1972: Thomas Crowe served as a Peace Corps Volunteer in Jamaica in Black River beginning in 1972



Returned Peace Corps Volunteer Thomas Crowe can be contacted at tpcroweacomcastdnet

Country of Service: Jamaica

Training Group: 13

Cities you served in: Black River

Arrival Year: 1972

Departure Year: 1974

Work Description:

Primary School teacher trainer in about a dozen local schools

Other Countries you served in, Training Group Name Arrival Year, Departure Year, Work Description:

Swaziland, 1974 - 1975, secondary school math teacher, corresponddence course author.
Liberia, 1977 - 1978 - secondary school teacher

Bring us up to date on your life after the peace corps:

Computer programmer, manager in the insurance field for 25 years, now retired. Married with 2 adopted children, both high school age. Active in Boy Scouts of America with my sons.

Any thoughts you have now looking back on peace corps days?:

Jamaica - best two years of my life. Warm, open people, great country and culture. Matured tremendously in those two years and developed a love for giving back to the community. Have never gone back there - fearfull I guess that it could not live up to my memories. Peace Corps Jamaica was a top flight organization.

Swaziland - wonderfull, yet somewhat reserved people. Never fully integrated into their society. Language was a problem - I guess I'm a slow learner. Enjoyed teaching under very good, almost American conditions.

Liberia - did not work out. Put in a difficult site because of my experience. That was OK. Primitive conditions in school and town. That was also OK. Was able to make do with what I had. Locals somewhat hostile and/or unfriendly, though other tribes not far away very accepting and friendly. Peace Corps staff not very supportive and very rigid. Early departure was at the insistence of the director, though I offered to stay. Bottom line though is that I should not have gone there at that time. I was travelled out and should have waited a few years before taking another assignment.

Anyone you are looking for or would like to hear from?:

Mary Jayne Diehl - Jamaica 14 (?)
Michael Pomerantz - Liberia (my group)
Almost anyone from Jamaica 13

Any message for returned volunteers?:

Could be the greatest experience of your life, if you enter it openly with a willingness to adapt and absorb a new culture. Listen to the medical people - they don't give shots and/or medications for no reason at all. I was never sick in 2 years in Jamaica and 4 years in Africa.

Originally posted: April 5, 2008

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