil, Jr.
Published: March 11, 2008 NY TIMES
A dangerous type of childhood meningitis has been virtually
eliminated in Uganda in just five years after a vaccine was introduced, according to a study released this week.
That should save the lives of 5,000 children a year, the authors
estimated.
Mr. Spitzer’s patronage of the prostitution agency, Emperor’s
Club V.I.P., came to light after prosecutors charged four people with operating the service. They said the governor was
intercepted on a federal wiretap arranging payments and an
encounter with a prostitute in a Washington hotel room last
month. The affidavit referred to a Client 9 and law enforcement officials said that Client 9 was the governor.
―This is the first time we’ve seen this kind of impact, a 100 percent drop,‖ said Dr. Julian Lob-Levyt, executive secretary of the
GAVI Alliance, which paid for the vaccines. ―We hope this can
be repeated in other countries.‖
Investigators reviewing the scope of Mr. Spitzer’s involvement with prostitutes said on Tuesday that just in the past year
he had had more than a half-dozen meetings with them and
had paid tens of thousands of dollars to the ring, one law enforcement official said.
The vaccine, known as Hib, protects against haemophilus influenzae type B, a bacterium that can inflame the lining of the brain
or cause pneumonia. Each year, it kills 386,000 children globally. Three million more have severe side effects like deafness,
paralysis or retardation.
Authorities were seeking the testimony of the woman known
as Kristen, who worked for the Emperor’s Club service and is
identified in the criminal complaint as having met with the
governor last month in Washington, people briefed on the case
said.
After her encounter with Client 9, the prostitute told the
booker for the agency that it had gone well, and the booker
told her that he, in an apparent reference to Client 9, sometimes asked the women ―to do things that, like, you might not
think were safe.‖
Mr. Spitzer, who has three daughters, offered a general apology to his family and the people of New York on Monday, but
did not address the specific allegations.
Adapted from NY Times article by Danny Hakim and Anahad
O’Connor
Published: March 12, 2008
The study, released by the World Health Organization, monitored cases from 2001 to 2006.
The vaccine has existed since 1991 but was rare in the third
world until the creation of the alliance — originally the Global
Alliance for Vaccines and Immunization — in 2000. Even at
prices offered to poor countries, it had cost $7 , seven times as
much as other vaccines.
The alliance joins United Nations health agencies, the World
Bank, vaccine companies, universities and the Bill & Melinda
Gates Foundation, and receives money from $1 billion in bonds
issued by the International Finance Facility for Immunization.
By guaranteeing large orders,
the alliance tries to drive down
the price of vaccines. It estimates that it has helped prevent
2.3 million early deaths since
2000.
In wealthy countries, Hib vaccine is typically given at the
age of 8 weeks.
PAGE 12
S P R I NG 2 0 0 8
NO T E S FR O M T HE FI E LD
MEET THE NEW MIS!
Je ssica Cole
Nikki Er v in
Kir st in Kr ud w ig
Em ily Dor w ar d
Ry an Dun n -Kom e m
Ale x an d e r Mar r
Kat e De t ch
Ce in Ke lt y -Lucas
Me r r it t McCulle n
NO T E S FR O M T HE FI E LD
S P R I NG 2 0 0 8
PAGE 13
MEET THE NEW MIS!
Lin d se y Par son s
Aub r e y Pir osko
Gise lle Plat a
Kat ie Rob in e t t e
Car m e n Sp r in g e r
Rich St olz
Aie sh a Volow
Ad r ie n n e War r e n
Ch r is We lls
PAGE 14
S P R I NG 2 0 0 8
NO T E S FR O M T HE FI E LD
MEET THE NEW MIS!
Jan n a Wisn ie w ski
Cait lin Ye r ke s
Sar ah He d g e s
Good Luck MI Students!!
Welcome New MI Coordinator
Steve Bennett!
Steve Bennett is a MPH student at Tulane in the Department of International
Health and Development from Austin, Texas. He received his BFA in Theatre
from Southwest Texas State University before becoming a Public Health Peace
Corps Volunteer in Kenya from 2005-2007. While in Kenya, Steve worked with
various programs under Population Services International (PSI), Family
Health International (FHI), and YPEER. His favorite project was working with
Chunga Usipatwe Campaigners, or CUC, a local support groups for commercial
sex workers in Narok, Kenya. While with CUC, he coordinated with local clinics for HIV testing, organized a bar-owners group to educate them about the
problems of sex work and made over 100
free condom dispensers for the local
bars. Steve also worked with two youth theatre groups doing street theatre
to educate the public about a variety of issues. In Peace Corps Kenya, Steve
was a volunteer representative for the
Volunteer Advisory Committee as well
as the writer and editor of the Peace
Corps Kenya humor magazine. He is
incredibly excited about being the new
Tulane MI Coordinator and hopes to
hear the many stories, challenges and
successes of all the MI students.
Working with Samburu children in a
Northern Kenya school
S P R I NG 2 0 0 8
NO T E S FR O M T HE FI E LD
PAGE 15
MI Students Improving the World...One Project at a Time
Mary Berghaus, Honduras:
Kristina Cesa, Honduras:
Kendra LaSar, Honduras:
Mary has developed Encargado de mi Vida, a program
that teaches 5th and 6th graders self-esteem, decisionmaking and sexual education.
She also teaches HIV prevention techniques to men in the
community.
Kristina is the newest MI
student to start her PC service. She has been assigned
to a health education project
with the HIV/AIDS prevention and Child Survival program. We look forward to
hearing from her!! Good
luck Kristina!
Kendra is busy teaching sex education to 5th and 6th graders as well as nutrition education to health center staff. She
has also been involved in training of trainers workshops
conducted by other PC volunteers.
Ashley Blocker, Togo:
Ashley works with HIV+
individuals through home
visits and group meetings. She is currently
working on a nutritionimproving project to
benefit HIV+ members of
her community.
Joon Park, Albania:
Joon is continuing her networking with NGOs
including World Vision. She has also networked with a local youth center and is teaching monthly health classes in an elementary
school. Joon will be finishing her service in
June. CONGRATS!
Adrien Thelin, Senegal:
Adrien is working on a malaria project that treats curtains with deltamethrine.
Adrien has settled into his
community well and it
sounds like host country nationals are very accepting of
his malaria project. Keep up
the good work, Adrien!
Karen Chin, Ghana
Karen has been streamlining data management for her office and
trying to get money to
network their computers. She has also
been teaching life skills
and TOT classes.
Karen had also been
very involved with
community mapping.
Sarah Gruber, Cameroon
Sara is continuing the work
of the previous volunteer at
her site with soy cultivation.
Sara is also starting to integrate into her community
while learning French and a
bit of Bulu. She is beginning
to work on reproductive
health issues and is hoping to
find water projects in
neighboring villages.
Brian Deskin, Fiji:
Amber Staudacher, Lesotho:
Amber works in a center
which houses and cares for
disabled children and
adults. Currently, Amber is
organizing trainings for
laypeople in physiological
exercise techniques so that
they are able to work with
disabled residents in the
center.
Serena Fuller, South Africa:
Serena was assigned to the Community HIV/AIDS
Outreach Program. She is working with a CSO that
provides home based care as well as voluntary counseling and testing, and HIV prevention education. She
From what we hear, Brian is doing
well in Fiji. He says his town is an old
gold mining town with not much going on. We would love to know what
kind of work he is doing! Please send
a quarterly report, Brian!!
Yinan Peng, Botswana:
Yinan was recently evacuated from Kenya and has
bravely taken a post in Botswana. We haven’t heard
from her since she began
work in Botswana but we
are glad she is safe and
wish her the best of luck in
her new community.
PAGE 16
NO T E S FR O M T HE FI E LD
S P R I NG 2 0 0 8
Clinton Targets Change Around the World
AND Around The Corner
Tulane
New
Wave
March
17,
2008
Ruth Simmons and Marvalene Hughes, presidents of
Brown and Dillard Universities, respectively, present
President Bill Clinton with a commitment to make Dillard a more ecologically sustainable campus.
By
Ryan
Rivet
With Tulane athletics banners as a backdrop, President Bill
Clinton wrapped up a day spent launching the university component to his Clinton Global Initiative. Four thousand people
packed Fogelman Arena on Saturday (March 15) to hear the
former president pitch his plan to make the world a better place
through individual commitments to pressing global issues.
Clinton entered the arena to a standing ovation and a hip
soundtrack bringing home the fact that his target audience was
college students.
The speech in Fogelman summarized the day, which Clinton
spent telling nearly 700 students from a number of colleges that
they could make a difference. The students were empowered to
make philanthropy a focus in their lives. Clinton described his
global initiative as an effort to bring together people from all
over the world who are involved in trying to do public good as
private citizens. He advocated a burgeoning non-governmental
movement to address key problems facing the world. Chief
among these problems are climate change, global poverty, the
global healthcare crisis, and human rights. Clinton asked people to make individual commitments — in time, money or
grassroots support — to do their part.
A pre-recorded
message
that
played before
Clinton's speech
urged those in
attendance
to
"solve
problems, save lives
and help people
see the future."
The
Clinton
Global Initiative
no w
b o as ts
Kathy Ball, Sawyer Pouliot, Dr. Latha
Rajan, Amanda Goertz, Jeff dellaVolpe, more than 1,000
Deepika Sharma, and Lipi Roy served as co mmitments,
Table Facilitators at the conference
by individuals
in more than 100 countries, which
have the potential to improve the
lives of more than 180 million people. Clinton said the development of
a university component was only
natural. "Universities are a hotbed
of citizen service," he said. "Young
people here will come of age, and be
able to live their entire lifetime
where philanthropy will be seen in Clinton with Tulane University
president Scott Cowen
an entirely different way."
Clinton's message appeared to be well received by the students.
Rebecca Otten, a Tulane junior from Milwaukee, said that one
statement by the president stood out: "Find the little things we can
do every day to make the world a better place." Otten was scheduled to start her freshman year in fall 2005. After the storm, she
knew she had to return to help rebuild the city. Otten said she
would have probably been involved with community service regardless of where she went to school, but New Orleans allowed
her to get more involved. "I’ve had so many more [service] opportunities here, and it has really enriched my college career," Otten
said.
Clinton segued his speech to New Orleans recovery by saying
positive change can happen, "around the corner or around the
world. "This city is unique in American history. There are very
few places like it anywhere in the world," he added. "It is inconceivable that this country would not want the complete and total
rebuilding of this place in a way that not only preserves this
unique, incredible place, but also to give it a better future. It is a
great test of our national character … whether this city comes back
stronger than it was when Katrina hit. And all of us can play a role
in that."
In closing Clinton left the audience food for thought: "People who
work together generally do better than people who fight. People
who build generally do better than people who wreck. People who
learn generally do better than people who insist on staying ignorant. And people who care generally do better than the heartless.
We know that."
Bill Clinton and Brad Pitt join CGI-U participants in New Orleans to
clean up green areas near the site of Pitt’s environmentally friendly
home-building project the day after the CGI-U conference.
S P R I NG 2 0 0 8
NO T E S FR O M T HE FI E LD
PAGE 17
FOOD!!!
Baking Powder Biscuits AKA Bisquick
2 cups + 2 Tbsp sifted flour
Hush Puppies
2 cups maize flour
3/4 Tbsp baking powder
2 Tbsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp salt
1/4 cup shortening
1 cup onion, finely chopped
3/4 cup + 1 Tbsp milk
1 1/4 cups milk
Mix dry ingredients. Cut shortening into flour until it resembles cornmeal. Try not to handle the dough too much with the
fingers as it tends to become tough. Pour the milk in two parts,
mixing with a fork until all particles adhere to the ball of
dough. On a floured surface, spread the ball of dough to about
1 inch thickness. You may use your fingers if you are quick,
but don't squash the air out. Cut the dough into circles using
the rim of a 2 inch glass which has been dipped into flour.
Place circles on an ungreased enamel plate and bake in a hot
oven for about 10 minutes or until tops are golden. Makes 12
This recipe can be modified with many additives such as fruit
fillings, meat fillings, add honey or cinnamon when cooking,
etc. BE CREATIVE
Ratatouille
1/2 cup water
cooking oil
Mix dry ingredients and onion. Add liquid ingredients, adding more maize flour as necessary to make
the dough stiff enough to be handled. Shape the
batter into small round or elongated cakes, drop
them into deep, hot fat and turn them occasionally
until they are well brown.
Tuna Cakes
1/4 cup fat or oil
2 medium onions, sliced
2 medium eggplants, cubed
6 tomatoes, cubed
dash garlic powder or 2 cloves
1/4 cup cheese, grated (optional)
Sauté the onions (and fresh garlic) in pan until limp. Remove
half. Put in half of the eggplant and half of the tomatoes.
Sprinkle salt, pepper, and garlic powder. Then layer the rest of
the tomatoes, onions, and eggplant. Simmer covered for about
20 minutes. Uncover, add grated cheese and heat 5-10 minutes
to reduce extra liquid. This can be good served with rice,
pasta… (can also add spice if you want)
1 can tuna
1/3 cup milk
1/2 cup cooked potatoes
salt and pepper
1-2 cups bread crumbs
2 tsp curry powder
1 medium onion
extra bread crumbs
1 egg
oil for frying
Mash potatoes. Drain tuna, chop onion finely. Combine all ingredients in bowl. Shape into small cakes,
flatten slightly. Roll in dry bread crumbs. Fry until
golden brown. Add more bread crumbs or a little flour
if mixture is too moist to make firm patties.
Peanut Butter Cabbage Stir-Fry
1 small head cabbage
oil
2-4 Tbsp peanut butter
soy sauce
1 large onion, chopped
salt and pepper
4 cloves garlic, minced
ginger
water
Brown onion and garlic in a medium sized sufuria.
Add thinly sliced cabbage. Once cabbage is soft, add
soy sauce, salt, pepper, and ginger to taste. Then add
peanut butter. For a thinner sauce, add a little water.
Serve over rice. (Variations: 1- Add one hot pepper to
onions once they are browned, for spicy taste. 2- Add
crushed peanuts for extra flavor and texture.)
PAGE 18
NO T E S FR O M T HE FI E LD
S P R I NG 2 0 0 8
FUN STUFF TO FILL YOUR TIME!
Down
Across
1 . M arry
1 . Lupine animal
2 . Eggs
5 . Frozen
3 . I lluminated
8 . M alevolent
4 . Panache
9 . Singing pair
5 . N otion
1 0 . I nformation
6 . System of beliefs and rituals
1 1 . Large deer
7 . Stable gear connecting two
animals
1 2 . Angry
1 3 . Reimburse
1 4 . Yawn
It’s Peace Corps Volunteers!!
Hide the electronics!!
1 5 . Pitcher
1 6 . Close
1 9 . The night before
2 0 . Ancient Roman deity
2 1 . N octurnal bird
1 4 . Writing style
1 7 . Wonderment
1 8 . Currency
2 2 . Vegetable
2 3 . Affirm
2 4 . M ake a mistake
2 5 . Shout
PAGE 19
NO T E S FR O M T HE FI E LD
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FUN STUFF TO FILL YOUR TIME!
PAGE 20
NO T E S FR O M T HE FI E LD
Tulane school of public health and
tropical medicine
Master’s international program
1440 Canal Street
Suite 2460
New Orleans, La
S P R I NG 2 0 0 8
The training facility features a solar-powered greenhouse,
a compost area, and 2,000 square miles available for crop
land.
In Jamaica, Volunteer Brooke Anderson is working with
the Negril Coral Reef Preservation Society through the
Peace Corps/Jamaica Green Initiative project. She is helping to develop a World Oceans Day event to build awareness on climate change and its effects on the ocean. Five
schools will participate in a poster competition relating to
this theme.
70112-2715
Phone: 504-988-6737
Fax: 504-988-0907
Email: [email protected] or [email protected]
Happy Earth Day 2008!
WASHINGTON, D.C., April 22, 2008 - Around the world today, the
Peace Corps will observe the 38th anniversary of Earth Day, honoring the importance of caring for and spreading knowledge of the environment. Thousands of people celebrate Earth Day every year
through local and international events across the globe, including
Peace Corps Volunteers who are working to increase environmental
awareness through projects and activities at the grassroots level.
The Peace Corps has one of the largest environmental workforces of
any international development agency, as 14 percent of its 8,079 Volunteers are working on environment-related projects in 38 countries.
From water sanitation to sustainable farm practices, wildlife conservation to community education, Peace Corps Volunteers raise the
level of consciousness and action in all countries in which they serve.
"I am proud of the work of Peace Corps environmental Volunteers,"
said Peace Corps Director Ron Tschetter. "Environmental Volunteers
are at the forefront of initiating new ideas and strategies in awareness, sustainability, efficiency, and restoration of the environment at
t h e
g r a s s r o o t s
l e v e l . "
In Fiji, Volunteer Maya Breitburg-Smith serves as an environmental educator, helping to organize the "Clean Compound Competition" in her village. The Competition encourages and rewards community members who compost,
recycle, and clean up the environment.
In Paraguay, Volunteers Justin Mog and Amanda Fuller
have helped create the Seed Bank Project. This sustainability project provides a centralized bank of seeds for other
Volunteers to use while promoting in their agricultural
activities. The seeds gathered in the bank are often rare or
too expensive for impoverished Paraguayans to try. The
seeds are available to Paraguayans families, free-ofcharge, in the context of a loan in which the borrower
grows the crop and returns a percentage of the harvested
seeds to the Seed Bank. The cyclical system ensures sustainability and growth for both Paraguayan farmers and the
Seed Bank.
Earth Day was founded in the 1970 to increase both domestic
and global awareness of environmental issues. This year’s
theme, A Call for Climate, promotes climate change awareness.
Source: www.peacecorps.gov
Volunteers work in agro-forestry and reforestation; soil and water
management and conservation; wildlife and protected area management; developing water sources; creating forest inventories, as well
as habitat and wildlife surveys; and building energy-efficient cooking
stoves. By raising the level of awareness, Volunteers have highlighted the significance of caring for the Earth. Here are a few examples of Peace Corps Volunteers’ efforts to serve this purpose:
In Armenia, Peace Corps Volunteer Rud Hubbard is working with
"Green Tavush," a non-governmental organization that promotes
environmental education. Through this program, Hubbard helped
to create the "Sustainable Agriculture University Development
Project" which trains local agricultural advisors in sustainable and
organic farming practices.
Mary Berghaus, Kendra LaSar, and Kristina
Cesa...lots of MIs in Honduras!!