Heather Senecal is trying to help 1,200 students in the tiny country of Togo obtain needed classroom books.



Heather Senecal is trying to help 1,200 students in the tiny country of Togo obtain needed classroom books.

Concert to aid children of Togo
MICHAEL HOLTZMAN, Staff Writer
12/30/2004

NORTH SMITHFIELD -- As its main fund-raiser approaches, the high school Student Council has raised about $2,000 of its $3,000 charitable goal. The money will go to help buy books for an isolated west African country where a school alumna is volunteering with the Peace Corps.

Plenty of seats remain for the Jan. 6 benefit concert at the high school featuring Brass Attack and Stefan Couture and the Campfire Orchestra, said Natalie O’Brien, Student Council advisor at North Smithfield Junior-Senior High School. The $10 concert will be from 6:30 to 9:30 p.m. in the high school auditorium, which holds almost 500 seats.

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A student lock-in and a holiday shopping trip to Boston raised $800 and advance ticket sales have boosted the total to $2,000 thus far, O’Brien said.

Heather Senecal, the 1999 class salutatorian at the high school, is trying to help 1,200 students in the tiny country of Togo obtain needed classroom books. The former French colony is located between Ghana and Nigeria, and few children are even able to attend school.

Senecal, 23, concentrated on French, political science and women’s studies at Providence College, graduating in 2003. She also performed extended volunteer stints.

Her 27-month Peace Corps commitment continues through next December. She returned home last week for a visit and plans to speak to O’Brien’s economics class, possibly next week.

The classes are learning about poverty in this country and the world, and will benefit from hearing about Senecal’s experiences, O’Brien said.

The daughter of Alan and Helen Senecal of 800 Black Plain Road plans to remain in town until Jan. 13, when she returns to Togo to teach villagers about health and AIDS prevention.

Her Togo fund-raising project and related information were recently placed on the Web and can be found by going to www.peacecorps.gov/contribute, selecting volunteer projects and choosing Togo and Heather.

Senecal’s goal is to raise $5,700 for the needed textbooks.

In North Smithfield, the Student Council sponsored a similar project last year, raising several thousand dollars to help build a school classroom in Kenya.


©The Call 2004

When this story was posted in December 2004, this was on the front page of PCOL:

The World's Broken Promise to our Children Former Director Carol Bellamy, now head of Unicef, says that the appalling conditions endured today by half the world's children speak to a broken promise. Too many governments are doing worse than neglecting children -- they are making deliberate, informed choices that hurt children. Read her op-ed and Unicef's report on the State of the World's Children 2005.

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December 25, 2004: This Week's Top Stories Soldiers of Peace 23 Dec Nepal RPCV discovers new species of catfish 23 Dec Tom Murphy will not seek 4th term as Pittsburgh mayor 22 Dec Richard Celeste is spicing things up 22 Dec Gov. Jim Doyle streamlines state government 22 Dec Namibia Volunteers sworn in 21 Dec RPCV serves as Ukraine election observer 21 Dec Christmas Gifts for Peace Corps Volunteers 21 Dec Estonia RPCV John Isles wins NEA poetry award 21 Dec Director Vasquez decries racism and discrimination 20 Dec RPCV criticizes "harrassment by Russian government" 20 Dec War's horrors turn RPCV's son into pacifist 19 Dec more top stories...

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Changing of the Guard With Lloyd Pierson's departure, Marie Wheat has been named acting Chief of Staff and Chief of Operations responsible for the day-to-day management of the Peace Corps. Although Wheat is not an RPCV and has limited overseas experience, in her two years at the agency she has come to be respected as someone with good political skills who listens and delegates authority and we wish her the best in her new position.

Our debt to Bill Moyers Former Peace Corps Deputy Director Bill Moyers leaves PBS next week to begin writing his memoir of Lyndon Baines Johnson. Read what Moyers says about journalism under fire, the value of a free press, and the yearning for democracy. "We have got to nurture the spirit of independent journalism in this country," he warns, "or we'll not save capitalism from its own excesses, and we'll not save democracy from its own inertia."

RPCV safe after Terrorist Attack RPCV Gina Abercrombie-Winstanley, the U.S. consul general in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia survived Monday's attack on the consulate without injury. Five consular employees and four others were killed. Abercrombie-Winstanley, the first woman to hold the position, has been an outspoken advocate of rights for Arab women and has met with Saudi reformers despite efforts by Saudi leaders to block the discussions.

Is Gaddi Leaving? Rumors are swirling that Peace Corps Director Vasquez may be leaving the administration. We think Director Vasquez has been doing a good job and if he decides to stay to the end of the administration, he could possibly have the same sort of impact as a Loret Ruppe Miller. If Vasquez has decided to leave, then Bob Taft, Peter McPherson, Chris Shays, or Jody Olsen would be good candidates to run the agency. Latest: For the record, Peace Corps has no comment on the rumors.

The Birth of the Peace Corps UMBC's Shriver Center and the Maryland Returned Volunteers hosted Scott Stossel, biographer of Sargent Shriver, who spoke on the Birth of the Peace Corps. This is the second annual Peace Corps History series - last year's speaker was Peace Corps Director Jack Vaughn.

Vote "Yes" on NPCA's bylaw changes Take our new poll. NPCA members begin voting this week on bylaw changes to streamline NPCA's Board of Directors. NPCA Chair Ken Hill, the President's Forum and other RPCVs endorse the changes. Mail in your ballot or vote online (after Dec 1), then see on how RPCVs are voting.

Charges possible in 1976 PCV slaying Congressman Norm Dicks has asked the U.S. attorney in Seattle to consider pursuing charges against Dennis Priven, the man accused of killing Peace Corps Volunteer Deborah Gardner on the South Pacific island of Tonga 28 years ago. Background on this story here and here.

Your vote makes a difference Make a difference on November 2 - Vote. Then take our RPCV exit poll. See how RPCV's are voting and take a look at the RPCV voter demographic. Finally leave a message on why you voted for John Kerry or for George Bush. Previous poll results here.

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