Beruflich Dokumente
Kultur Dokumente
In This Issue
NewsLetter Zimbabwe
u LGB RPCV News
u 40th Anniversary Events
May 2001
ay’s newsletter highlights both AIDS and Africa. qWe begin with an update
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LGB RPCV NewsLetter - May 2001
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LGB RPCV NewsLetter - May 2001
younger men interacted with one inclusive - qualities not reinforced back to our rural schools for the
another socially. One bright day in much in American men. Of course, I remainder of our time in country.
March, after the rainy season had now have the perspective of looking There were opportunities to be
ended, I was assigned the duty of across the full time I spent in Zimba- reassigned to positions with NGOs in
taking a group of boys from my bwe. At the time of each experience, I the cities, but for a number of reasons
secondary school about 5 kilometers just had a sense that something these didn’t seem like a good fit for
to a river. Our job was to repair a pipe significant had happened, but me.
that was used to gravity feed a supply couldn’t always explain why. Peace The time at my school continues to
of water down to the school during the Corps prepares you for the jarring dominate my memories of Zimbabwe.
dry season. Our hike started in a valley experiences of awakening in a new Its mention brings echoes of marking
and continued up into the low green culture. But, I wasn’t as prepared for papers under an asbestos roof that
mountains of Zimbabwe, with the more the moments when facets of the new roared with the storm outside, of
rugged mountains of Mozambique to moments of connection with my
our backs. The colors were stunning. students, and the faces of the friends.
We passed homesteads with their
For me it was kind of But, what links the different stages of
fields of tobacco, red peppers, and a learning experience to my time in Zimbabwe are the qualities
sunflowers. My students picked ripe see, as the norm, how of the people I met there. This
guavas and threw them to each other includes the cultural qualities of men
and to me. men could interact in that I’ve described. In a larger sense,
The boys worked together ways that were intimate, it includes a graciousness and way of
seamlessly. They divided themselves respecting each other that seem
up into groups when we reached the
cooperative, and inclu- uncommon in the U.S. My assignment
river and each group took on a sive - qualities not rein- was odd, at times frustrating, and little
separate task. There was some debate forced much in Ameri- of what I expected, but it’s experiences
about specifics, but it always resolved like these that make me unable to
good-naturedly. On the way to and can men. regret my time in Zimbabwe. In 13
from the river, I was impressed by the months I learned a little about
fact that none of the boys seemed to teaching, but much more about the
be excluded. I knew these students culture felt oddly familiar while part of possibilities of human relationships.
from the classroom, but many were my own felt strange and slightly off. In the end, I think I’m left with the
different among their peers. I saw two I don’t write this with any claims of challenge most all RPCVs face: how to
boys in particular who often seemed objectivity or any deep investigation build connections between these
distant and tentative in class. They into the people of Zimbabwe. There things I’ve learned and life back in the
clearly had the respect of the others was likely much more that I didn’t U.S.
and took on central positions in observe than I did. I also don’t make
deciding how to look for leaks and any claims for Zimbabwean men Jeff Maggioli can be reached by
assigning jobs to one another. No one having some kind of ideal way of email at jmaggioli@qwest.net.
seemed to be left out or singled out for looking at the world. If this were an
being different. Disagreements were article about cultural attitudes toward
resolved with a little jostling, smiles, women, HIV/AIDS, or homosexuality,
and exasperated exclamations of I wouldn’t be able to be very chari-
shamwari (the Shona word for friend). table. Finally, this isn’t meant to be
Taken by themselves I doubt I about men of any specific sexual
would find much of a common thread orientation. I never had a good sense
running through these memories. But of what it means to be homosexual in
set against a backdrop of countless rural Africa. And, in the end, I think
small day-to-day experiences with men that, regardless of sexual orientation,
in rural and urban Zimbabwe, patterns you absorb your culture’s ideas of
emerge. For me it was kind of a how you should be.
learning experience to see, as the I left Zimbabwe in November of
norm, how men could interact in ways 2000, after Peace Corps had decided
that were intimate, cooperative, and that we would not be allowed to go
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LGB RPCV NewsLetter - May 2001
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AIDS Orphans
Continued from page 3 shelter and education for the orphans. RPCV’s join our organization,
people interacting, caring and loving. Associations we are currently especially those with contacts in
I can’t give you my experiences. You working with are OrphanAid, Save the other Southern Africa countries. We
have your own. I can tell you that the Children, Swaziland (not affiliated are always in need of organizational,
more you know about a person or with the international organization) writing and fundraising skills and
group of people, the closer they move and Swaziland Hospice at Home. ideas. You are invited to visit our web
to your inner circles. All I can do is These are associations that I have site at http://www.ekhaya.org. There
ask that through travel, reading, visited while on a trip to Southern you will find a donation form and
music, TV documentaries or expand- Africa in Sept/Oct 2000. I had the more information about Ekhaya. Email
ing your level of care, you include the opportunity to visit each of their can be sent to orphans@ekhaya.org
children of Africa in one of your inner offices and in the case of OrphanAid,
circles of contribution.The truth is, accompany the field representative on Doug Long can be reached on
the problem is big, bigger than the his visits to rural homesteads. dlong@hrcn.com
local governments can take care of Contributions were made to each
without outside assistance. The truth of these organizations earlier this
is, this is not the only area of the year. The money sent to OrphanAID HIV/AIDS Initiative...
and Save the Children was used to Continued from page 1
world that needs your support. It is
only one of them. pay school fees and other school effects within their communities. As
So, what is special about Ekhaya related expenses. The combined an organization we have continued to
that would want you to channel you contribution was enough to pay fees solicit our members to contribute to
contributions through our organiza- for close to 200 children. It is not our the HIV/AIDS Prevention and
tion? Ekhaya has been fortunate to be intention to pay only school fees, but Education Fund.
able to form an association with the it was the right thing to do at the time The HIV/AIDS Initiative is now
Life Foundation of Hawaii, and the disbursements were made. being pushed forward by PCVs and
existing tax-exempt non-profit Housing and food can be provided at in-country staff, the people who best
corporation working with AIDS a subsistence level for the most part understand the need. There has been
related issues since 1983. Working as without much money, but to stay in a long tradition at Peace Corps to
a committee of Life Foundations, we school the children need cash. A listen to volunteer initiated program
were spared the task of forming a smaller contribution made to Hospice and project ideas. The Peace Corps
non-profit corporation and applying at Home was used as part of their staff in Washington is there to
for tax-exempt status, although this is general fund to continue to provide provide support to the field in these
always an option for the future. Our hospice support, mostly to mothers endeavors and there is funding
arrangement with Life Foundation at infected with the AIDS virus, many available for many of the most
this point is that 100% of all funds with young children. Currently all promising and innovative proposals.
donated to Ekhaya are passed on the organizations we are working with While Peace Corps waits for a new
without any money deducted for are located in Swaziland because all of Director, Washington staff does see
overhead. As a small fee for services, the current RPCV’s on the committee promise in the new administration’s
the Life Foundation does retain served in Swaziland. interest in increased funding for HIV/
interest income for funds on deposit. Our goal for this year is to expand AIDS prevention and education
The Life Foundation has, through a our support to extend outside the activities.
December 2000 fund raising event, borders of Swaziland to other African
also contributed $2000 to Ekhaya. Our countries. Rumi Takahashi also a If you’re interested in an
goal is to provide assistance to the RPCV of Swaziland has travel email version of Peace
orphaned children of Africa in such a planned to Southern Africa in July
this year. I plan to return again in
Corps’ 2000 Project
way that it enables as many children
as possible to remain at home (in September this year. These personally Status Report on the
homesteads) cared for by members of funded trips will also give us the HIV/AIDS Initiative,
their extended family. It was decided opportunity to make contact with
that this support would be channeled more organizations in Swaziland and contact Mike Learned at
through existing local grass root other surrounding countries. 103571.2317@compuserve.com
organizations, which provide food, We are very anxious to have other
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LGB RPCV NewsLetter - May 2001
Phone/Fax/E-mail:
Membership: $15 for LGB RPCV Affiliate Only or FREE to Current Volunteers 5/01
$40 for LGB RPCV Plus the National Peace Corps Association