2007.12.02: December 2, 2007: Headlines: COS - Ethiopia: COS - Nigeria: University Administration: Galveston Daily News: Ethiopia and Nigeria RPCV Homer “Butch” Hayes support faculty-exchange as President of Texas City’s College of the Mainland
Peace Corps Online:
Directory:
Ethiopia:
Peace Corps Ethiopia :
Peace Corps Ethiopia: Newest Stories:
2007.12.02: December 2, 2007: Headlines: COS - Ethiopia: COS - Nigeria: University Administration: Galveston Daily News: Ethiopia and Nigeria RPCV Homer “Butch” Hayes support faculty-exchange as President of Texas City’s College of the Mainland
Ethiopia and Nigeria RPCV Homer “Butch” Hayes support faculty-exchange as President of Texas City’s College of the Mainland
Dikeocha, who will celebrate 10 years in the United States in February, bought a laptop for the school and gave students T-shirts imprinted with “College of the Mainland.” He is also trying to set up a student or faculty-exchange program, which has the support of COM’s president, Homer “Butch” Hayes. “I think it’s an excellent opportunity to get to know a little more about the world outside Galveston County,” Hayes said. “It’s important to prepare students for the future to know more about other communities and cultures.” Hayes visited Ethiopia and Nigeria from 1966 to 1969 as a volunteer with the Peace Corps. “I know of what he’s trying to do,” Hayes said. “We’ve had 35 students this past year from Equatorial Guinea doing petrochemical training.”
Ethiopia and Nigeria RPCV Homer “Butch” Hayes support faculty-exchange as President of Texas City’s College of the Mainland
COM professor sponsors students in Nigeria
By Chris Paschenko
The Daily News
Published December 2, 2007
TEXAS CITY — Students at an impoverished African academy hoping for a higher education know, if they have an opportunity to come to America, they’d want to study at Texas City’s College of the Mainland.
A Nigerian native teaching biological sciences here traveled to his homeland this past summer, and for the paltry price of $300 he provided partial and full-time scholarships for nine students at Uche Stenographic Academy in Orlu.
“I was originally born in Nigeria and raised up in Italy,” Ndu Dikeocha said. “This college, which you see is ‘USA,’ contacted me over the Internet.
“There are many colleges like this in need. You can’t satisfy all of them. Many people argue where they should start, but we have to start somewhere.”
The school, which has students as young as 14, prepares its pupils for university academia, Dikeocha said.
The owner of the academy subsidizes many of the 1,000 students who attend, but the circa-1973 building is in need of repair.
The academy also faces other challenges.
“I sent them science books to help them,” Dikeocha said.
“I’m trying to change their situation for the better by raising money for infrastructure or educational supplies.
“Poverty is a major issue. Most parents can’t afford to send their children to college, so they need subsidies from scholarships.”
Dikeocha, who will celebrate 10 years in the United States in February, bought a laptop for the school and gave students T-shirts imprinted with “College of the Mainland.”
He is also trying to set up a student or faculty-exchange program, which has the support of COM’s president, Homer “Butch” Hayes.
“I think it’s an excellent opportunity to get to know a little more about the world outside Galveston County,” Hayes said.
“It’s important to prepare students for the future to know more about other communities and cultures.”
Hayes visited Ethiopia and Nigeria from 1966 to 1969 as a volunteer with the Peace Corps.
“I know of what he’s trying to do,” Hayes said. “We’ve had 35 students this past year from Equatorial Guinea doing petrochemical training.”
Dikeocha, who holds a doctorate in biology of reproduction, has also earned many professional accolades during his seven years at COM.
One day, he said, he will return to his homeland.
“If you know what you’re doing and work efficiently, there are many opportunities here for you,” Dikeocha said.
“But if you’re lazy, you better leave.”
Malik McCoy, a senior at Hitchcock High School, said he enjoys Dikeocha’s instruction.
“It’s cool, like his voice and accent,” McCoy said.
Links to Related Topics (Tags):
Headlines: December, 2007; Peace Corps Ethiopia; Directory of Ethiopia RPCVs; Messages and Announcements for Ethiopia RPCVs; Peace Corps Nigeria; Directory of Nigeria RPCVs; Messages and Announcements for Nigeria RPCVs; University Administration; Texas
When this story was posted in December 2007, this was on the front page of PCOL:
Peace Corps Online The Independent News Forum serving Returned Peace Corps Volunteers
| Dodd vows to filibuster Surveillance Act Senator Chris Dodd vowed to filibuster the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act that would grant retroactive immunity to telecommunications companies that helped this administration violate the civil liberties of Americans. "It is time to say: No more. No more trampling on our Constitution. No more excusing those who violate the rule of law. These are fundamental, basic, eternal principles. They have been around, some of them, for as long as the Magna Carta. They are enduring. What they are not is temporary. And what we do not do in a time where our country is at risk is abandon them." |
| 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. |
| 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. |
| 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.
Some postings on Peace Corps Online are provided to the individual members of this group without permission of the copyright owner for the non-profit purposes of criticism, comment, education, scholarship, and research under the "Fair Use" provisions of U.S. Government copyright laws and they may not be distributed further without permission of the copyright owner. Peace Corps Online does not vouch for the accuracy of the content of the postings, which is the sole responsibility of the copyright holder.
Story Source: Galveston Daily News
This story has been posted in the following forums: : Headlines; COS - Ethiopia; COS - Nigeria; University Administration
PCOL39941
82