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Peace Corps Volunteer Elizabeth Bowers Dies
WASHINGTON, D.C., March 11, 2002—Director Gaddi Vasquez announced the death of Peace Corps Volunteer Elizabeth (Beth) Bowers, 22, of Salem, Oregon on Wednesday, March 6 as a result of severe injuries sustained from a fall from a bicycle. Ms. Bowers was serving as a Peace Corps Volunteer in Zambia at the time of her death.
In keeping with the family’s wishes, Ms. Bowers’ organs were donated, making a lasting difference in the lives of 22 people.
“This tragic accident is a terrible loss for the Peace Corps,” Director Gaddi Vasquez said. “I understand that even in the short time she had been in Zambia, she had won over people in her village with her kindness and friendly, fun-loving nature.”
As a Peace Corps Volunteer, Ms. Bowers worked on a fisheries assignment in the Northwestern Province in Zambia. She worked with 15 households in the area to teach them fish farming techniques, as well as animal husbandry, agro-forestry, and sustainable agriculture techniques. She was promoting a more integrated farming system where all these activities are linked.
“What especially impressed me about Beth was her eagerness and enthusiasm for the new culture that she was just beginning to be exposed to,” said Zambia Country Director Brian Cavanaugh. “Though she had barely been at her site for three months, I know that she was off to a solid start and was very happy with her life and work. People had come to appreciate her.”
Ms. Bowers graduated from Earlham College in Indiana and is survived by her parents Gerard and Linda Bowers and her sister, Jennifer.
Deputy Director Jody Olsen will represent the Peace Corps at a memorial service to be held in Oregon. Volunteers in Zambia will hold a service in honor of Ms. Bowers on March 19.
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This story has been posted in the following forums: : Headlines; US Peace Corps - PCVs; COS Zambia
