Don Hesse was 24 the first time he joined the Peace Corps in 1968, volunteering in the village of Njala Kumboya, Sierra Leone



Two years ago, Hesse felt compelled to rejoin the Peace Corps, in part because he was too young to appreciate the experience the first time. He arrived in Jordan in July 2006 and now teaches English at an all-boys school. Hesse is the only Westerner and the only non-Muslim in a “very traditional” desert town with about 1,000 residents.

Don Hesse was 24 the first time he joined the Peace Corps in 1968, volunteering in the village of Njala Kumboya, Sierra Leone

Peace Corps

by Nancy Henderson

[Excerpt]

Giving back
Don Hesse was 24 the first time he joined the Peace Corps in 1968, volunteering in the village of Njala Kumboya, Sierra Leone, where he taught English to kids in fourth through eighth grades. “The children were fabulous—very bright and well-behaved,” recalls Hesse, 63, of San Francisco. “I was closer in age to the kids than to most of the adults.” After he returned to the United States, he landed a job at a civil rights organization, earned a law degree, then worked on the city’s human rights commission for 25 years before retiring.

Two years ago, Hesse felt compelled to rejoin the Peace Corps, in part because he was too young to appreciate the experience the first time. He arrived in Jordan in July 2006 and now teaches English at an all-boys school. Hesse is the only Westerner and the only non-Muslim in a “very traditional” desert town with about 1,000 residents.

His age, experience and status as a parent and grandparent have earned him respect in the Middle Eastern country, he says. Hesse hopes that his presence will help promote cultural understanding. “The difference I hope to make here is to show a different face of America than what they get from TV and newspapers.” Plus, Hesse says, “It always feels wonderful to be working with kids.”

To older Americans with a sense of adventure, Hesse urges: “As a boomer, you are part of a generation that has been among the luckiest in world history. You have ridden the wave of American economic growth and expansion of opportunities that even our grandchildren may not experience. It’s time to give something back, and the Peace Corps is one way to do that.”

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Headlines: June, 2008; Peace Corps Sierra Leone; Directory of Sierra Leone RPCVs; Messages and Announcements for Sierra Leone RPCVs; Peace Corps Jordan; Directory of Jordan RPCVs; Messages and Announcements for Jordan RPCVs