Leilani Johnson's letters from Kenya



Leilani Johnson's letters from Kenya

6/25/2004

Hi there =–

I'm here in Mombassa right now. The college that I'll be working at looks pretty great – my house is huge with three bedrooms, a sitting room, kitchen, flush toilet, shower room and small garden. the house overlooks the bay area of Mombassa, although there is no bay access from our area. The actual port Reiz is kinda seedy – a bit more dirty as its closer to the city of Mombassa, but the grounds where I'll be staying look pretty nice. I think it's quite secure once I'm inside the compound area. no running water or electricity, so we'll see about that stuff... I was looking forward to showers, but I think I'll get used to the bucket baths – especially in the warmer weather.

Right now there's a nice PCV who's showing me around. He's about to end his service here in the next few months – but he'll be here for a month or so before I head out myself.

Looks like I'll be doing some computer work while I'm at the college there – they want me to install epi info and stuff like that – but they make their students and teachers pay to use the computer, which I think is a big deterrent – thus making the people not use the computer area that much.

My supervisor seems to be quite nice; I think he'll be a good person to work with. And the other professors and teachers there are really laid–back and fun to be around. I think I may even have more fun with them than my supervisor.

I'm actually living in the area that the professors and doctors stay, and there's another area for the workers of the hospital and "junior class" – not professionals.

Well, hope all is well – I'm having a really nice time. This past week has been really cushy as compared to the other volunteers (who were just told to get onto a bus and good luck) – they've really held my hand through finding my place and house and Muslim home stay while I'm here in Mombassa for the week/weekend. I'm even going to see two movies in two days with the people here. AND we stayed at this gorgeous resort on the beach for a public health sector meeting during my first two days here (I've heard that it was the nicest place that many of them had ever seen, much less stayed in).

Unfortunately the mosquitoes still love me lots here and my legs are FULL of bites. I mean... really bad. I'm taking antihistamines for it as my legs are continuously pussing. And I thought the mosquitoes in Hawaii liked me... It looks like I have the chicken pox all over again (on my legs).

Well, hope that all is well with you – let me know how things are – I'll be back at the Malaika center soon – in Naivasha – where the training is, and then come July 24th I'll be headed out here to Mombassa. They call us "Coasties" and have dubbed the term "Beach Corps". I think I'll be ok with that stereotype...

OK... Hope all is well – miss you lots and hope that you can come and visit sometime soon!

Lots of love and aloha,

Leilani

When this story was posted in February 2005, this was on the front page of PCOL:

The Peace Corps Library Peace Corps Online is proud to announce that the Peace Corps Library is now available online. With over 30,000 index entries in over 500 categories, this is the largest collection of Peace Corps related reference material in the world. From Acting to Zucchini, you can use the Main Index to find hundreds of stories about RPCVs who have your same interests, who served in your Country of Service, or who serve in your state.

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Make a call for the Peace Corps PCOL is a strong supporter of the NPCA's National Day of Action and encourages every RPCV to spend ten minutes on Tuesday, March 1 making a call to your Representatives and ask them to support President Bush's budget proposal of $345 Million to expand the Peace Corps. Take our Poll: Click here to take our poll. We'll send out a reminder and have more details early next week.

Peace Corps Calendar:Tempest in a Teapot? Bulgarian writer Ognyan Georgiev has written a story which has made the front page of the newspaper "Telegraf" criticizing the photo selection for his country in the 2005 "Peace Corps Calendar" published by RPCVs of Madison, Wisconsin. RPCV Betsy Sergeant Snow, who submitted the photograph for the calendar, has published her reply. Read the stories and leave your comments.

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February 19, 2005: This Week's Top Stories NPCA Board positions are open for nomination 17 Feb Mike Tidwell on trial for climate action protest 17 Feb Katie Dyer is co-owner of Cadeaux du Monde 16 Feb Cyclone misses Tonga and Samoa PCVs 16 Feb Phil Hardberger in debate for Mayor of San Antonio 16 Feb Edmund Hull is Princeton Diplomat-In-Residence 16 Feb Bruce Greenlee is longtime friend of Latino community 15 Feb Mike Honda new vice chairman at DNC 15 Feb Jospeh Opala documents slave crossing from Sierra Leone 14 Feb Dear Dr. Brothers: Aren't PCVs Hippies? 14 Feb Joseph Lanning founded the World Education Fund 14 Feb Stanley Levine draws Marine and Peace Corps similarities 14 Feb Speaking Out: JFK envisioned millions of RPCVs 13 Feb Chris Aquino visits mother's homeland of Vietnam 12 Feb Is PCOL blocking users from posting messages? 12 Feb JFK Library opens Sargent Shriver Collection 1 Feb RPCV responds to Bulgaria Calendar concerns 28 Jan

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WWII participants became RPCVs Read about two RPCVs who participated in World War II in very different ways long before there was a Peace Corps. Retired Rear Adm. Francis J. Thomas (RPCV Fiji), a decorated hero of the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, died Friday, Jan. 21, 2005 at 100. Mary Smeltzer (RPCV Botswana), 89, followed her Japanese students into WWII internment camps. We honor both RPCVs for their service.

Bush's FY06 Budget for the Peace Corps The White House is proposing $345 Million for the Peace Corps for FY06 - a $27.7 Million (8.7%) increase that would allow at least two new posts and maintain the existing number of volunteers at approximately 7,700. Bush's 2002 proposal to double the Peace Corps to 14,000 volunteers appears to have been forgotten. The proposed budget still needs to be approved by Congress.

RPCVs mobilize support for Countries of Service RPCV Groups mobilize to support their Countries of Service. Over 200 RPCVS have already applied to the Crisis Corps to provide Tsunami Recovery aid, RPCVs have written a letter urging President Bush and Congress to aid Democracy in Ukraine, and RPCVs are writing NBC about a recent episode of the "West Wing" and asking them to get their facts right about Turkey.

RPCVs contend for Academy Awards Bolivia RPCV Taylor Hackford's film "Ray" is up for awards in six categories including best picture, best actor and best director. "Autism Is a World" co-produced by Sierra Leone RPCV Douglas Biklen and nominated for best Documentary Short Subject, seeks to increase awareness of developmental disabilities. Colombian film "El Rey," previously in the running for the foreign-language award, includes the urban legend that PCVs teamed up with El Rey to bring cocaine to U.S. soil.

Ask Not As our country prepares for the inauguration of a President, we remember one of the greatest speeches of the 20th century and how his words inspired us. "And so, my fellow Americans: ask not what your country can do for you--ask what you can do for your country. My fellow citizens of the world: ask not what America will do for you, but what together we can do for the freedom of man."

Read the stories and leave your comments.