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My husband and I served in the Peace Corps in Nigeria in 1961-64, and again in Bolivia in 1966-69. We were secondary school science teachers in Benin, Nigeria, and our oldest daughter was born there in 1962, the first Peace Corps baby. In Bolivia my husband worked in public health and I was a community craftsperson cooperative organizer, as well as birthing our third child.

We were in the first cadre of PCVs, and had a wonderful training program at UCLA for 3 months. Africa was an immediate shock in its "differentness", climatically and sociologically,  but I soon came to love it. One of the most poignant and tragic moments there was when 2 Nigerian friends knocked on our door in Benin to tell us, crying, that Kennedy had been assasinated. The whole town was in mourning for days.

I got much more than I gave from my Peace Corps experience, in many ways throughout my life. It was a wonderful experience.

posted 2 years, 3 months ago
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