KY RPCVs Invite CARV to Picnic June 16th

YOU WILL NOT WANT TO MISS THE SECOND ANNUAL STATEWIDE KY RPCV PICNIC AT BERNHEIM FOREST ON JUNE 16TH FROM 2-8PM!

Come celebrate your Peace Corps service with other RPCV's from all over Kentucky! See old friends and make new ones!

Bernheim Executive Director and RPCV Mark Wourms has made us kindly welcomed in this Kentucky treasure of a location.

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CARV Goes to the Reds

Join CARV members, family and friends at the Reds game on Monday June 25th at 7:10 pm as Cincinnati plays the Milwaukee Brewers. We have arranged for a block of seats in the Mezzanine level for $12, a $24 value. Everyone is welcome to join us. Use the form at the bottom of this page to order your tickets. See you there!

CARV Events from 2011 - What a Year!

CARV recently provided information to NPCA for the re-affiliation of the chapter. We had quite a year, as we celebrated the Peace Corps 50th anniversary, in addition to other new and traditional CARV events. Check out the list by clicking here or at the bottom of the page.

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CARV and SORVO Collaborate with Dayton International Peace Museum to Create Permanent Peace Corps Exhibit

The Dayton International Peace Museum is developing a permanent exhibit honoring the Peace Corps. Beginning in mid-August, 2012, DIPM will showcase the Peace Corps past and present with a major show, followed by a permanent exhibition of Peace Corps documents, artifacts, and videos, plus interactive experiences for adults and children who visit.

CARV members are encouraged to participate in this exciting project by telling their stories in writing, donating meaningful artifacts from our countries of service, providing slideshows and other electronic media, being willing to be interviewed for a video archive,offering suggestions for the interactive portion and consulting with the project team.

The most time-sensitive part of the project is a collection of Peace Corps stories. DIPM is looking for one to two paragraph vignettes of experiences that represent a situation pertaining to these suggestions:

+ Arrival on site/First day in site
+ Typical facet daily life/how you did your chores in your community
# Choose one: laundry, cooking, shopping, showering, etc.
+ Social norms: difficulties adapting/silly experiences
# Choose one: Childcare, nuclear/extended family living quarters, division of labor, personal independence, etc.
+ Personal realization/epiphany
+ Accounts of local folklore/superstitions

With these stories they would love to have a photo of the volunteer hopefully in host country) to add to their vignette.

If you are willing to assist in any of these ways, or have other suggestions, please call Mikell "Mike" Kloeters at 937-832-6323. If you would rather have her call you, please email your phone number and time preference to Susan Robinson at sjrobinson@fuse.net

Click on "More" for a letter to CARV from DIPM and some sample vignettes.

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Peace Corps Will Be at A World A'Fair in Dayton

SORVO has again arranged to set up a Peace Corps information table
at Dayton's 39th annual International Festival, A World A’Fair —
Folklore Around the World. The festival is a celebration of
diversity that showcases the food, dancing, music, costumes, and
cultural exhibits representing the ethnic backgrounds and cultures
of Dayton and the greater Miami Valley. More information on this
event is available from the World A'Fair web site http://www.aworldafair.org/ or by clicking on the title to this article.

As always, CARV's collaboration with this Peace Corps outreach
activity is solicited, welcomed, and appreciated. Each volunteer is
asked to host the Peace Corps information table for a two hour shift
during the dates and times listed below.

> Friday, May 18, 2012~ 5:00 PM - 11:00 PM
> Saturday, May 19, 2012 ~ 11:00 AM - 11:00 PM
> Sunday, May 20, 2012 ~ 11:00 AM - 6:00 PM

In appreciation of each volunteer's time in sharing information
about the Peace Corps with the Festival attendees, SORVO will
provide each host with a ticket to enter Dayton's World A'Fair, a
$7.00 value. I trust that CARV will again be able to assist us with
this activity.

To volunteer, click on the Contact Us button or email us at carv.rpcvs@gmail.com

Peace Corps in Korea - Photo Exhibit at OSU

CARV members are friends are invited to attend the opening reception of a special photo exhibit “A Story of Volunteerism,” which celebrates the experiences of the U.S. Peace Corps in Korea (1966-1981) and the Korean International Cooperation Agency (KOICA). The exhibit focuses on not only the volunteer experience in Korea but also on the volunteer spirit throughout Peace Corps.

The reception will feature a keynote address by Mr. Jon Keeton, former Director of Peace Corps Korea and Regional Director for Peace Corps in North Africa, Near East, Asia and the Pacific.

The reception will take place on Thursday, May 3, 2012 from 4 to 6 PM in the Great Hall Meeting on the first floor of the Ohio Union on the Ohio State University campus. Korean refreshments will be served at the conclusion.

This public program is being organized by The Friends of Korea, an association of returned Peace Corps Volunteers from Korea and the following organizations at The Ohio State University and Ohio University.

For questions, contact Gerry Krzic (RPCV - Korea): krzic@ohio.edu or 740-593-4578

UC Leads the Midwest in Peace Corps Collaborations

The University of Cincinnati College of Design, Architecture, Art and Planning (DAAP) boasts two graduate degree programs that allow Peace Corps Volunteers to expand and enhance their experience. The Masters International Program and the Coverdell Fellows Program combine Peace Corps service with the opportunity to earn advanced degrees in community planning.

DAAP student Trent Lobdell, seen in the photo above, was a Peace Corps volunteer in Samoa. The women he worked with put on their best clothes for his farewell party, complete with dancing, singing and lots of gifts.

As reported in UC Magazine, CARV member and graduate of the Fellows Program, Katie Sylvester, entered the Coverdell Fellows Program because "I wanted to utilize what I learned and achieved as a Peace Corps volunteer...That’s what this is all about. You don’t leave it all behind at age 24 and say, 'I'm finished with the Peace Corps.'

"There is no other international volunteer program like the Peace Corps. We create sustainable development that respectfully integrates into a community. These are not American programs. They are the local community’s programs," continues Sylvester, who landed a job as the Peace Corps' field-based recruiter in Cincinnati after graduation."

Click on the title of this article to see the entire piece.

Support for Peace Corps Funding

CARV thanks these Ohio members of Congress who joined a record number of Senators and Representatives in signing Dear Colleague letters in support of strong funding for the Peace Corps:

Dennis J. Kucinich - D, 10th district
Tim Ryan - D, 17th district
Betty Sutton - D, 13th district

The National Peace Corps Association and individual RPCVs continue to be very active in advocating on behalf of the Peace Corps.

Click on the title of the article for details.

NPCA Annual Gathering in Minneapolis

Returned Peace Corps Volunteers will meet from June 29 - July 1 in Minneapolis for the first annual NPCA Peace Corps Connect Gathering. RPCVs from around the country will be there to continue "bringing the world back home" by participating in career sessions; updates on such topics as advocacy, agriculture and world music; country and other Group meetings; networking and generally having a great time.

Click on the title of the article for more information, including reservations and lodging. Click on the More button to see a copy of the current agenda, and be sure to check back for additional developments.

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CARV Officers Elected - and There Are Still Spots Available

CARV held its election for Group officers at the March Social and Potluck meeting. Congratulations and thanks to those who were elected. Note that there are two important positions still available, and all CARV members are eligible to step up. You can make a difference in the local and international community by serving as CARV's Advocacy or Service officer. Interested? Contact carv.rpcvs@gmail.com

Group Leader..............Gayle Linkletter
Treasurer.................Barry Adamson
Communications............Susan Robinson
Global Education..........Nick Hoesl
Advocacy..................Open
Service...................Open
Social Activities.........George Fee
At Large..................Pam Dixon
At Large..................Jim Robinson

Bob and Megan Report on Their Service in Niger

Bob and Megan McClellan (Niger 2008 - 22010)gave a fascinating presentation on their Peace Corps service in Niger at the CARV January Potluck and Social Event. They were located in an extremely remote village in one of the most challenging countries in the world (next-to-last on the global development index; temperatures reaching 140 degrees). On the other hand, the people in their village actively sought out and applied to have the Peace Corps volunteers. Using PACA analysis, Bob and Megan worked with the villagers to identify the most-needed projects, and in two years they were able to make a sustainable difference. For example, villagers learned how to test and analyze the most effective bean varieties, fertilizers and pesticides.

See the second Gallery on the right for a copy of their presentation as well as some photos of their costumes, artifacts and a lesson from Flora on how to carry a bowl on your head.

Cincinnati Native Currently Serving in Ecuador

Christopher Morriss is a Cincinnati native now serving as a Peace Corps Volunteer in Ecuador. He is the the stepson of CARV member Ken Bordwell (Brazil 66-68). Click on the "more" button at the end of the article for a link to his earlier emails. Click on the title of the article for a link to his album (you may need to register to view it).

Good Morning Friends and Family:

I won´t be able to write highly detailed today, I am a bit pressed for time but I´ll do my best.

This week we had to deal with a possible outbreak of Dengue in the community. A few cases here and there, but there are huge problems with the water system and garbage removal has become impossible, so all Ventura is now a giant breeding pit for mosquitos. my host father, ever the optimist, said nobody was going to care, and that people will just get used to having dengue. Hopefully it is just him being negative.
On a truly negative note, my host grandmother Lucia Barros has pnemonia. She is only in her 50s, and so should live longer, but is in bad shape, getting some sort of steam treatment, and the subcentro doctor put her on Claritromycin, though other doctors changed it saying it was overly strong. She isn´t in good shape, we´ll see how she does, but she needs NOT to go out to the farm adn get rained on, which his what apparently brought on the current problem.

May, apparently, is the month of Maria. As if holy week wasn´t enough the entire month of May a Virgin Mary goes from house to hous with crowds praying the rosary every night. A few nights ago the Ibarra family (my host family) had to have the virgin, and made humas, a kind of corn-bread that is wrapped in the green husks and steamed. Not bad, though milling them is a lot of work. You actually mill the corn still moist, so it comes out as a paste, not a flour.

Other interesting note, I have mentioned the case of Cristián, a child severely disabled due to hydroencepalopathy. He turned 15 yesterday, and there was a nice party for him. I think one of my photos is of him. As usual, the familiy is taking good care of him, in spite of quite problematic finances. The money for decorations and such I think came from disability, which apparently can legally be used for things involving social activities for the person so they aren´t isolated.

I might see about my med school application some more. As you all know, I am working on that, with my newest version of the essay why I want to be a doctor. Take a gander and let me know what you think.

And I am aware that some people have the emails bounce when I send them. I truly do not know what I can do about that, it is a matter beyond my understanding.

Also featured in my photos are things from the train line being built, and school supplies being handed out to local mothers and fathers.

Until later,

Christopher M.
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