I served as a Peace Corps Volunteer in Samoa from 2002 to 2004. Yesterday morning (their time) an 8.0 (or 8.4) earthquake shook the ocean floor to the south of the archipelago, between Samoa and Tonga. Reports vary, but it seems that at least 100 people have died, and many more are still missing. Furthermore, entire villages have been wiped out so that survivors do not have homes to return to. The tsunami hit the hardest on the southern coast of Upolu which houses many of the country's resorts, meaning paying jobs and tourists will be few and far between on that part of the island.

People that I know and care about appear to be safe. The island of Savai'i, and the far eastern, inland village of Falealupo, where I spent my two year service, weren't highly damaged. Not everyone was so lucky. If you're interested in helping out the people of Samoa, please consider donating to the New Zealand Red Cross or Oxfam New Zealand.

According to the Peace Corps website and some PCV blogs (here and here, for example), all the volunteers and staff are accounted for. Staff and volunteers are helping out the Samoan Red Cross, and working in their site communities as well as those of staff members' relatives.

I just got an email about making an RPCV wiki.  What do you think?

American Idealist: The Story of Sargeant Shriver is on my local PBS station tonight! YAY

NorCalPCA welcomes Peace Corps alumni and friends to our annual general meeting, Saturday, February 23 at Sandpiper Community Center, 797 Redwood Shores Parkway, Redwood City from 5:30 pm until 8:00 pm. Bring food to share for the potluck dinner, and socialize with fellow RPCVs and former Peace Corps staff. The World Harmony Chorus will sing at the event. Admission is free, and you do not need to be a member to attend (but only members may vote).

NorCal's Business meeting and elections will follow dinner.

NorCalPCA is a nonprofit, volunteer organization affiliated with the National Peace Corps Association. It encompasses much of Northern California including  the Greater Bay Area, Redding, Ukiah, Mendocino, Santa Cruz and Monterey. NorCal supports a network of Returned Peace Corps Volunteers (RPCVs), former staff, their families and friends continuing the Peace Corps experience and ideals through local, national, and international activities. Regular membership is $19/year, free if you are in your first year home from Peace Corps.

For more information, please see our web site norcal.org. 

I'll be heading out to Malawi in mid-January to serve for a year with Crisis Corps (now called Peace Corps Response). I know it's more conservative than where I was before in West Africa, but can anyone give me any other information that I should know before I leave?

i find it to be entertaining, and a fun diversion from work, to surf around the cafepress website.  
but how antithetical is it that a search for "peace corps" churns out a majority of "marine corps" items?

I work at a school, and this year they hired eight new people.  Two of them are RPCVs.  With me, and the other one we already had, I think we might be able to take over the school in the next revolution.  Two of them served in Bolivia, though, so me and Tanzania guy might have to keep an eye out for them ganging up on us in the transition period.

Yes, I'm being silly. I just find it fun that  our director keeps hiring us!

Hey can someone with a paid lj account make this into an lj feed? Thanks in advance!

http://feeds.feedburner.com/PeaceCorpsPolyglot

I'm very excited...this labor day I'll be hosting an RPCV reunion for our group (Agroforestry 99, El Salvador). Most people I haven't seen in 5 to 6 years.

Name: Joanie
Years of Service: 2002-04
Region of Service: Africa
Country of Service: Tanzania (Mwanza)
Sector/Projects: Secondary Science Education ( biology & chemistry)

Education: Butler University 1998-2002 BS Chemistry, Johns Hopkins University School of Nursing 2005-2007 BSN, JHU SON & School of Public Health 2007-2008...

Where do you live now? Baltimore, MD
What do you do for a living? nursing student

Anything else you want to share? Currently in South Africa in last clinical rotation, then off to TZ for 3 weeks then back to the states...