Doug Clark writes: Our destination is Lushoto, a small town in the Usumbara Mountains of northeastern Tanzania where my older son, Andrew, is a Peace Corps volunteer teaching at a secondary school nearby



We expect a huge celebration Saturday, a full day of dancing, singing, feasting. It should be a blast, East African-style. Not many young people in Tanzania have the chance even to attend secondary school, much less graduate.

Doug Clark writes: Our destination is Lushoto, a small town in the Usumbara Mountains of northeastern Tanzania where my older son, Andrew, is a Peace Corps volunteer teaching at a secondary school nearby

Into Africa

Caption: And, with a week left in Africa... by meg and rahul Flickr Creative Commons Attribution 2.0 Generic

The first time I went to Africa, in June 2006 with my younger son, Kenny, I had no idea what to expect.

We were babes in the woods when it came to traveling in the Third World.

Somehow, we found our way to the city of Mwanza, Tanzania, on the southeast shore of Lake Victoria. My older son, Andrew, was a Peace Corps volunteer teaching at a secondary school nearby.

This time, I'm going with Andrew, and I know I'm in good hands.

Our destination is Lushoto, a small town in the Usumbara Mountains of northeastern Tanzania. Andrew finished his Peace Corps service there in November 2007 teaching at another school.

He promised his students he would return for their graduation, which is Saturday. He asked me to go with him.

We'll fly from Washington to New York to Dubai to Dar es Salaam, then take a bus in-country.

We expect a huge celebration Saturday, a full day of dancing, singing, feasting. It should be a blast, East African-style. Not many young people in Tanzania have the chance even to attend secondary school, much less graduate.

I hope to post something on this blog at least once, but access is iffy. So reports might have to wait until we get back Sept. 25.

Until then ...

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Posted by Doug Clark on Tuesday, September 15, 2009 at 3:29 pm

Links to Related Topics (Tags):

Headlines: September, 2009; Peace Corps Tanzania; Directory of Tanzania RPCVs; Messages and Announcements for Tanzania RPCVs; Fathers

When this story was posted in November 2009, this was on the front page of PCOL:




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

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Oct 9, 2009: Turkmenistan Denies Entry to PCVs Turkmenistan denies entry to PCVs 9 Oct Guinea PCVs evacuated to Mali 8 Oct Obituary for India Country Director Charles Houston 30 Sep PCVs in Samoa are Safe after Tsunami 30 Sep PCV Joseph Chow dies in accident in Tanzania 23 Sep Aaron Oldenburg creates Peace Corps game 15 Sep Chris Siegler helps rebuild Sierra Leone 10 Sep Diana Kingston establishes bakery in Uganda 9 Sep Beverly Pheto is top staffer on House Appropriations 8 Sep Aaron Williams visits Dominican Republic 3 Sep McKenzie Boekhoelder supports Sustainable Farming 24 Aug Thomas Hollowell writes "Allah's Garden" 19 Aug Scott Stossel writes: Eunice the Formidable 14 Aug Peace Corps Program suspended in Mauritania 12 Aug Jenny Phillips uses meditation to help convicts 11 Aug Jim Turner operates the Hobbit House in Manila 10 Aug Shelton Johnson in Ken Burns' New Documentary 7 Aug Steve Gall is a Recess Freak 5 Aug Scheper-Hughes reports Illegal Organ Trafficking 29 Jul Tucker Childs Preserves West African Languages 27 Jul Ambassador Hill gives Tough Love to Iraq 22 Jul Lynee Moquete builds homes in DR 21 Jul Time in Tunisia best years of Ken Dorph's life 18 Jul

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Memo to Incoming Director Williams PCOL has asked five prominent RPCVs and Staff to write a memo on the most important issues facing the Peace Corps today. Issues raised include the independence of the Peace Corps, political appointments at the agency, revitalizing the five-year rule, lowering the ET rate, empowering volunteers, removing financial barriers to service, increasing the agency's budget, reducing costs, and making the Peace Corps bureaucracy more efficient and responsive. Latest: Greetings from Director Williams

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Join Us Mr. President! "We will double the size of the Peace Corps by its 50th anniversary in 2011. And we'll reach out to other nations to engage their young people in similar programs, so that we work side by side to take on the common challenges that confront all humanity," said Barack Obama during his campaign. Returned Volunteers rally and and march to the White House to support a bold new Peace Corps for a new age. Latest: Senator Dodd introduces Peace Corps Improvement and Expansion Act of 2009 .

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Meet Aaron Williams - Our Next Director Senator Dodd's Senate Subcommittee held confirmation hearings for Aaron Williams to become the 18th Peace Corps Director. "It's exciting to have a nominee who served in the Peace Corps and also has experience in international development and management," said Dodd as he put Williams on the fast track to be confirmed by the full Senate before the August recess. Read our exclusive coverage of the hearings and our biography of Peace Corps Director Aaron Williams.

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