Peace Corps Volunteer "Rusty's Odyssey" writes: A special thank you must go out to the Lesotho Peace Corps Staff. Their incredible work has made this tragedy easier to handle.



"They addressed and took care of all the logistics of getting every volunteer safely back to headquarters, feeding us, putting us up in various places for many nights, organizing a profound memorial for Tom Maresco, Jr., who, by the way, was only 24 years old and the only child of Mr. And Mrs. Maresco, and finally, having the foresight to have professional counselors available for all involved."

Peace Corps Volunteer "Rusty's Odyssey" writes: A special thank you must go out to the Lesotho Peace Corps Staff. Their incredible work has made this tragedy easier to handle.

Monday, September 13, 2010


[Excerpt]

That same evening I received the tragic news that one of my fellow volunteers had been shot and killed in Maseru. My heart sank when I heard the story of his death. I joined my colleagues the next day and the mourning process began.

Hard, hard, hard.

A memorial service was held for him on Monday. I am back in Tabola now…happy to be back with the Basotho people I call family. They have been wonderfully supportive during this horrendous week.

I worry about my young colleagues. Most of them are having a lot of trouble coping right now. I know that time is a great healer, but I also know that time is slowly passing for all these volunteers. I know that none of us can "fix this mess"…but all of us wish, somehow, we magically could just make it all go away.

I must close by telling you that I am very proud of all the volunteers in Lesotho…especially my Ed. '10 group (of which Tom Maresco was a part).
We shall survive this.

A special thank you must go out to the Lesotho Peace Corps Staff.

Their incredible work has made this tragedy easier to handle.

They addressed and took care of all the logistics of getting every volunteer safely back to headquarters, feeding us, putting us up in various places for many nights, organizing a profound memorial for Tom Maresco, Jr., who, by the way, was only 24 years old and the only child of Mr. And Mrs. Maresco, and finally, having the foresight to have professional counselors available for all involved.

Thank you, Tabby, for your kind council.
I am still very proud to be a member of the U.S. Peace Corps.

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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Big Omission in Comprehensive Report The Peace Corps has always neglected the third goal, allocating less than 1% of their resources to it, so when Aaron Williams promised Senator Dodd to provide a "Comprehensive Assessment Report" with ideas to strengthen and reform the agency's operations we expected to see some forceful recommendations to address this critical weakness. Read the report and our commentary on the big omission in the third goal that committee members didn't address, discuss, or even mention.

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July 20, 2010: Nita Lowey Pushes Expansion Nita Lowey pushes $46.15 million PC funding increase 1 Jul Anne Goddard helps lead ChildFund 12 Jul PCVs Safe after bombing in Uganda 12 Jul PCVs Evacuated from Northern Burkina Faso 7 Jul Ben Masters promotes bamboo bicycles 6 Jul Danny Dunbar is a fan of Brazil soccer 2 Jul Christopher Hill leaves Iraq Embassy For Academia 2 Jul NPCA holds YouTube contest 2 Jul Larry Palmer nominated as Ambassador to Venezuela 30 Jun Laurence Leamer writes: America Looks Like a Fortress 29 Jun Ed Reed writes: Troops' service in Korea not in vain 28 Jun Mary-Denise Tabar finishes tour in Iraq 24 Jun Carrie Hessler-Radelet Sworn in as PC Deputy Director 24 Jun PC Releases Comprehensive Agency Assessment Report 22 Jun Michael Burden writes: The dilemma on your dinner plate 18 Jun Safety at risk for Peace Corps volunteers? 17 Jun PCVs in Southern Kyrgyzstan evacuated safely 15 Jun Steve Harpt helps dropouts reconstruct their lives 11 Jun Biden Meets with Peace Corps/Kenya Volunteers 11 Jun 19 Americans Sworn-in as PCVs in Indonesia 4 Jun PC Celebrates Volunteers Return to Sierra Leone 3 Jun John Coté makes cross-country walk for US Troops 16 May

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May 12, 2010: PC Returns to Colombia Colombia Program restarts after 30 Year Absence 11 May Karen Smith works in Afghanistan and Sudan 24 Apr Kevin Bubriski began photographing Nepal in 1975 24 Apr Mark Lenzi writes: Can Poland get past the 'curse'? 14 Apr Aaron Williams visits Jordan 13 Apr Committee passes Dodd's Peace Corps Bill 13 Apr NPCA's Africa Rural Connect wins Award 13 Apr Brian Kuhn among Scientists on Ancestor Find 12 Apr Melanie Edwards gathers data on "invisible poor" 12 Apr Johnnie Carson writes: Africa Policy Under Obama 7 Apr Be Part Of New Film About The Peace Corps 30 Mar Chief of Staff encourages PCVs to serve third year 29 Mar Williams Testifies on Vision for Future of Peace Corps 18 Mar Heath Lowry teaches Turkish Studies at Princeton 14 Mar Torkin Wakefield created "Bead for Life" in Uganda 14 Mar Parents of Murdered PCV Speak Out 12 Mar Village in Kenya Erects Monument to Megan DaPisa 10 Mar Frank Swoboda at World Food Prize HQ 10 Mar Ashley Bates reports from Gaza 4 Mar Joe Zenisek started Share the Love 10 years ago 28 Feb Peter Hessler publishes "Country Driving" 25 Feb Stacia and Kristof Nordin call Malawi home 22 Feb

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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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