As a Peace Corps volunteer in the early 1990s, Shirley Maly found herself in a small city in Uruguay, home to just 100 people and around 60 houses



The rural enclave was a far cry from the scene at the Carter Center in Atlanta where Maly was recently recognized for her service by nearly 400 people _ including former President Jimmy Carter, who greeted her with a bear hug. Maly, 74, was given the Lillian Carter Award, which was established in 1986 and goes to someone who volunteered with the Peace Corps after the age of 50. The award is named after Jimmy Carter's mother, who served in the Peace Corps as a senior in the 1960s. Maly was 60 years old when she taught small-business skills in La Tentacion, Uruguay, but she said her age was hardly a detriment. "I sort of sense that the beauty of older people is that they are more patient, they're not as afraid of trying things," she said. "The older you are, the easier it is to laugh at yourself. You have a little less ego at that point."

As a Peace Corps volunteer in the early 1990s, Shirley Maly found herself in a small city in Uruguay, home to just 100 people and around 60 houses

Former president honors Peace Corps volunteer

By DREW KERR
Saturday, June 9, 2007 7:47 PM CDT

LINCOLN, Neb. - As a Peace Corps volunteer in the early 1990s, Shirley Maly found herself in a small city in Uruguay, home to just 100 people and around 60 houses.

The rural enclave was a far cry from the scene at the Carter Center in Atlanta where Maly was recently recognized for her service by nearly 400 people _ including former President Jimmy Carter, who greeted her with a bear hug.

Maly, 74, was given the Lillian Carter Award, which was established in 1986 and goes to someone who volunteered with the Peace Corps after the age of 50. The award is named after Jimmy Carter's mother, who served in the Peace Corps as a senior in the 1960s.

Maly was 60 years old when she taught small-business skills in La Tentacion, Uruguay, but she said her age was hardly a detriment.

"I sort of sense that the beauty of older people is that they are more patient, they're not as afraid of trying things," she said. "The older you are, the easier it is to laugh at yourself. You have a little less ego at that point."

Maly's later-in-life experience is rare. Of the 7,749 volunteers serving today, just 5 percent are older than 50, according to the Peace Corps.

Ronald A. Tschetter, the director of the Peace Corps who presented Maly with the distinction, said in an interview that people like Maly are becoming more common. More applications have been received in the last three months than the previous six, he said. He credited the rise to an educated, healthy and financially solvent group of baby boomers who are beginning to reach retirement age.

The group, he said, brings an entirely different set of assets to the organization.

"It just brings a level of dignity that I think warms up the room," Tschetter said from Washington, D.C. "I hear that all across the globe."

Maly, who has written a book about her experiences and speaks at recruiting events, also said age begets boldness _ something with which fresh-out-of-college optimists can struggle.

"I'm not saying the younger kids are fearful, but they can feel kind of thrown," the former business executive said.

Maly received a hand-blown glass sculpture from Carter and Tschetter at the ceremony that depicts a person reaching for the stars. She also will now become a part of the Peace Corps' advertising campaign, as the group launches a seven-month initiative to attract seniors.

"There are a lot of people like Ms. Maly who decide there is more to life than running a PR firm as she was doing," Tschetter said. "I see situations like this literally around the globe. "There's a lot of them that want to do the mai tai-on-the-beach thing, but there are a whole host of others who want to find new ways to serve."

Information from: Lincoln Journal Star, http://www.journalstar.com

A service of the Associated Press(AP)

Links to Related Topics (Tags):

Headlines: June, 2007; Peace Corps Uruguay; Directory of Uruguay RPCVs; Messages and Announcements for Uruguay RPCVs; Older Volunteers; Awards

When this story was posted in October 2007, this was on the front page of PCOL:




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

---

October 14, 2007: This Month's Top Stories UN Secretary-General Visits Peace Corps 12 Oct David Robeck adopted four orphans in Russia 14 Oct Juan Donald Dontugan remorseful for killing Julia Campbell 12 Oct PCV John Roberts dies in accident in Vanuatu 12 Oct Richardson proposes PCVs earn back their college tuition 10 Oct Bruce Cumings writes: North Korea: neutral instead of nuclear 9 Oct Volunteerism is dropping significantly 9 Oct Josh Swiller recalls being deaf in the Peace Corps 8 Oct Bob Bates gained near-legendary status as mountaineer 7 Oct New search for Peace Corps Volunteer Walter Poirier III 6 Oct James Rupert writes: Attacks by Taliban mounting 6 Oct Peace Corps Returns to Ethiopia 4 Oct Chris Matthews and “the book interview from hell” 3 Oct Knox College starts Peace Corps preparatory program 22 Sep Julia Chang Bloch exhibits African American Art Treasures 19 Sep Garamendi says students should push for change 17 Sep NPCA raises $1 million in Microlending program 13 Sep Dodd says Iraq Has Left Us More Vulnerable 12 Sep David Whitman's photo exhibition opens Sep 9 in Key Biscayne 8 Sep Dodd-Feinstein increases Peace Corps funding by $10 million 7 Sep Kevin Denny writes: Malawi Village uplifts AIDS orphans 3 Sep

---

---

Senator Dodd's Peace Corps Hearings Read PCOL's executive summary of Senator Chris Dodd's hearings on July 25 on the Peace Corps Volunteer Empowerment Act and why Peace Corps Director Ron Tschetter does not believe the bill would contribute to an improved Peace Corps while four other RPCV witnesses do. Highlights of the hearings included Dodd's questioning of Tschetter on political meetings at Peace Corps Headquarters and the Inspector General's testimony on the re-opening of the Walter Poirier III investigation.

---

What is the greatest threat facing us now? "People will say it's terrorism. But are there any terrorists in the world who can change the American way of life or our political system? No. Can they knock down a building? Yes. Can they kill somebody? Yes. But can they change us? No. Only we can change ourselves. So what is the great threat we are facing? I would approach this differently, in almost Marshall-like terms. What are the great opportunities out there - ones that we can take advantage of?" Read more.

---

Paul Theroux: Peace Corps Writer Paul Theroux began by writing about the life he knew in Africa as a Peace Corps Volunteer. His first first three novels are set in Africa and two of his later novels recast his Peace Corps tour as fiction. Read about how Theroux involved himself with rebel politicians, was expelled from Malawi, and how the Peace Corps tried to ruin him financially in John Coyne's analysis and appreciation of one of the greatest American writers of his generation (who also happens to be an RPCV).

---

Ambassador revokes clearance for PC Director A post made on PCOL from volunteers in Tanzania alleges that Ambassador Retzer has acted improperly in revoking the country clearance of Country Director Christine Djondo. A statement from Peace Corps' Press Office says that the Peace Corps strongly disagrees with the ambassador’s decision. On June 8 the White House announced that Retzer is being replaced as Ambassador. Latest: Senator Dodd has placed a hold on Mark Green's nomination to be Ambassador to Tanzania.

---

Suspect confesses in murder of PCV Search parties in the Philippines discovered the body of Peace Corps Volunteer Julia Campbell near Barangay Batad, Banaue town on April 17. Director Tschetter expressed his sorrow at learning the news. “Julia was a proud member of the Peace Corps family, and she contributed greatly to the lives of Filipino citizens in Donsol, Sorsogon, where she served,” he said. Latest: Suspect Juan Duntugan admits to killing Campbell. Leave your thoughts and condolences .

---

He served with honor One year ago, Staff Sgt. Robert J. Paul (RPCV Kenya) carried on an ongoing dialog on this website on the military and the peace corps and his role as a member of a Civil Affairs Team in Iraq and Afghanistan. We have just received a report that Sargeant Paul has been killed by a car bomb in Kabul. Words cannot express our feeling of loss for this tremendous injury to the entire RPCV community. Most of us didn't know him personally but we knew him from his words. Our thoughts go out to his family and friends. He was one of ours and he served with honor.

Read the stories and leave your comments.