BE ON THE 2009 RPCVw BOARD
newsletter; maintain the RPCV/W website; and
RPCVw is currently accepting nominations
for next year's Board of Directors. Being a
member of the Board requires commitment
and a passion for service. Each board
member is expected to participate in the
annual planning retreat in August, attend
monthly meetings, lead a committee or task,
conduct outreach, and be committed to
RPCVw's mission. Positions are elected
annually, and Board members are expected
to serve for one year starting after the
Annual Picnic in July.
Interested? Email
communityservice@rpcvw.org if you are
interested in nominating yourself for a
position, or if you have questions about
certain board positions, time commitment,
etc. We hope to have a great, energetic 2008-
2009 RPCVw board!!!!!!!!!
BOARD DESCRIPTIONS:
PRESIDENT: Direct strategic planning and
ensure that the board is taking action to meet
goals and that all activities support
RPCV/W's mission and vision. Preside over
meetings, plan board retreats, engage in
fundraising, respond to general inquiries, and
represent RPCV/W to media and other
organizations.
VICE PRESIDENT: Lead board in the
absence of the president. Develop and
monitor compliance with event protocol and
surveys. Maintain and report on event
tracker. Coordinate annual Peace Corps
Partnership donation as well as Reception.
SECRETARY: Record and distribute meeting
minutes. Lead annual elections of new
officers and coordinate annual report.
Maintain archives.
TREASURER: Make budget
recommendations. Produce monthly financial
reports on revenue, expenses, and cash flow
trends. Maintain financial records; prepare
deposits of member dues; oversee financial
matters related to events and activities; and
ensure financial compliance with any tax
laws.
WEB DIRECTOR: Produce the bimonthly
work with Communications Director to
develop ways of conveying the overall image
and mission of RPCV/W.
COMMUNICATIONS DIRECTOR: Keeps
members informed of RPCV events. Serve as
first point of contact for people who have
general comments or questions. Write and edit
content for newsletter. Work with other
members in ways of conveying overall image
and mission of RPCVw.
PROGRAMS DIRECTOR: Organize
educational events, such as author readings,
film events, and lectures on a variety of topics
including women in development, cross-
cultural issues, and the environment. Gather
and share information on similar opportunities
in the region.
DEVELOPMENT DIRECTOR: Direct
development efforts, including fundraising
efforts such as raffles and the Holiday Party
Auction. Research potential partnerships with
businesses, including advertising sales and
member benefits.
SOCIAL ACTIVITIES DIRECTOR: Organize
social events such as potlucks and monthly
happy hours. Work with membership and new
member chairs in recruiting new members.
SPECIAL EVENTS DIRECTOR: Coordinate
special events such as Annual Holiday Party,
Cherry Blossom Picnic, and Annual Picnic.
MEMBERSHIP DIRECTOR: Maintain the
membership database; coordinate renewal
notices; produce monthly reports on
membership levels, including new, lapsed, and
renewed members. Produce membership lists
as needed for event organizers. Coordinate
recruitment efforts with New Member
Director.
 NEW MEMBER DIRECTOR: Connect and
develop relationships with new members and
potential members. Support new members
with events (such as welcome brunches) and
information for transitioning to living and
working in the D.C. area. Develop ways to
and help ensure that all events attract new
members.
COMMUNITY SERVICES DIRECTOR:
Develop community service opportunities for
members. Gather and share information on
volunteer and speaking opportunities in the
area, including opportunities with partner
organizations and members needing
volunteers. Coordinate annual wreath-laying
event at JFK memorial.
Wreath Laying Ceremony to Honor JFK
May 15, 6:00 p.m.
Arlington National Cemetary
Every year near the anniversary of his
birthday in May, RPCVw honors President
John F. Kennedy, who helped to promote the
creation of the Peace Corps and called the
citizens of this country into public service.
Placing a wreath at his gravesite in Arlington
National Cemetery, provides an opportunity
for former volunteers of all ages as well as
their family and friends to hear how his
dream of international service and cultural
exchange lives on.
This year, we teamed up with the Peace
Corps Office of Returned Volunteers
Services and also recognized RPCVs who
served in the 13 original countries. We were
especially honored that Peace Corps Director
Ron Tschetter who was accompanied by his
wife Nancy — both who were among some
of the first volunteers sent to India in the
1960s — was able to speak to attendees.
The Journey Back to the Beginning:
Bolivia Then and Now
By: Jeff Lovelace
In his autobiography A Long Walk to Freedom, Nelson
Mandela writes, “There is nothing like returning to a
place that remains unchanged, to find the ways in which
you yourself have altered.”
Well it was with this motto in my head that I returned to
Bolivia last week…wondering what would be different,
would I see myself different, would I see the Bolivians
in a different light, would they see me differently?
Would the wisdom of Nelson Mandela’s sentence ring
true to me?
Flying into El Alto — altitude 13,323 feet — always
leaves one feeling breathless. It may be for the lack of
oxygen (or actually lack of atmospheric pressure), it
may be the sheer clarity and deep blue of the sky, or
perhaps seeing Lake Titicaca, with depths of over 900
feet, or it may be seeing the Andes Mountains,
snowcapped year round in this age of warming, with
peaks that tower over 20,000 feet. Or perhaps that
breathlessness is when you step into the street and
realize that yes, this is the second poorest country in the
Americas and while they are trying to remove all the
diesel consuming vehicles, there is still an incredible
amount of pollution that spews black as night from the
exhausts of buses and trucks. The type that makes you
wonder if you should stop in the nearest Farmacia and
pick up a “surgical mask.”
After a week of trekking with friends in the Peruvian
highlands on the Inca Trail to Macchu Picchu, I figured
this would make for perfect acclimatization. From
Cuzco at 10,800 feet to La Paz at 13,323 it would be a
piece of cake and what better time than to return to
Bolivia, La Paz, and Chuñavi (my site for two years)
and home of the freeze-dried potato, or el chuño. So I
called family, friends and relatives, only three had e-
mail and two cell phones, to let them know of my
imminent arrival and that I was back in Bolivia — like
no time had passed at all!
What amazed me was how familiar it all was. The
friendly faces, the invitations to partake, the “we have
missed you, it has been so long, but yet we feel as if
you were just here yesterday,” remarks. I do not
remember the first day, except for being stuffed. For six
bolivianos or approximately 83 cents you get a FULL
meal of an overflowing bowl of soup, perhaps quinoa,
pasta, chicken, chuño etc.
While it may not be “stocked-full” of meats and
vegetables like Campbell Soups — it is filling, then
after soup comes the main dish which is a plate
heaping with rice, salad, chuños and chicken or
beef. I was full after the soup. All polished off with
a Fruit Zumo — or natural fruit juice.
What also struck me was the independence of the
children. Anna, a little three-year old that will
figure prominently later on, was always just
walking about — into and out of the restaurant, into
and out of the street. Parents here would probably
be charged with child neglect, but in Bolivia this
was how children learn the ways of the world.
There was a story of how at two and a half, she got
out of bed, left the house, crossed a major road,
walked three blocks to find her mother to tell her
that it was time to come home and go back to bed.
Mom was out celebrating.
And no sooner that night did I find myself
celebrating. Toasting to the Pacha Mama, to
Bolivia, to el chuño to la hoja sagrada — coca, and
playing many games of cacho — the Bolivian Dice
game. I think that when the night ended there was
more than one empty caja (box) of cerveza. But
somehow the next morning the effects of sharing
and draining more than 16 one liter cervezas did
not come to haunt me…it must have been the
blessings of the Pacha Mama welcoming me back
to Bolivia.
After a few days in El Alto it was time to make the
journey back in time to Chuñavi, where 11 years
ago there was a small community of 600
inhabitants, no public transportation, one church, a
three-room schoolhouse, two “mini” stores, no
restaurants and no electricity, because the
townspeople wanted to live “off-the-grid” and get
“free” electricity via hydropower — it might seem
romantic, but the project never got off the ground,
so Chuñavi was sans luz for four years, two of
which were during my stay. In that time I had
developed some lasting friendships and was blessed
with two godchildren.
So after packing my gifts from the United States
(crayons, coloring pads, etc), buying 25 oranges
(the children never seem to get enough fruit) and
packing extra layers for warmth the three of us set
out (myself, my comadre and her son). The first
was task was finding the correct Toyota mini-van
that went in the direction of my site. Well they used
to stop here…and so we waited…but perhaps we
should try another place, so trusting local
knowledge we moved up…further down the road to
major intersection. Aha — here were all the mini-
vans. All we had to do was to look for the ones
with the luggage racks on top — those where the
long-haul ones we would need. But we wanted to
find one that was almost full, if we got on an empty
one, we would have to wait and wait while it filled up…
So on we got and down the PanAmerican Highway (read
two-lane road) we set off.
Nos Quedamos (we’re getting off) I had to shout as I
realized that we were passing our destination. And off we
tumbled with our over-stuffed bags of clothes and food
and prepared for the 30-minute hike to town. Well, it used
to be 30 minutes, when I was practiced and in shape —
but now it seemed to take a bit longer (like and extra 15),
but still the path was the same. It wound in and out of
papa fields, quinoa and barley fields. There was the
occasional cow — “they are so skinny” pointed out
Francisco, a youth of 10 from el Alto. Yup — not much to
eat out here, pretty dry and barren.
After a number of breaks to drink water and find a
bathroom, Francisco was looking for a proper toilet…we
told him he was in the countryside and “anyplace” would
do, we made it to the school and the bridge to nowhere. A
bridge! There was a bridge, there never used to be a
bridge in Chuñavi. It does not even look as if cars use it
and the bridge terminates at a wall of rocks. Strange,
perhaps a misguided project — we thought. The school —
there was the school — but in the past 11 years it had
doubled in size. The old three-room classroom had more
than tripled with the addition of a middle school, offices
for teachers as well as wash and bathrooms for the
children. And even the old Mapa Del Mundo that was
done with the schoolchildren was still there — a bit faded
and deteriorated. Wow progress had come to Chuñavi.
We even learned that the bridge was for the cows, so that
they could cross the river in the rainy season without fear
of being swept away.
As we wandered through Chuñavi it was amazing to
remember the familiar faces and good times that we had.
My godchild, now 13 was huge. But mom
and dad were grateful for the visit, gifts and oranges.
They invited us in, shared soda, bread, while we shared
coca with them. They told us how the town had grown to
over 1,000 and of the new church that was built, how they
now had electricity, a new middle school, and even taxi
service from the main road.
Unfortunately Emiterio had passed away, but Fernando
was still around, we heard how Amaya lost his bus (of 44
passengers) over the embankment on the way back to
town from market, but fortunately most everyone was
okay. But sadly there were injuries and some that did not
survive and the trip had been planned specially for a
celebration of Chuñavi.
As we left Chuñavi, in the back of a truck, I reflected that
we had all changed. My comadre, godchild, myself had
all become older…but the important bonds of friendship
were there as strong as before. The ride back in the truck
was cold, but we watched as the sun set, the crescent
moon appear and the Southern Cross brightened in the
southern sky.
Ohh — I almost forgot about little Anna. Well on that
same day as the visit to Chuñavi, as I am about to go
to sleep at 9 p.m., exhausted and preparing for an
early departure the following morning at 4:30
a.m…there is a knock on the door and in waltzes
Anna. Estas dormiendo, tienes que tomar cerveza.
(are you sleeping, you have to drink cerveza) — she
says. Well Anna’s mom had prepared a little
surprise…and she walked in with her eldest daughter
Paola, six one-liter bottles and a statement followed
by a simple question. The gist of which was — you
remember Paola from when she was a little girl…you
see there was a favorite bar of the PCVs of Bolivia —
a place for us to relax and get together…and Paola
was one of the little children that seemed to always
gravitate to us. And we got to know her mom and
friends as well. Well Paola had now grown up and
was about to graduate high-school…and mom was
looking for a godfather for her. Of course a huge
honor, but also a huge challenge in that I was not in
Bolivia and would not be able to complete many of
the “traditional” roles of the compadre or godfather.
Six hours later, countless cervezas later and many
blessings, ch’allas, coca and dancing we all toasted to
her new godfather/padrino.

And I left Bolivia a few hours later, surely bedraggled

and not placing a good name for the gringo to the
flight attendants on American Airlines, but I was
richer in experience and family. The next journey will
be in December for her Baptism.