June 21, 2004: Headlines: COS - Kenya: Albany Times Union: Mwapaga met his wife, Janice, in his native Kenya in 1974 when she was a Peace Corps volunteer teaching math in the local school

Peace Corps Online: Directory: Kenya: Peace Corps Kenya : The Peace Corps in Kenya: June 21, 2004: Headlines: COS - Kenya: Albany Times Union: Mwapaga met his wife, Janice, in his native Kenya in 1974 when she was a Peace Corps volunteer teaching math in the local school

By Admin1 (admin) (pool-151-196-53-195.balt.east.verizon.net - 151.196.53.195) on Monday, June 28, 2004 - 10:30 am: Edit Post

Mwapaga met his wife, Janice, in his native Kenya in 1974 when she was a Peace Corps volunteer teaching math in the local school

Mwapaga met his wife, Janice, in his native Kenya in 1974 when she was a Peace Corps volunteer teaching math in the local school

Mwapaga met his wife, Janice, in his native Kenya in 1974 when she was a Peace Corps volunteer teaching math in the local school

Humility is dad's paternal instinct

Albany-- Mwaiseghe Mwapaga, named Father of the Year, says he got lots of help rearing kids

By BRUCE A. SCRUTON, Staff writer
First published: Monday, June 21, 2004

From Kenya to Saudi Arabia to Albany. Add a wife who was in the Peace Corps, two sons and, most recently, a crustacean crown.

In a lobster shell, that is the history of Mwaiseghe (Victor) Mwapaga, this year's "Father of the Year," as drawn by lot, not butter, at the Rotary's Lobster Fest last weekend in Albany.

In a tradition that's been around as long as the 4-year-old fest itself, Mwapaga's name was thrown into a hat along with those of the four other finalists. Mayor Jerry Jennings drew out the name of the winner who represents all fathers.

"All the finalists were deserving," observed Terry Tyson of the Albany Rotary. "The first year, the committee decided it couldn't decide and drew the winner by lot. It's been that way ever since."

The other finalists were Ted Kolankowski and Ron Dunn of Albany; Mike D'Allesandro of Colonie; and Robert Levitt of Chateaugay, Franklin County.

Mwapaga met his wife, Janice, in his native Kenya in 1974 when she was a Peace Corps volunteer teaching math in the local school. While Mwapaga got a job in Saudi Arabia, they continued their relationship, and after her two-year stint was up, continued teaching at the local school. He even made a trip to Canada, said Janice, and, on his own, came across the border by bus to meet his future mother-in-law. In 1976, Janice and Victor -- as everybody knows him -- married.

Janice said they "took to each other right away" when they met and she found the qualities of him as a partner were very promising as a father.

In 1981, the couple moved to Albany and began their family. One son, Mwaiseghe, 21, is a business major at UAlbany, while Mwaliko, 19, is studying information technology at Hampton University in Virginia.

Victor is a chemical operator at the General Electric plant in Waterford. Janice works for the state Education Department.

When the boys were born, Victor "completely rearranged his working schedule to care for them. Even when he was dragging, he never complained," Janice wrote in the nominating letter.

Victor downplays his role, instead calling on the African saying "It takes a village to raise a child."

"When I was little and tried to cross the road, my uncle would ask, 'Where are you going?' Everybody helped raise the kids."

He said his wife, in-laws and neighbors deserve collective credit for raising the boys.

So if all the credit were deflected to others, why was he nominated? "I guess it's because I'm a great guy," he said, laughing.




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Story Source: Albany Times Union

This story has been posted in the following forums: : Headlines; COS - Kenya

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