2009.08.10: August 10, 2009: Headlines: COS - Mauritania: Blogs - Mauritania: Safety: Olsen: Personal Web Site: Peace Corps Volunteer "Selibaby Shelbs" writes: Peace Corps has decided to suspend the program starting immediatly and continuing indefinitely
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2009.08.10: August 10, 2009: Headlines: COS - Mauritania: Blogs - Mauritania: Safety: Olsen: Personal Web Site: Peace Corps Volunteer "Selibaby Shelbs" writes: Peace Corps has decided to suspend the program starting immediatly and continuing indefinitely
Peace Corps Volunteer "Selibaby Shelbs" writes: Peace Corps has decided to suspend the program starting immediatly and continuing indefinitely
"This bomb was dropped on me just about an hour ago and i don't even really know how to process it yet but i will say this, i respect the decision of the peace corps, i will respect their wishes and not return to mauritania, but i want everyone to know completely and truly that this has nothing to do with mauritanians as a people, nor does it have anything to do with muslims, this is because of an outside threat that has been brought to the attention of peace corps. The director of peace corps herself, Jody Olsen, came here to break the news to us and she is a huge supporter of the mauritania program and told us how much our relationships and families mean to us and it was obviously very hard for her to break this news to us, so i can completely respect the peace corps side of things, and i know you all will too."
Peace Corps Volunteer "Selibaby Shelbs" writes: Peace Corps has decided to suspend the program starting immediatly and continuing indefinitely
Monday, August 10, 2009
oh crap.
10 August 2009
Dear beloved friends and family,
Caption: Children in Gorgol by Peace Corps Volunteer swimfast. Flickr Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-Share Alike 2.0 Generic
It has been wonderful corresponding with you all through email over the past 13 months, sharing my experiences with you and hearing your reactions has been such a rewarding part of all of this for me.
I have missed you all dearly but i never could have done what i have been doing without your support and understanding and love.
With that said i would like to give you the latest bit of bad news in a string of bad new-es...after a few security threats came to light on friday (confidential, they can't even tell me) and then suicide bombing in nouakchott on saturday night (that didn't kill anyone but the bomber himself in case you're worried) the United States Peace Corps has decided to suspend the program starting immediatly and continuing indefinitely.
What does this mean? First that i am very very sad, we all are, i have cried a great deal all ready and i used up all my phone credit so i can't even call my parents of my host family until i go out and buy more but when i do i will cry some more.
As long as we are continuing our career with peace corps we are forbidden from traveling in, passing through, or visiting mauritania at all.
I have many options ahead of me, exactly what they are i will find out tomorrow morning in detail but they involve transfering to a different program, completeing my service and leaving, signing up for peace corps response, or interrupting my service, leaving the option to return open if the program reopens.
I don't know what i'll do yet but i will know by friday because thats all the time i have to decide.
This bomb was dropped on me just about an hour ago and i don't even really know how to process it yet but i will say this, i respect the decision of the peace corps, i will respect their wishes and not return to mauritania, but i want everyone to know completely and truly that this has nothing to do with mauritanians as a people, nor does it have anything to do with muslims, this is because of an outside threat that has been brought to the attention of peace corps.
The director of peace corps herself, Jody Olsen, came here to break the news to us and she is a huge supporter of the mauritania program and told us how much our relationships and families mean to us and it was obviously very hard for her to break this news to us, so i can completely respect the peace corps side of things, and i know you all will too.
Links to Related Topics (Tags):
Headlines: August, 2009; Peace Corps Mauritania; Directory of Mauritania RPCVs; Messages and Announcements for Mauritania RPCVs; Blogs - Mauritania; Safety and Security of Volunteers; RPCV Jody Olsen (Tunisia)
When this story was posted in August 2009, this was on the front page of PCOL:
Peace Corps Online The Independent News Forum serving Returned Peace Corps Volunteers
| Director Ron Tschetter: The PCOL Interview Peace Corps Director Ron Tschetter sat down for an in-depth interview to discuss the evacuation from Bolivia, political appointees at Peace Corps headquarters, the five year rule, the Peace Corps Foundation, the internet and the Peace Corps, how the transition is going, and what the prospects are for doubling the size of the Peace Corps by 2011. Read the interview and you are sure to learn something new about the Peace Corps. PCOL previously did an interview with Director Gaddi Vasquez. |
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Story Source: Personal Web Site
This story has been posted in the following forums: : Headlines; COS - Mauritania; Blogs - Mauritania; Safety; Olsen
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