PEACE CORPS TIMES A Quarterly Publication for Peace Corps Volunteers Serving Worldwide Spring 1990 . ,. -.-. - - INSIDE THIS ISSUE: THE DIRECTOR'S CORNER A truly amazing life-and-death drama In early May, I visited Fiji, Tonga and Papua New were in the area of Tonga. Unfortunately, there were none. Guinea. While in Tonga, I had the OPPoflunit~to meet By now, the energy of the Volunteers at the oxygen pump Volunteers and staff who had participated in a truly amazing was lessening, life-and-death drama. I would like to share this remarkable ThePeaceCorps medicalofficers in Fiji and in Western story which demonstrates the tremendous dedication of our samoaeach located tanksofoxygenandmadeheroicefforts Volunteers, the superb professionalism and talent of our to get them on board commercial flights to Tonga, butt^ no staff, and the importance of international cooperation. avail. Finally, SOS succeeded in arranging for a World While swimming in the Pacific Ocean, Peace Corps Access air ambulance from Sydney, Australia and the Tonga Volunteer American embassy in Wellington, New Zealand was suc- Michael Weaver, 26, cessful in contacting Air New Zealand Flight 82 which was whoisfromNew York en route to Tonga. The pilot of that flight provided a five- State, was swept into hour supply of oxygen and offered ground assistance to the a whirlpool and evacuation air ambulance crew. trapped under water I am happy to repon that I visited Michael Weaver in for about 5 minutes Liverpool Hospital in Sydney on Tuesday, May 8, where he before a large wave was recovering. He was out of intensive care and was in threw him up in theair excellent condition and spirits. In fact, he told me he was anddropped him back bored and wanted to get back to work. to the surface. Two I cannot say enough about the efforts of everybody young Tonganese involved. Congratulations and sincere thanks to Dr. Aho, men pulled him onto Tonga Country Director Vinnette Jones, Peace Corps Wash- the beach. A col- ington medical staff personnel Jimmy Austin and Ann Eller league, who had been and, of course, to Michael's fellow Volunteers who stayed swimming with him, with him those many hours. This was a wonderful example immediately began mouth-to-mouth resuscitation and Mi- of the peace corpsspirit which is so much a part of this chael regained consciousness fora short while. A number of agency, his fellow Volunteers then transported him to a hospital in the capital. Nukualofa. Given the length of time that Michael had been under water. the primary medicalconcem was thatalackofoxygen could cause brain damage or theonset of respiratory distress. Paul D. overd dell Dr. George Aho, Peace Corps physician at the hospital, put Director a tube into Weaver's lungs and began administering appro- United States Peace Corps priate medication. Breathing assistance was also required, but because there wasnofunctioningventilatoranywhereon the island, hospital staff and Michael's fellow Volunteers started providing breathing support for him using an Ambu bag, which has to be pumped manually. They took turns hand-pumping this equipment for 20 minutes each at first and then, as they tired, in IO-minute intervals, for more than 14 hours. Paul D. CoverdeU At approximately 5 a.m. EDTon Friday. May 4, Jimmy Barbara Z3mnan ti^, the medical officer on dury for peace Washington,- D.C., received a call from Dr. A~O information about the accident and the situation in Tonga. The Peace Corps Times is a quarterly publication of the Austin in tumcontactedIntemationalSOSAssistance,an air United States Peace Corps, Washington, D.C. 20526. medical emergency evacuation operation, to arrange for a - - Viewsexoressed in the Peace Corns Times are thoseof the tlight to Tonga. individual writers and do not necessarily represent the official As time passed the of oxygen at the hospital position of the United States Peace Corps. The Director hasde- dwindled. Back in Washington. Medevac nurse Ann Eller temined that of this is necess;lry in the worked with Michael Klein, of SOS in Philadelphia, who tnnsnctionof the public business. Use of funds for printing this was still trvine. .. to armnee- an air ambulance flieht.- SOS was oeriodical has been a~oroved. bv the Director of the Oflice of working through its offices in Singapore. Eller also con- Management and Budget. United States Government. tacted the U.S. Air Force Military Command at Scott Air Inquiries and letters should be addressed to: Peace Corps Force Base in St. Louis to determine if any military flights Times, 8th Floor, 1990 K Street NW, Washington, D.C. 20526. Peace Curps 'rimes 2 Spring 1990 ( CONTENTS 7 Letters to the editor MOROCCO She helped 'sign' way Dedication cited Morocco is like stepping back in time for some Peace Corps Volun- As a former Nepal Peace Corps teers sewing there. Old sections of It has been six months since the ancientcitiesremainmuch thesame Volunteer, I read with great interest tragic death of PCV Margaret Schut- as they were centuries ago and the article on "Nepali Sign Language zius, a TEFL teacher in Chad. We are many rural areas are still locked in Dictionary" in the January-February concerned that up until now there has the past, but signs of modemiza- issue of the Peace Corps Times. been no mention of her death in the tion are all about. One of the latest Thearticlementionsthat "the first Peace Corps Times. Peace Corps contributions is in school for deaf children in Nepal was Margaret was a dedicated Volun- veterinary medicine. Page 4. established in 1966... with the help of teer serving in adificult country. She apeacecorps Volunteer." You might was one of the TUNISIA be interested to know that the Peace The past and presentblendtogether seven original Corps Volunteer is Mrs. Susan Ham- PCV's to reopen in Tunisia. Peace Corps Volun- merman, who is secretary general of teers are making a difference in a the Peace Corps variety of ways -- teaching Eng- Rehabilitation International. program in Chad lish, coaching sports teams, offer- When Susanandherhusbandfitst after several years ing tips on dairy and cattle herd went to Nepal they were teaching in of civil war and management, stemming soil ero- the Far Western Region. The school was returning sion and organizing youth groups. for the deaf started as a summer proj- home upon com- Page 8. ect, when Susan came to Kathmandu pletion of herserv- because the school in which she and ice. Unfortunately, her husband were teaching had a she was on the UTA flight from WORLD WISE SCHOOLS semester break. Nearly 1,100 Peace Corps Volun- N'Djamena to Paris destroyed by ter- teers have been paired with ele- rorists on Sept. 19. 1989. Margaret Karp mentary and junior high schools We were under the impression that UN Children's Fund back home in the United States. all PCV deaths were mentioned in the 3 United Nations Plaza The ideais to upgrade world aware- Peace CorpsTimes and that ashort syn- ness among school children. By opsis of the Volunteer's service was next year, the goal is to involve es- ghven. Is this, in fact, the case? If so, sentially all 6,100 Volunteers in could you please do this for Margaret? the program. Page 21. C.A.R. reunion set Thank you inadvanceforyourcon- sideration. There are many country-specific CENTRAL EUROPE organizationsof RPCV's, e.g., Friends Missy McClatchy, One hundred and twenty Ameri- of Niger, Friends of Brazil, etc. I am can men and women 60 in Hun- Koumra, Chad -- an RPCV from the Central African gary and 60 in Poland -- will arrive Republic (C.A.R.), which does not in Budapest and Warsaw in June to Russ Standlee, yet have such an organization. I am begin training for the first Peace Doba, Chad Corns..- oroeram ever in Central sure that there are many C.A.R.- RPCVs who feel as I do. that my Europe. Details, page 19. John Morton, PeaceCorpssewice intheC.A.R. was Doba, Chad BOLIVIA the best two years of my life, and A group of 1 1 experienced Peace would like to share their experiences. See story, page 20. I Corps Volunteers is pioneering a I am olannine.. a reunion for C.A.R.- I new Program in Bolivia. It marks RPCV~~in July. If interested, please I the first time PCVs have been in I ...-.-. I the South American nation in 19 years. More are due later this year ON THE COVER to train for service there. Turn to Friends of C.A.R. Ben Schroeder, President page 14. UnitedStatesPeace Corps Valunreer 1700 Poplar Lane NW CherylLeMasterofSuri Valley.Idaho. Washington. DC 20012 PEACE CORPS FELLOWS guides o young hlitid boy or o rural A top-notch teaching fellowship (202) 726-6298 program is catching on across the hlindschool orrtside Fez in Morocco. She is huildi~i~qself-reliaacefor sighr- United States. There's a question- Tim Egan, Vice President naire for interested PCVs accom- 3755 S. Webster Ave. less youngsters ar the iristituriori so they con w~alkaloaenirli use of canes. ,panying this update. Page 30. Green Bay, WI 54301 Peace Corps Tinles 3 Spring 1990 COUNTRY PROFILE Stepping back in time in Morocco By James C. Flanigan Editor, Peace Corps Ties ap. Tap. Tap. The nacuuo tap, tap, rapping of fhe cane U echoed rhvthrnidlv off the concrete sdzeinside the &row confvk of the-L-shaped courtyard. Peace Corps Volunteer Cheryl LeMaster patiently insmcted the young blind boy to walk independently with the use of a makeshift red-and-white cane made bwn a cunain rod. She gave fm but gentle commands in Arabic as she insmcted her charge at a rural blind school just outside Fez in Mmw.