The Peace Corps sent him to Mali in west Africa where he worked for 27 months. He lived in a mud compound in a village called Koro Bada, cut off from the comforts that he grew up with. He met wonderful, interesting people, learned a new culture and language and grew up. He also nearly died of malaria. Whereas I couldn't get him to enjoy reading books at home, in Koro Bada he devoured them and read everything he could find. He had lots of time to read with no television. He was rather appalled that I had not read Moby Dick. This photo is the library at the Corps stage house.
Jon saw how people there often ate the same thing day after day, ground up millet called toh.
We sent him things to share with the villagers. The soccer ball we sent was played with until the skin of the ball had completely fallen off. Here Jon is playing Frisbee with some children.
The Peace Corps held an essay contest for teachers where there would be 50 winners around the U.S. Winning teachers would be able to have a Peace Corps Volunteer talk to their class on a speaker phone. Incredibly, I won! My class could not wait to ask Jon a thousand questions.
Jon traveled to a larger town where he would be able to speak to my class. My students still remember that day. They could hardly believe they were speaking to Jon in Africa.
Throughout all the time Jon was in Mali and after his return, all my classes learned more about Africa than I'd ever taught any class before. They also learned more about maps and geography, culture and customs because of the interest he generated.
One of Jon's Malian teacher friends even came to America and taught my class about his country. That was really incredible.
The Peace Corps celebrated their 50th Birthday yesterday. John Kennedy started the program to help improve the lives of impoverished people in other countries. Many volunteers go hoping to do just that. I think it's more than that. Because of Jon's service my 1st grade classes, the entire first grade team as well as several of the other grades learned about Mali. I think the impact of the Peace Corps is a bridge of understanding that goes two ways.
I'd like to wish the Peace Corps a happy birthday with hopes for another 50 years!
I am full of admiration and thanks to brave Jon, brave parents, the Peace Corps, and teachers.
ReplyDeleteFifty years already? But I remember the day Kennedy announced the Peace Corps. That's a long time, long enough to make a big difference in many lives, as you said.
What a great experience for Jon, and of course for the children you taught too. I taught in Jamaica with Voluntary Service Overseas, the UK equivalent of the peace corps and had a wonderful time, though sadly I had to come home after only six months because my mother was seriously ill. I'd have loved to finish my two years though.
ReplyDeletewhat an outstanding program and because of all the good hearted volunteers...
ReplyDeleteI have always thought the Peace Corps is a wonderful idea and know several people who have gone to places they would never have gone otherwise. They also always say it changed them for the better. Thanks for sharing this!
ReplyDeleteI have 4 friends who joined the Peace Corps, and all of them did very well after their stint was over.
ReplyDelete1 got his Ph.D. in political science and is a professor.
1 got his M.D. and practiced internal medicine.
1 got his Ph.D. in anthropology and was a professor before joining the Foreign Service.
And 1 joined the Foreign Service right after the Peace Corps. Then she got her Masters in Library Science and became a librarian.
Incredible, dedicated, and intelligent volunteers!
Amanda: Good for you for trying! We met two other young people from Chicago when we were at O'Hare airport seeing Jon off. They happened to also be going to Mali to be trained for the Peace Corps. The young woman's father died of a heart attack and she had to return home after a year. The young man's mother died of breast cancer and he also had to return home. I remember Jon asking at one point, "You guys are OK, right?"
ReplyDeleteWhat a wonderful growth experience for Jon.
ReplyDeleteI remember when the Peace Corps was formed (I was a young teenager then) and I wanted to do something similar, but never did.
That was an era the Beatles sang about in their song Revolution: "we all want to change the world" - and we did want to.
I'm glad Jon got to change the world, both in Africa and in your classroom. It's great to be able to say "I made a contribution, I made a difference."
And good for you and Art, for having such a son.
Luv, K
Kay, Alberta, Canada
An Unfittie's Guide to Adventurous Travel
That is so amazing. Not only did Jon help to enrich the lives of others, he undoubtedly enriched his own. The Peace Corps is one of the best projects the U.S. ever started.
ReplyDeleteThanks for sharing this experience. Very interesting.
ReplyDeleteYou and your son are so special. I remember that first Peace Corps volunteers going out and how strange that seemed to me. Now I have friends in the PC who are over 60!
ReplyDeleteIt is too bad about the malaria, and I hope your son has not had long-term effects from it.
what wonderful memories, Kay and Happy Birthday to the Peace Corps.
ReplyDeleteGood for Jon! You must be so proud of what he accomplished. And, it is good to see once again how important building background knowledge is when teaching. You made learning connections for your students that were in real time and exciting. No wonder they did so well.
ReplyDeleteAlso, Jon is quite a handsome boy.
I think we all would be amazed at all the Peace Corp has accomplished both here at home and abroad.
Excellent post, Kay! I think anytime we reach out to someone else and take interest in things other than our "own" we expand horizons and banish fears. The Peace Corps is a great boon to everyone involved, server and served.
ReplyDeleteKay, thank you and Art for sharing Jon with us here and with Mali! (I know, he was a grown man at that point, but still your child!)
ReplyDeleteHas Jon read The Boy Who Harnessed The Wind? It's a great book about a boy in Mali who didn't have $$ to go to school, so he used an old engineering book at the retread library and the village junk pile and began to change his world! It's awesome. True story
Tough fellow, he'll do marathons when he's 67 years old.
ReplyDeleteP.S., That pic with Jon with slippahs....
What a simply wonderful post. Just greatly enlightening. Thank you so much.
ReplyDeleteEverybody: Thank you so much, everyone! I am so proud of all the young and older people who volunteered to work in the Peace Corps. It's so much better to work for peace instead of war.
ReplyDeleteRetired English Teacher: Thanks so much! He looks even better with hair, but then again I'm his mother and terribly biased.
Hattie: I don't think he'll ever be allowed to donate blood again after his two bouts with malaria.
Southlakes Mom: That sounds amazing! I remember Jon mentioning how ingenious the Malian people were to survive the poverty of their country. I will mention this book to Jon.
RonW: I do believe we sent him those slippahs. :-)
What a wonderful young man. The world needs more people like him. I know you are as proud as you can be of him.
ReplyDeleteHow admirable that he did that. I have a dear friend from high school that went to South America (I forget which country) for a year or so with Peace Corps. She loved it!
ReplyDeleteAnd congratulations to you for raising such a great son.
ReplyDeleteI'm sure you are very, very proud of your wonderful son!
ReplyDeleteWhere can we send another soccer ball?
I am so impressed by people who volunteer to serve in the Peace Corp. Doing what they do seems almost superhuman to me.
ReplyDeleteAnd how wonderful that you shared Jon's experience with so many here at home.