Peace Corps Volunteer "Shanti's Blog" writes: A fellow PCV from my training class, Tom Maresco, was shot and killed on Friday night in Maseru



I wish I could write more, but the words are just not there. Please know that I am safe and in good company here with the PC community. Peace Corps has been amazing throughout everything. We are doing as well as we possibly can be.

Peace Corps Volunteer "Shanti's Blog" writes: A fellow PCV from my training class, Tom Maresco, was shot and killed on Friday night in Maseru

Thursday, September 9, 2010
Friends,

Sorry for disabling my blog. It's been an unbelievably rough week and my blog was the last thing I wanted to think/worry about.

A fellow PCV from my training class, Tom Maresco, was shot and killed on Friday night in Maseru. I am not at liberty to provide any details. However, I am linking the Peace Corps press release here.

http://www.peacecorps.gov/index.cfm?shell=resource s.media.press.view&news_id=1612

I don't have words to say much else right now. The Peace Corps community here is in shock. We've all been together for the past few days dealing with the fallout from this. Some PCVs have gone home to America, and may or may not be returning.

It's nearly impossible to describe.... but coming into Peace Corps is like getting a family. We were all strangers arriving in a new country, not knowing anyone. We went through the same feelings of joy, excitement, frustration, doubt, anger, friendship.... every emotion in the book pretty much. And our training class, the 29 of us, we were the only ones who understood what each other was dealing with. So, I like to think we became a family. And since training, we've shared our experiences together like families do - celebrated successes and commiserated over failures. We've both loved and fought like a family.

Losing Tom is just unreal. It's like a part of us was stolen. Being here cannot be the same as it was before all this happened. We've all gone through feelings of doubt and anger. I'm not going to say we are all there yet, but I think we'll all reach a point where we can function again. And we'll try to move on in the best way we can, and in doing so, we will all take a little bit of Tom's spirit and character with us. He had an incredible love for life and energy that I don't think I've seen matched by anyone.

I wish I could write more, but the words are just not there. Please know that I am safe and in good company here with the PC community. Peace Corps has been amazing throughout everything. We are doing as well as we possibly can be.

My deepest condolences go out to the Maresco family. As difficult as these past few days have been for us, it just pains me to think about their loss.

Goodbye, Tom. You were taken from us too soon. Its an indescribable tragedy that we will never know where your life would have led, but it has been our priveledge to have known you while you were with us. May your soul rest in peace.

Links to Related Topics (Tags):

Headlines: September, 2010; Peace Corps Lesotho; Directory of Lesotho RPCVs; Messages and Announcements for Lesotho RPCVs; Safety and Security of Volunteers; Crime; Fallen; Murder; Blogs - Lesotho

When this story was posted in September 2010, this was on the front page of PCOL:




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

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