May 2016
Welcome everyone!
It has been months since our last Peace Corps Friends of DR Congo Newsletter so there is some catching up to do. In the future the newsletter will be emailed twice a year. If your email is out of date, please let us know. Also, if you know of others that would like to be added to the mailing list, please let us know. At the top of this newsletter (header) are links to websites and ways to contact us! We look forward to your feedback!
REQUEST FOR NEWSLETTER EDITOR
Dear former Peace Corps Volunteer in Zaire/Congo. We need your help! If you are interested in becoming a member of the Peace Corps Friends of DR Congo Board and taking a lead role in editing this newsletter please complete this web form:
goo.gl/forms/NyViocgy8z
Members of the Board will be in touch with you. If you have questions, please email friendsofcongo@gmail.com and thank you!!
PASSING OF FERRAR RENZULLI, PCV IN DR CONGO
Ferrar Daniel Renzulli, 67, passed away peacefully on November 11, 2015. Born in Vineland, Dan was raised in Landisville. He graduated from Vineland High School and Rutgers University. After college he joined the Peace Corps and spent 4 years teaching in Africa, mostly in Zaire, Gabon and the Republic of the Congo. After leaving the Peace Corps, Dan travelled extensively in Europe and worked as a teacher in Spain for a period of time, eventually returning home to the Landisville/Minotola area where he remained for the rest of his life.
A kind, gentle, loving soul and lifelong bachelor, Dan was pre deceased by his parents, Mary Anne (Marinelli) and Bruno Ferrar Renzulli. He is survived by his sister and brother in law, Joan (Renzulli) and Angelo Gelardo; his nieces, whom he loved very much and their husbands Alisa (Achey) Quinn (Brian Huhn) and Krista Achey (Steve Kostecki), He is also survived by his great nieces and nephews, whom he adored, Eva Jo Kostecki, Maya Quinn, Jeremy and Nicholas Huhn and Devon Brady; one aunt, Ann Scattolini and many cousins and friends.
Relatives & friends will be received on Monday, November 16, 2015 from 10-11 AM at the Our Lady of Blessed Sacrament Parish - Our Lady of Victories Church 202 N.W. Blvd, Landisville, NJ 08326, where his funeral liturgy will be celebrated at 11 am. Burial will follow in the Our Lady of Pompeii Cemetery,
A TOWERING TASK
A Towering Task is a Peace Corps Documentary that strives to involve as many volunteers (and others) as possible to support and contribute to a film that tells the story of the Peace Corps including capturing early voices. To learn and get involved go to: peacecorpsdocumentary.com
END OF YEAR REPORT 2015
Our goal as an organization is to help the people of DR Congo by monetarily supporting groups working in country and by disseminating information. The three groups that we support all have Peace Corps connections. These connections are very important to us because they insure that monies will not be diverted.
We support Stand Proud: standproud.org located in Kinshasa. This group supplies braces to children who are unable to walk, most of whom are victims of polio. We gave Stand Proud $1000 this year. The second group we support is Able & Willing: ableandwilling.org This group is located in the Kasais and provides schools, books, supplies and teachers. We will give ABLE & Willing $1000 next year. The third group was introduced to us this year: EDUCORPS, www.educorps.org. This group works to prepare teachers to better serve their students. We gave this group $500.
Most of our funding comes from dues paid by you to the National Peace Corps Association. We also sell the Wisconsin Peace Corps calendars and we get donations, for which we are very grateful. We would encourage you to become Mission members of the NPCA and add our group to your membership list. The NPCA is changing the way it enrolls members and we’re uncertain how we’ll be impacted. Should anyone have any fundraising ideas please contact us on Facebook or e-mail us at friendsofdrcongo@gmail.com. Our URL is www.sangonini.org.
Our governing board consists of 6 people:
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President: Paul Garriepy, volunteer in Kivu from 1971 to 1974
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Fundraising Coordinator: Todd Finlayson, volunteer in Kasai Orientale 1988 to 1989 and Regional Rep North Kivu 1989 to 1991
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Treasurer: Martha Brown Gould, volunteer in Bas Zaire from 1972 to 1974
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Secretary: Kim Jansma, ESL volunteer in Kamina from 1977 to 1979
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Web-site Coordinator: Joe Fahs, volunteer in Equateur 1971 to 1978
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Membership Coordinator: Carol Belanger, volunteer in Kasai Orientale from 1979 to 1981.
Our group continues to keep connected with events sponsored by the National Peace Corps Association. Three of our members, Marilyn Hyde, Martha Brown Gould and Carol Belanger, attended the June NPCA meeting in San Francisco. We would like to hear from you and get any ideas you might have.
We would like to expand our newsletter and need help from our membership. We would welcome a new member to our board who could work with Joe on the newsletter.
Please contact us if you are interested. Congo/ Zaire RPCV’s: We would like to have a reunion in Washington DC during the NPCA Gathering, September 23 to the 25th. If you would like to help with organizing or have any ideas
REQUEST FOR BOOK REVIEWS
Have you read a book about the Congo? Or one written by an RPCV from the Congo? How about sharing your thoughts in a book review to with your fellow RPCVs.
Fill out this page with your book review: goo.gl/forms/RSA8kMbevH
PEACE CORPS EXPERIENCE IN DR CONGO
Carl Cecil – Tshela, Bas-Zaire 1978-1980
I served 2 years (1978-1980) in Tshela, Bas-Zaire, as a voc-ed teacher of Auto Mechanics, referred to by many as the “Mundele de Tshela”. Practical, hands-on instruction was always a challenge, being supplied with just a bone-yard of scrap auto junk picked clean by scavengers.
One day I made a trip with a couple young Belgian volunteers, teaching as their alternative to military service. The head priest of our school loaned us his worn out WWII Belgian open top jeep for our trip to visit another Catholic mission 30 miles deep in the jungle. The brakes on the jeep were long ago worn out. Luckily, we were able to make some brake cylinder gaskets out of leather. If you pumped the brake pedal fast enough it would eventually stop the jeep. But, hey, we had wheels and were ready for a road trip no matter what.
On our return trip we were driving downhill, faster than was safe. Turning a corner we saw a police road block ahead, complete with bamboo barricade. Because of our downhill speed we didn't have enough time or enough brake pressure to stop the jeep. Before we knew it we crashed through the barricade and managed to stop several yards past the guards who were chasing after us with their rifles. It might have appeared a comical site to any bystanders but we weren't laughing at that moment. After several minutes and several threats from the police we managed to convince them we were just teachers and that our poor students were waiting for us back at school.
Fortunately, we were able to offer the guards some "Tarif de Verre" to replace their bamboo barricade and we were allowed to return back to our school. We were able to laugh about it later but at the time it was a bit terrifying. Just another day on the roads in Zaire.
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