08/11/07
Today marks another major event for both the Peace Corps and the villagers of Manunu. About three days ago, a young couple from Denver, Colorado, Shawn and Jennifer Meyers, and heir two children, Makela and Jake, came into the Peace Corps office in Apia. They are on a 15 month sailing trip to Australia and want to do a helpful project in which their children could participate. They leave for Tonga on Monday. Would the Peace Corps be interested?
When presented with the proposal, we jumped on the opportunity. We developed some ideas, presented them to the village leaders. It was decided to paint and make repairs at the local primary school. The Meyers would pay for the supplies; the village and Peace Corps would provide the labor. Only it all had to be done that Saturday afternoon!
Makela, the Meyer’s daughter, when asked if she had ever been to school like the one in Manunu, she replied in horror that she had not. It was in that much need of repair. The school has four rooms, 50 students, two teachers, eight grades, almost no supplies.
At 1:00 pm we all gathered and started. The Meyers were great, helping to organize, direct, and dig in with everyone else. In one afternoon, the entire school was painted, both inside and out, new linoleum flooring was laid, and minor repairs made. Some volunteers helped keep the children occupied with crafts, while the rest of us grabbed paint brushes.
I will let the pictures tell the story for this impromptu project. We all went to sleep early that night feeling that we all had accomplished something worthwhile. We were Peace Corps.
Today marks another major event for both the Peace Corps and the villagers of Manunu. About three days ago, a young couple from Denver, Colorado, Shawn and Jennifer Meyers, and heir two children, Makela and Jake, came into the Peace Corps office in Apia. They are on a 15 month sailing trip to Australia and want to do a helpful project in which their children could participate. They leave for Tonga on Monday. Would the Peace Corps be interested?
When presented with the proposal, we jumped on the opportunity. We developed some ideas, presented them to the village leaders. It was decided to paint and make repairs at the local primary school. The Meyers would pay for the supplies; the village and Peace Corps would provide the labor. Only it all had to be done that Saturday afternoon!
Makela, the Meyer’s daughter, when asked if she had ever been to school like the one in Manunu, she replied in horror that she had not. It was in that much need of repair. The school has four rooms, 50 students, two teachers, eight grades, almost no supplies.
At 1:00 pm we all gathered and started. The Meyers were great, helping to organize, direct, and dig in with everyone else. In one afternoon, the entire school was painted, both inside and out, new linoleum flooring was laid, and minor repairs made. Some volunteers helped keep the children occupied with crafts, while the rest of us grabbed paint brushes.
I will let the pictures tell the story for this impromptu project. We all went to sleep early that night feeling that we all had accomplished something worthwhile. We were Peace Corps.
Shawn, Jennifer, Makela, and Jake Meyers
Boulder, Colorado
Getting Organized
Getting Started
Iusi and Sani
Cati Entertains Kids with Crafts
Tona
Linei
Lisi
Safyia
Keveni, Lini, and Malia with Manunu Officials
Jennifer, Paulo, and Boy with Knife
Lini and Maleko
Anna
Ikopo aka Jakob
Maleko and Keli
Lini
Peni
Niko, the Photog
Keveni, School Project Organizer
Children Singing to Us
School Front Before
School Front After
School Back Before
School Back After
Meyers Receiving Gift Mats from Village
At the End of the Day
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