Sean Maloney stayed in a village called Guene in the northern part of Benin for two years working as an environmental action volunteer



Sean Maloney stayed in a village called Guene in the northern part of Benin for two years working as an environmental action volunteer

Students hear Peace Corps volunteer's story

By ASHLEY LOPES, Standard-Times correspondent

Caption: Sean Maloney speaks to Hastings Middle School students at the Rogers School in Fairhaven yesterday. He first met them two years ago before he entered the Peace Corps. Photo: ANDREW T. GALLAGHER/Standard-Times special

FAIRHAVEN -- Sean Maloney has traveled around the world and is back again to share his adventures with the students of the Rogers School.

Matthew Wordell, a sixth-grader at the Rogers School, gathered with his classmates in the gymnasium yesterday to welcome home their pen pal from the Peace Corps.

During his visit, children were shown slides and got a firsthand look at what the job of a volunteer is really like and the rewards that come with it.

"The most interesting part of his job was that he got to help so many people. I think that's really cool," Matthew said.

Mr. Maloney got the call to join the Peace Corps in December 2000. "I decided to volunteer because I wanted to discover a new and different country and live the way that they live."

He stayed in a village called Guene in the northern part of Benin for two years and three months, working as an environmental action volunteer. His many jobs included tree planting, natural resource management and trash cleanup.

The thing Mr. Maloney enjoyed most about his experience in Benin is that although he was a stranger in a strange land, he was not treated as such.

"The people there were super welcoming," he said. "We got on great, and I became part of their community. It was so hard for me to leave."

In a place with no running water or electricity, and where he lived in a mud brick house, he found a place to call home.

Although he has left Africa, there are some customs he has brought home with him.

"I still have a hard time eating with a fork. I always take my shoes off when I enter a house. I greet people constantly and always ask about their family. Family is a big deal there and it commonly becomes the topic of discussion."

Mr. Maloney affirms that the Peace Corps was a positive experience for him.

"Through the Peace Corps, I learned to look at things through the eyes of these villagers. I learned patience, gained a new respect for their culture, and learned a lot more about myself along the way."

This was a learning experience for the villagers as well as for him.

"What I hoped to take home to the students is a perspective on life in the village compared to their own, to see how other cultures live and to promote the Peace Corps and the wonderful work they do," he said.

Mr. Maloney's work served as an inspiration for many children.

"I believe his work makes a difference because he is making Benin a better place to live for so many people," Matthew said. "I would definitely want to volunteer some day."

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

Coleman: Peace Corps mission and expansion Senator Norm Coleman, Chairman of the Senate Subcommittee that oversees the Peace Corps, says in an op-ed, A chance to show the world America at its best: "Even as that worthy agency mobilizes a "Crisis Corps" of former Peace Corps volunteers to assist with tsunami relief, I believe an opportunity exists to rededicate ourselves to the mission of the Peace Corps and its expansion to touch more and more lives."

RPCVs active in new session of Congress In the new session of Congress that begins this week, RPCV Congressman Tom Petri has a proposal to bolster Social Security, Sam Farr supported the objection to the Electoral College count, James Walsh has asked for a waiver to continue heading a powerful Appropriations subcommittee, Chris Shays will no longer be vice chairman of the Budget Committee, and Mike Honda spoke on the floor honoring late Congressman Robert Matsui.

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January 8, 2005: This Week's Top Stories Zambia RPCV Karla Berg interviews 1,374 people on Peace 7 Jan Breaking Taboo, Mandela Says Son Died of AIDS 6 Jan Dreadlocked PCV raises eyebrows in Africa 6 Jan RPCV Jose Ravano directs CARE's efforts in Sri Lanka 6 Jan Persuading Retiring Baby Boomers to Volunteer 6 Jan Inventor of "Drown Proofing" retires 6 Jan NPCA Membership approves Board Changes 5 Jan Timothy Shriver announces "Rebuild Hope Fund" 5 Jan More Water Bottles, Fewer Bullets 4 Jan Poland RPCV Rebecca Parker runs Solterra Books 2 Jan Peace Corps Fund plans event for September 30 Dec RPCV Carmen Bailey recounts bout with cerebral malaria 28 Dec more top stories...

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Latest: RPCVs and Peace Corps provide aid Peace Corps made an appeal last week to all Thailand RPCV's to consider serving again through the Crisis Corps and more than 30 RPCVs have responded so far. RPCVs: Read what an RPCV-led NGO is doing about the crisis an how one RPCV is headed for Sri Lanka to help a nation he grew to love. Question: Is Crisis Corps going to send RPCVs to India, Indonesia and nine other countries that need help?

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.

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.

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