Jennifer Carlino: Aiding Residents in Guinea-Bissau



Jennifer Carlino: Aiding Residents in Guinea-Bissau

Jennifer Carlino: Aiding Residents in West Africa
by Linda Balzotti

Caption: Jennifer Carlino, right, with residents of Medina in Guinea-Bissau.

Jennifer Carlino, a 1994 graduate of Bridgewater State College with a degree in geography, recently completed her term as a Peace Corps volunteer in Guinea-Bissau, a country in West Africa.

During her time in Africa, Jennifer was visited by Dr. Reed Stewart, chairman of the Earth Sciences and Geography Department. “I was greatly impressed with Jennifer’s work in the rice growing-village of Medina,” says Dr. Stewart. Jennifer and her fellow colleagues from the United States were aiding the local residents in areas of education, agriculture, public health, and teacher training.

Specifically, Jennifer established herself as a gardener in a rice-growing community, learned to speak fluent Fula and Kriolu, assisted the residents in purchasing thousands of dollars worth of medical supplies, and supported the work of the local midwife. Having spent eleven years teaching in East and West Africa, Dr. Stewart was quite impressed by what he witnessed on his visit. “Everybody knows, trusts, and likes the Peace Corps volunteers. They work very hard, under difficult circumstances, away from the comforts we take for granted.”

Various countries have aid organizations that provide assistance to areas such as Guinea-Bissau, but when you see someone you know performing a much needed service it is difficult not to be a little biased. “I am proud of the work that our Peace Corps volunteers are doing, particularly that of Jennifer Carlino,” concludes Dr. Stewart. Ms. Carlino returned home from her two year stay in Africa in September of 1997. “It was difficult to say good-bye to my host family. It was the opportunity of a lifetime and I would definitely do it all again,” notes Jennifer. She will soon embark on a new career, having recently been hired by the Billerica Conservation Commission.

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


Peace Corps Online The Independent News Forum serving Returned Peace Corps Volunteers

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 500 categories, this is the largest collection of Peace Corps related stories in the world. From Acting to Zucchini, you can find hundreds of stories about what RPCVs with your same interests or from your Country of Service are doing today. If you have a web site, support the "Peace Corps Library" and link to it today.

---

---

May 7, 2005: This Week's Top Stories "Peace Corps Online" on recess until May 21 7 May Carol Bellamy taking the reins at World Learning 7 May Gopal Khanna appointed White House CFO 7 May Clare Bastable named Conservationist of the Year 7 May Director Gaddi Vasquez visits PCVs in Bulgaria 5 May Abe Pena sets up scholarship fund 5 May Peace Corps closes recruiting sites 4 May Hill pessimistic over Korean nuclear program 4 May Leslie Hawke says PC should split into two organizations 4 May Peace Corps helps students find themselves 3 May Kevin Griffith's Tsunami Assistance Project collects 50k 3 May Tim Wright studied Quechua at UCLA 2 May Doyle not worried about competition 2 May Dodd discusses President's Social Security plan 1 May Randy Mager works in Blue Moon Safaris 1 May PCVs safe in Togo after disputed elections 30 Apr Michael Sells teaches Islamic History and Literature 28 Apr

---

May 7, 2005: Special Events "Iowa in Ghana" on exhibit in Waterloo through June 30 "American Taboo" author Phil Weiss in Maryland on June 18 Leland Foerster opens photo exhibition at Cal State RPCV Writers scholarship in Baltimore - deadline June 1 Gary Edwards' music performed in Idaho on May 24 RPCVs: Post your stories or press releases here for inclusion next week.

---

Friends of the Peace Corps 170,000 strong 170,000 is a very special number for the RPCV community - it's the number of Volunteers who have served in the Peace Corps since 1961. It's also a number that is very special to us because March is the first month since our founding in January, 2001 that our readership has exceeded 170,000. And while we know that not everyone who comes to this site is an RPCV, they are all "Friends of the Peace Corps." Thanks everybody for making PCOL your source of news for the Returned Volunteer community.

Read the stories and leave your comments.