Tongablog
Join our adventure in The Kingdom of TongaAttention New Peace Corps Volunteers!
During my time as a PCV, I became concerned about Peace Corps’ approach to sexual assault response protocol, prevention, and training. I am now an active member of the First Response Action Coalition (firstresponseaction.blogspot.com). First Response Action is a coalition of both returned and current Peace Corps Volunteers with a mission to support PCVs who are survivors of sexual abuse by advocating for policy reform, relevant training, medical and emotional support. As you may know, there were 131 reported victims of rape or sexual assault in Peace Corps in 2008. It is our belief that many posts have not developed clear response procedures when such crimes occur. We have developed a Peace Corps Survey on sexual assault training to further assess the situation.
Casey Frazee, First Response Action founder, had a conference call with Peace Corps Headquarters in March. PC says they are implementing changes to the Volunteer Handbook and they are even updating the Rape Response Handbook (the most recent version is from 1996). While I whole-heartedly want to believe Peace Corps, I also want to check and see what is going on in sexual assault trainings around the world.
If you are a new Peace Corps Trainee or Volunteer (or if you are leaving soon) please visit the blog, fill out the survey, and pass it along to any incoming PCVs (PCTs). Instructions on how to return the survey are on the form. Honest answers are most appreciated. No names or identifying details will be shared with PC or anyone outside the Coalition board members. We respect confidentiality!
It only takes a minute! Thanks SO much! The survey is available here-
http://firstresponseaction.blogspot.com/2010/06/incoming-pcvs-we-need-you.html.
A New Chapter…
Our time in Tonga has come to an end. There would be too many people to possibly thank in one blog post. We are so grateful for the kindness and support we received from friends, family, fellow Peace Corps Volunteers, and co-workers during our time in the Kingdom. I was 29 when we went to Tonga; now I am 31. We left during the Bush Administration, and have returned to the Obama era. We are sure to feel incredibly blessed and patriotic this upcoming 4th of July. Right now, we are enjoying the opportunity to reconnect with our families and loved ones. We plan to move to the Denver, Colorado area in mid-July. We have returned to the U.S. with a wider world perspective, countless anecdotes and stories about our time in Polynesia, enhanced Professional skills, and a renewed appreciation for home. Thanks for following our journey!
Book Readings and Parades…
I wanted to give a few updates from the past few weeks. Two winners of the prestigious “Commonwealth Writers’ Prize” happened to be in Tonga after receiving their awards in New Zealand. The authors, Marina Endicott and Mandla Langa, were only in the Kingdom for a couple of days. I was fortunate enough to set up a book reading at my school. My Form 6 students (High School Seniors in the U.S.) attended the event. It was really such an honor to have the authors at my school, and I was so proud of my students. Although they may not have understood every single word, they listened diligently and actively participated in the question and answer session. Because we had recently studied the apartheid movement in South Africa, the students were especially interested in talking with Mandla Langa. He is a South African poet and novelist, who was honored with the Commonwealth Writers’ Award for his recent novel, “Lost Colours of the Chameleon.” My students asked about racism in South Africa today, as well as the post-apartheid political climate. For more information about these novels, you can click here.
Mandla Langa at Tupou High School
Marina Endicott
Cynthia and Sateki, two of my favorite students, at the book reading.
If you get a moment to look at some of our new photos, you will see me– all dressed up in traditional Tongan clothes, mat and all, marching in the opening of the Parliament parade. I’m just going to over generalize here, and say that Tongans love a) marching bands b) parades. I honestly think all of Nuku’alofa came out for the event. The parade, which involved nearly every school in Tongatapu, seemed to be designed to signify the people’s support for both the Royalty and the Parliament. I don’t know if that is always a social/political reality, but like I said… everyone loves marching bands and parades! This was the first year my school had a marching band, due to recently acquired instruments. I have to say… I was impressed and enjoyed myself– despite the heat and the massive crowds. And the outfit:)
Not Tonga Related…
Obviously this blog is specifically about our experiences as Peace Corps Volunteers in the Kingdom of Tonga, but this post is about a different topic. I wanted to share a story about health care in the United States. Of course this is a controversial political issue. Yet for many working class Americans, it is much deeper than political banter. Not to sound like a cliche, but the inability to afford health care can be a matter of life and death.
Elaine is one of my closest friends. We worked together at the domestic violence shelter, My Sister’s House, in Charleston, SC. Her family is currently struggling with the inability to afford health care. Her 38-year old nephew, John Wesley (JW) Frierson, was diagnosed with hemochromatosis late last summer. Hemochromatosis causes iron overload and can cause damage to internal organs. JW has lost 70 pounds since September. The family recently learned that his liver is close to complete failure and he is a candidate for a liver transplant at the Medical University of SC. They call it “non-alcohol related cirrhosis.” The transplant team has advised that the surgery could take place within several weeks, however, the amount of funds in his account will be one of the determining factors as to when the transplant actually takes place. They will not proceed with the vital operation until enough funds are procured. JW and his wife, Carol, have 2 young children (Lori, 11 and Wesley, 7) and are an independent, loving, hard-working young couple and great parents. They just don’t have the resources they need to deal with this.
The family is fund raising through the National Transplant Assistance Fund, which is a 501 (c) 3 (non-profit), so donations made directly to them will be tax deductible. His website is:
http://www.transplantfund.org/restricted/patient-detail.cfm?pat_id=2948.
Living in this part of the world has given me a broader perspective on health care. We meet a lot of Australians and New Zealanders, and they are just appalled by the lack of health care coverage in the U.S. Those nations also provide comprehensive medical grants for Tongans who need medical procedures that cannot be addressed in Tonga. I just wish that my own nation felt that health care was a basic human right. If you are able to make even a small donation for John Frierson, please visit the “National Transplant Assistance Fund” as soon as possible.
The Frierson Family
