Greetings!   I am elated to inform you that Peace Corps Director Aaron Williams responded to the letter I wrote to him in last month!   I wrote a piece about it on the First Response Action blog.  You can read that piece here:  http://firstresponseaction.blogspot.com/2010/03/confirmation-received-from-director.html  Director Williams was supportive of what we’re trying to do and he has instructed [...]

I am proud to say that I have a blog up and running now that is dedicated to working with Peace Corps on creating a policy to suport volunteers who are sexually assaulted, raped or otherwise physically assaulted during service! Please check it out at: http://firstresponseaction.blogspot.com. I have a list on the right of several ways you can help.

I received the following via email and thought it worthy of posting here.  The reform plan that was attached to this email is 146 pages long which is too long to post here.  However, I really enojoyed reading it and I think you would too if you are in any way interested in the PC…esp. [...]

I made the agonizing decision to come back the US and cut more PC service short…meaning I didn’t finish my two years of service.  I will not list here the reasons for this decision.  The reasons are very personal.  I wish all those that frequent my blog searching for info regarding the PC, the best of luck if [...]

Sorry I haven’t made any posts recently, but I’ve been a little busy.  I was in Pretoria for over a week taking care of doctor’s appointments and PC meetings.  Since my arrival back in Acornhoek, I’ve been busy at the schools trying to give workshops before the school year is over.  Hope all is well…will [...]

Wahoo…my computer parts arrived and I’ve been back online for a couple of weeks now, so I thought I should update my blog…I’m pretty behind with it.  I’m going to start adding posts gradually and backdating them.  I hope all of you are doing well.       

How exciting….I have internet again! WAHOO!!  I got the  new adapter and battery from my parents today…I’m glad that I was correct in guessing that it was an adapter issue….good thing I’m such a computer geek huh? LOL! I had my parents to send me a surge protector along with the new adapter and battery, so [...]

Since the electric went off here the other day, I can no longer get my computer to work. I believe that when the electric came back on it gave my computer a surge & burnt out my laptop adapter. My parents are mailing me a new one, however that will take several weeks to receive. [...]

Today I went into both the grade R (kindergarten) classes and taught the first lesson from the math packets that I made.  The teachers had to translate of course…but I made a lot of gestures and such…so that the kids could understand me.  I wanted to teach the first lesson, so that the teachers would [...]

Whew….I’m tired again today…but I wanted to give an update on the school… On Monday night, I made up a bunch of worksheets for the grade one and grade R classes and saved them on my computer. Then on Tuesday morning at the staff meeting (there is a staff meeting every morning at 7:30 before school [...]

Today wasn’t very eventful…well it’s only 4pm now…this morning I got up around 8am and had a cup of coffee and two biscuits for breakfast.  Then I burned my garbage in the burning pit.  Then I got my backpack (the Nike one…I use it every day…I’m so glad I brought it) and walked to the [...]

Part of an email that I sent earlier…. I have my bedroom (backroom) totally decorated now.  I have my bed and wardrobe setup and all my clothes put away in the wardrobe.  I situated my bed under a window, my wardrobe is in the corner, and I have some plastic shelves that all my bathroomhygiene stuff [...]

TALE OF THE ATTACKING SPIDER BY: SHERRY WOODEN, PCV What you are about to read is based on a TRUE story!!! Once upon a time there was a Peace Corps Volunteer serving in Acornhoek, South Africa.  The volunteer, Malebo, lived in a two room concrete home.  The walls of the home were concrete, the floor was concrete, and [...]

Just wanted to report that my nephew Jeromie had his first baby…well, his wife Melissa had her yesterday.  My sister Rhonda sent me an email with the good news…she’s now a grandmother for the first time.  They named her Amber Kay, and she apparently look like her Dad.  She was 8 pounds 2.7 ounces & [...]