Seeking a good friend from childhood days: Robin Franko. If you are out there, your friends Heidi (Baum) Monroe, Jennifer Brooks, and Wendy Lung would love to reconnect with you!

Please contact us through Heidi at hmonroe@clearwire.net.

Wangari Maathai, Nobel Laureate, will speak about the "Greening of the Earth" at the Smithsonian Institution on September 24, 7:00 pm, in Washington, DC. Born in a village in Kenya, Maathai earned a Ph.D. and headed a university department. She established the Green Belt Movement in 1977, which helps restore indigenous forests while assisting rural women by paying them to plant trees. In 2004, Maathai won the Nobel Peace Prize, bringing worldwide attention to the environment and its effects on peace, development and democracy. She has written her memoir, Unbowed (Vintage Books), which is now available. Venue to be decided based on early ticket sales. $15 Members, $10 Full time students with valid IDs. Telephone information: 202-633-8597. More information: Smithsonian Institution.

From Joy Gallagher comes this note: Greetings Friends of Kenya! Just a note to let you all know that my son, Rashid Khan, is currently going through the Peace Corps application process. He has made it all the way to the medical/dental part and has his fingers crossed that he will receive an invitation soon.

It was thirty years ago that I was doing exactly the same thing. Filling out the forms, waiting, more forms, more waiting. It was all well worth the wait. My Peace Corps experience (Kenya 77-79) was one of the best two years of my life. I feel very fortunate to have served in such a culturally rich country.

I'm looking for the rest of my group...anyone know where they are?

All the best,

Joy Gallagher
joygallagher@cox.net

Chris Delcher (RPCV El Salvador, 1998-2000) is trying to find the maps and mapmakers of the Peace Corps. Many Volunteers are trained to make community maps while in service. These maps range from the hand-drawn variety that live in tattered journals to very sophisticated maps created with digital Geographic Information Systems.

Chris's own hand-drawn maps focused on public health by displaying the problem of minimal latrine coverage in his town but volunteers from all Peace Corps programs are using maps for many reasons.

No matter the size or sophistication, if you have a map (or even a picture of you next to a map that you have created) from your service or know an RPCV who does, please contact Chris at cddelcher@comcast.net.

You can visit the growing collection at www.chrisdelcher.carbonmade.com

Let us call your attention to www.peacecorpsjournals.com, a site with country entries to hundreds, if not thousands of blogs written by serving Peace Corps Volunteers and returned Peace Corps Volunteers. As expected, the subject matter of most blogs deals with current service or reminisces of life as a PCV. The Kenya listing contains links to several dozen interesting sites. Take time to browse them. We recommend that if you are blogging about Kenya, list yourself there.

No one will be surprised to learn that Peace Corps management has “rules” about how PC computer equipment can be used and about content. Most rules, however, are simply common sense and courtesy that ought not to offend. Check it out.