Susan E. Greisen's Blog, page 4

In Search of Pink Flamingos: My Father Remembered

Today, I want to honor my deceased father. He passed away nearly 30 years ago. As a young child and his only daughter, my dad was everything to me. He was a skilled farmer by trade, but he was also a WWII veteran, a hero, a mechanic, an electrician, a builder, an inventor, a veterinarian, almost a doctor, a jokester, a shrewd individual, and by far the most brilliant man with an 8th-grade education that I ever knew. Wedged between an older and younger brother, I did almost anything to get his attention and approval. Dad was my biggest cheerleader in my youth and my harshest critic in my later years. Dad’s photo journey.

Here are excerpts from my memoir, In Search of Pink Flamingos,

From Chapter – Stuck in the Middle: …By the time I turned fourteen, I regained Dad’s trust. He bragged with pride to his friends, “Give Sue any vehicle and she could back the damned thing up square!” Those were rare moments of approval. And I treasured them.

Rejection of my ideas came often as a teenager. When I found my destiny to become a nurse and join the Peace Corps in Africa, he rejected both. Here was his response: Excerpt from Chapter – My Ticket Out: Dad roared, …“Why don’t you stay and help people here?” Rejection was familiar to me, but this time his words cut deep. My legs quivered and the papers [the Peace Corps application] rattled in my hands as I searched for what to say, hoping God would help me with an answer. Out of nowhere, the words left my lips. “Dad, you were in the Army and people like you joined the military and served their country abroad. And well…that’s what I’m going to do. I’m going to serve my country, just like you did. JFK said, ‘Ask not what your country can do for you. Ask what you can do for your country.’”

The rest is history; I became a nurse and joined the Peace Corps in Africa at age nineteen and the larger world called to me.

From Chapter – Forgiveness is Freedom: We Greisens are fearless, determined, defiant, and smart. The qualities of my parents echo through me daily. I often see Dad in some passing gesture when I pull a stray weed from my garden or chew on the shaft of grass to taste its sweetness.…

Much later in life, I forgave my dad for the times he could not show me the acceptance and approval I wanted and needed. However, I embody many of my dad’s strong traits and without reservation, I love and appreciate all he gave me.

In June of 2024, Dad would have been 105.

I’m thinking of you today. Happy Birthday and Happy Father’s Day, Dad.

Click here for In Search of Pink Flamingos in Print or eBook.

Feel free to share your Father’s Day memory.

Subscribe

Don’t Let Your Library Burn

A Senegalese proverb has an expression for a wise deceased person who led a full life: his or her library has burned to the ground. I heard this phrase recently at a memorial service for a 97-year-old friend.

As a writer, author, poet, and storyteller, this proverb rang loud. Its meaning is profound. There are many untold stories in each of us. Some may be light-hearted memories to valuable treasures of wisdom that cannot be replaced or repeated. My interpretation of this proverb is to:

Share what you know
Share where you have been
Share how you arrived where you are today
Share what you have learned
Before it is lost

You may wonder, who will care and why will they.

Those were my doubts before writing my memoir, In Search of Pink Flamingos, in 2020. I have no biological children and I was recently divorced. However, something compelled me to tell my 60-year journey through life. When I committed myself to the process, my memoir, in many regards, wrote itself. The words flowed easily in many areas, while extremely difficult in others.

I imagined my book would only interest my family and friends, but I was pleasantly shocked at its broad reception. Since publication, much in the midst of COVID, I have been the guest author (in person and virtually) at nearly 30 book clubs with readers intriqued by my experiences and eager to learn more about the farm, Africa, and my travels. Even though many had different life expereinces, we all learned and grew from our conversations. At a genealogy club lecture, I guided the audience in documenting their ancestral research. Plans are in the making to speak to African women in the US and Kenya about the FGM culture.

I encourage you to tell your story or help others to tell theirs. We all have a treasure trove of library material that should not be lost and others who can benefit from it.

When my time on this earth ends, my body will no longer be. However, I can now rest assured that my library will live on.

Writing Tip:
While wondering where to start my memoir, a writing instructor stated:
“Start from the beginning.”
My memories recalled that exact starting point. Hopefully, you will find yours too.

Subscribe  to my blogs

The Wonders of Jordan & Egypt

(Hot air balloon sunrise tour over the Nile)

I am tardy in posting this blog about one of the most amazing trips that I took in 2022. I wrote a detailed narrative with photos and YouTube videos for friends and family about a year ago. Instead of rewriting it for my web followers, I will send that version. If you chose to not read this detail, just skip it. However, the numerous experiences were too difficult to shorten and dilute. Click on the download button and a Word Document will appear with narratives, photos, and YouTube links. If the links don’t open, cut and paste them into your browser. I hope you enjoy it. All are SAFE to open.

Middle East SummaryDownload

Join my blog audience

By clicking submit, you agree to share your email address with my website to receive periodic blogs. Use the unsubscribe link in those emails to opt-out at any time. Your comments below are always welcomed.

Processing… Success! You're on the list. Whoops! There was an error and we couldn't process your subscription. Please reload the page and try again.

‘Pink Flamingos’ Now an eBook

My blogs have readers and followers in over 75 countries, and now they can access In Search of Pink Flamingos more easily. Starting today you can search for my memoir by title or author, wherever eBooks are sold. Click on the link above for how to purchase. The book is available in 43 different eBook distributors around the world. You may want to share this eBook with a friend or family if you have already read it.

Susan E. Greisen, author and returned Peace Corps volunteer from Liberia (71-73) and Tonga (73-74), has an award-winning memoir entitled, In Search of Pink Flamingos: A Woman’s Quest for Forgiveness and Unconditional Love. This is the story of a young woman who defies her parents’ demands to become a farmer's wife. At age nineteen, with a suitcase full of farm-smarts and a practical nurse license, Susan joins the Peace Corps in Africa. She meets multiple challenges in her remote Liberian village and falls short of her unrealistic goals. An interracial romance further aggravates her parents who eventually disown her. When Susan finds the pink flamingos, she discovers what she has been searching for. Her journey is one of passion, strength, forgiveness, and unconditional love.

Join my blog followers

By clicking submit, you agree to share your email address with me to receive periodic blogs about my writing and travel adventures Use the unsubscribe link in those emails to opt-out at any time.

Processing… Success! You're on the list. Whoops! There was an error and we couldn't process your subscription. Please reload the page and try again.

Africa 50 Years Later: Part II, Zimbabwe, Zambia, & Botswana

(I am reposting this blog from 2 days ago because the earlier slideshow link did not connect. So Sorry.)

The last time I was on an African safari was over 50 years ago in 1973. As a 20-year-old farmer’s daughter, I was gobsmacked, of course. So many animals in the plains of Tanzania and Kenya as far as the eye can see. I wrote about these encounters in my memoir, In Search of Pink Flamingos. However, the experience in Zimbabwe, Zambia, and Botswana 50 + years later was so different. This document is SAFE to download for you to view a powerful narrated sound slideshow with videos to find out why. Enjoy. I look forward to your reply.

ultimate-africa-zimbabwe-zambia-botswanaDownload

Join my blog followers

By clicking submit, you agree to share your email address with me to receive my periodic blogs. Use the unsubscribe link in those emails to opt-out at any time.

Processing… Success! You're on the list. Whoops! There was an error and we couldn't process your subscription. Please reload the page and try again.

Africa 50 Years Later: Part II, Zimbabwe, Zambia, & Botswana

The last time I was on an African safari was over 50 years ago in 1973. As a 20-year-old farmer’s daughter, I was gobsmacked, of course. So many animals in the plains of Tanzania and Kenya as far as the eye can see. I wrote about these encounters in my memoir, In Search of Pink Flamingos. However, the experience in Zimbabwe, Zambia, and Botswana 50 + years later was so different. This document is SAFE to download for you to view a powerful narrated sound slideshow to find out why. Enjoy. I look forward to your reply.

Ultimate Africa-Zimbabwe-Zambia-BotswanaDownload

Join my blog followers

By clicking submit, you agree to share your email address with me to receive my periodic blogs. Use the unsubscribe link in those emails to opt-out at any time.

Processing… Success! You're on the list. Whoops! There was an error and we couldn't process your subscription. Please reload the page and try again.

Africa 50 Years Later: Part I, South Africa

In February and March 2023, I returned to the heart of Africa for the first time since I departed Liberia in 1973. Much older, the second time around from my 20-year-old naive farm girl self, I wondered how I would feel or what I would think. I traveled to new countries I had never been to: Rwanda, South Africa, Zimbabwe, Zambia, and Botswana. The Rwandan visit was unlike any African experience I had ever witnessed before. You can read about those in my three earlier blogs, A Lesson in Genocide, The Gorillas of Rwanda, and The Gorilla Doctors.

Wisdom from my 50+ years of life created a different vision of Africa through a new set of lenses. I saw cell phones on almost every person, new modern buildings, and more motorcycles than ever before. On other the hand, remote villages seemed untouched. Simple lives, raising animals and crops tilled by hand, thatched huts, and wood fires. Outdoor markets were filled with villagers who journeyed miles to sell their wares, animals, and produce…just like I remembered 50 years earlier.

The most progress that I experienced was in the advancement of women. Even though polygamy is still part of the African culture, women were asserting themselves. I saw women’s cooperatives in all of these countries with storefronts selling their crafts. Some women were even able to divorce their husbands for a variety of legitimate reasons. Birth control and access to health care, in general, were available even in the more remote villages. In some Muslim areas, women could choose to wear a head scarf or not. I wrote about these areas in an earlier blog entitled African Women Taking Charge.

I will present this photographic journey in Parts. Part I is the country of South Africa. I spent only 24 hours there. But my day-tour experience was profound. Advance the photos with the arrow.

Johannesburg, looks like any other big cityThe FNB soccer stadium is the largest in Africa & 4th largest in the worldMother walking her daughter from school.Bronze Gold miners statueA century of gold mine tailings surrounds Johannesburg.Nelson Mandela’s residence after his presidencySt John’s College: Once only Whites could attend, now students of mixed ethnicities can.The Soweto was built in the 30s and marked the beginning of Apartheid, the separation of whites from blacks. Still no running water or plumbing today. Nelson Mandela in Soweto, before spending 27 years in prison Winnie, his wife continuing the movement while Mandela is in prison The Hector Pieterson memorial: one of thousands of black children who marched in protest and one of the first children to be killed.Slums outside of SowetoMore povertyThe beautiful suburbs of JohannesburgBlack So. Africans manicure the landscape but do not set foot on the wealthy owner’s interior propertyWealth behind the bars in the heart of the city2.5-ton bronze statue of Nelson Mandela, the first SA president, 1994-99. THE END

Subscribe

Leave a comment/reply below…

Africa 50 Years Later-South Africa Part I

In February and March 2023, I returned to the heart of Africa for the first time since I departed Liberia in 1973. Much older, the second time around from my 20-year-old naive farm girl self, I wondered how I would feel or what I would think. I traveled to new countries I had never been to: Rwanda, South Africa, Zimbabwe, Zambia, and Botswana. The Rwandan visit was unlike any African experience I had ever witnessed before. You can read about those in my three earlier blogs, A Lesson in Genocide, The Gorillas of Rwanda, and The Gorilla Doctors.

Wisdom from my 50+ years of life created a different vision of Africa through a new set of lenses. I saw cell phones on almost every person, new modern buildings, and more motorcycles than ever before. On other the hand, remote villages seemed untouched. Simple lives, raising animals and crops tilled by hand, thatched huts, and wood fires. Outdoor markets were filled with villagers who journeyed miles to sell their wares, animals, and produce…just like I remembered 50 years earlier.

The most progress that I experienced was in the advancement of women. Even though polygamy is still part of the African culture, women were asserting themselves. I saw women’s cooperatives in all of these countries with storefronts selling their crafts. Some women were even able to divorce their husbands for a variety of legitimate reasons. Birth control and access to health care, in general, were available even in the more remote villages. In some Muslim areas, women could choose to wear a head scarf or not. I wrote about these areas in an earlier blog entitled African Women Taking Charge.

I will present this photographic journey in Parts. Part I is the country of South Africa. I spent only 24 hours there. But my day-tour experience was profound. Advance the photos with the arrow.

Johannesburg, looks like any other big cityThe FNB soccer stadium is the largest in Africa & 4th largest in the worldMother walking her daughter from school.Bronze Gold miners statueA century of gold mine tailings surrounds Johannesburg.Nelson Mandela’s residence after his presidencySt John’s College: Once only Whites could attend, now students of mixed ethnicities can.The Soweto was built in the 30s and marked the beginning of Apartheid, the separation of whites from blacks. Still no running water or plumbing today. Nelson Mandela in Soweto, before spending 27 years in prison Winnie, his wife continuing the movement while Mandela is in prison The Hector Pieterson memorial: one of thousands of black children who marched in protest and one of the first children to be killed.Slums outside of SowetoMore povertyThe beautiful suburbs of JohannesburgBlack So. Africans manicure the landscape but do not set foot on the wealthy owner’s interior propertyWealth behind the bars in the heart of the city2.5-ton bronze statue of Nelson Mandela, the first SA president, 1994-99. THE END

Subscribe

Leave a comment/reply below…

Costa Rica, Can’t Stop Going Back

What’s the connection between electrical converters, tap water, and toilet paper in this blog? Seeking to escape the cold December weather of the Northwest, I visited Costa Rica for the fourth time. Each visit resulted in making new Tico/Tica friends. This time, I stayed in one location for a month, only venturing out a couple of times for tourist activities with my friend Kathy who visited.

[image error]Pexels.com" data-medium-file="https://susangreisen.files.wordpress...." data-large-file="https://susangreisen.files.wordpress...." data-attachment-id="5645" data-permalink="https://susangreisen.com/2024/03/30/c..." data-orig-file="https://susangreisen.files.wordpress...." data-orig-size="1880,1253" data-comments-opened="1" data-image-meta="{"aperture":"0","credit":"","camera":"","caption":"","created_timestamp":"0","copyright":"","focal_length":"0","iso":"0","shutter_speed":"0","title":"","orientation":"0"}" data-image-title="knotted power cable" data-image-description="" data-image-caption="

Photo by analogicus on Pexels.com

" data-medium-file="https://susangreisen.files.wordpress...." data-large-file="https://susangreisen.files.wordpress...." srcset="https://susangreisen.files.wordpress.... 600w,https://susangreisen.files.wordpress.... 900w,https://susangreisen.files.wordpress.... 1200w,https://susangreisen.files.wordpress.... 1500w,https://susangreisen.files.wordpress.... 1800w,https://susangreisen.files.wordpress.... 1880w" alt="" data-height="1253" data-id="5645" data-link="https://susangreisen.com/?attachment_..." data-url="https://susangreisen.files.wordpress...." data-width="1880" src="https://susangreisen.files.wordpress...." />[image error]Pexels.com" data-medium-file="https://susangreisen.files.wordpress...." data-large-file="https://susangreisen.files.wordpress...." data-attachment-id="5647" data-permalink="https://susangreisen.com/2024/03/30/c..." data-orig-file="https://susangreisen.files.wordpress...." data-orig-size="1880,1253" data-comments-opened="1" data-image-meta="{"aperture":"0","credit":"","camera":"","caption":"","created_timestamp":"0","copyright":"","focal_length":"0","iso":"0","shutter_speed":"0","title":"","orientation":"0"}" data-image-title="usb hub type c dock adapter" data-image-description="" data-image-caption="

Photo by Karolina Grabowska on Pexels.com

" data-medium-file="https://susangreisen.files.wordpress...." data-large-file="https://susangreisen.files.wordpress...." srcset="https://susangreisen.files.wordpress.... 600w,https://susangreisen.files.wordpress.... 900w,https://susangreisen.files.wordpress.... 1200w,https://susangreisen.files.wordpress.... 1500w,https://susangreisen.files.wordpress.... 1800w,https://susangreisen.files.wordpress.... 1880w" alt="" data-height="1253" data-id="5647" data-link="https://susangreisen.com/?attachment_..." data-url="https://susangreisen.files.wordpress...." data-width="1880" src="https://susangreisen.files.wordpress...." />[image error]Pexels.com" data-medium-file="https://susangreisen.files.wordpress...." data-large-file="https://susangreisen.files.wordpress...." data-attachment-id="5649" data-permalink="https://susangreisen.com/2024/03/30/c..." data-orig-file="https://susangreisen.files.wordpress...." data-orig-size="1880,1240" data-comments-opened="1" data-image-meta="{"aperture":"0","credit":"","camera":"","caption":"","created_timestamp":"0","copyright":"","focal_length":"0","iso":"0","shutter_speed":"0","title":"","orientation":"0"}" data-image-title="macro photography of a stainless steel faucet" data-image-description="" data-image-caption="

Photo by Skitterphoto on Pexels.com

" data-medium-file="https://susangreisen.files.wordpress...." data-large-file="https://susangreisen.files.wordpress...." srcset="https://susangreisen.files.wordpress.... 600w,https://susangreisen.files.wordpress.... 900w,https://susangreisen.files.wordpress.... 1200w,https://susangreisen.files.wordpress.... 1500w,https://susangreisen.files.wordpress.... 1800w,https://susangreisen.files.wordpress.... 1880w" alt="" data-height="1240" data-id="5649" data-link="https://susangreisen.com/?attachment_..." data-url="https://susangreisen.files.wordpress...." data-width="1880" src="https://susangreisen.files.wordpress...." />[image error]Pexels.com" data-medium-file="https://susangreisen.files.wordpress...." data-large-file="https://susangreisen.files.wordpress...." data-attachment-id="5656" data-permalink="https://susangreisen.com/2024/03/30/c..." data-orig-file="https://susangreisen.files.wordpress...." data-orig-size="1820,1300" data-comments-opened="1" data-image-meta="{"aperture":"0","credit":"","camera":"","caption":"","created_timestamp":"0","copyright":"","focal_length":"0","iso":"0","shutter_speed":"0","title":"","orientation":"0"}" data-image-title="fluid pouring in pint glass" data-image-description="" data-image-caption="

Photo by Pixabay on Pexels.com

" data-medium-file="https://susangreisen.files.wordpress...." data-large-file="https://susangreisen.files.wordpress...." srcset="https://susangreisen.files.wordpress.... 600w,https://susangreisen.files.wordpress.... 900w,https://susangreisen.files.wordpress.... 1200w,https://susangreisen.files.wordpress.... 1500w,https://susangreisen.files.wordpress.... 1800w,https://susangreisen.files.wordpress.... 1820w" alt="" data-height="1300" data-id="5656" data-link="https://susangreisen.com/?attachment_..." data-url="https://susangreisen.files.wordpress...." data-width="1820" src="https://susangreisen.files.wordpress...." />[image error]Pexels.com" data-medium-file="https://susangreisen.files.wordpress...." data-large-file="https://susangreisen.files.wordpress...." data-attachment-id="5655" data-permalink="https://susangreisen.com/2024/03/30/c..." data-orig-file="https://susangreisen.files.wordpress...." data-orig-size="1880,1253" data-comments-opened="1" data-image-meta="{"aperture":"0","credit":"","camera":"","caption":"","created_timestamp":"0","copyright":"","focal_length":"0","iso":"0","shutter_speed":"0","title":"","orientation":"0"}" data-image-title="woman using a bamboo toothbrush" data-image-description="" data-image-caption="

Photo by Karolina Grabowska on Pexels.com

" data-medium-file="https://susangreisen.files.wordpress...." data-large-file="https://susangreisen.files.wordpress...." srcset="https://susangreisen.files.wordpress.... 600w,https://susangreisen.files.wordpress.... 900w,https://susangreisen.files.wordpress.... 1200w,https://susangreisen.files.wordpress.... 1500w,https://susangreisen.files.wordpress.... 1800w,https://susangreisen.files.wordpress.... 1880w" alt="" data-height="1253" data-id="5655" data-link="https://susangreisen.com/?attachment_..." data-url="https://susangreisen.files.wordpress...." data-width="1880" src="https://susangreisen.files.wordpress...." />[image error]Pexels.com" data-medium-file="https://susangreisen.files.wordpress...." data-large-file="https://susangreisen.files.wordpress...." data-attachment-id="5654" data-permalink="https://susangreisen.com/2024/03/30/c..." data-orig-file="https://susangreisen.files.wordpress...." data-orig-size="867,1300" data-comments-opened="1" data-image-meta="{"aperture":"0","credit":"","camera":"","caption":"","created_timestamp":"0","copyright":"","focal_length":"0","iso":"0","shutter_speed":"0","title":"","orientation":"0"}" data-image-title="photo of a baby brushing his teeth on a sink" data-image-description="" data-image-caption="

Photo by MART PRODUCTION on Pexels.com

" data-medium-file="https://susangreisen.files.wordpress...." data-large-file="https://susangreisen.files.wordpress...." srcset="https://susangreisen.files.wordpress.... 600w,https://susangreisen.files.wordpress.... 867w" alt="" data-height="1300" data-id="5654" data-link="https://susangreisen.com/?attachment_..." data-url="https://susangreisen.files.wordpress...." data-width="867" src="https://susangreisen.files.wordpress...." />[image error]Pexels.com" data-medium-file="https://susangreisen.files.wordpress...." data-large-file="https://susangreisen.files.wordpress...." data-attachment-id="5651" data-permalink="https://susangreisen.com/2024/03/30/c..." data-orig-file="https://susangreisen.files.wordpress...." data-orig-size="1733,1300" data-comments-opened="1" data-image-meta="{"aperture":"0","credit":"","camera":"","caption":"","created_timestamp":"0","copyright":"","focal_length":"0","iso":"0","shutter_speed":"0","title":"","orientation":"0"}" data-image-title="white toilet paper roll on toilet paper holder" data-image-description="" data-image-caption="

Photo by Vie Studio on Pexels.com

" data-medium-file="https://susangreisen.files.wordpress...." data-large-file="https://susangreisen.files.wordpress...." srcset="https://susangreisen.files.wordpress.... 600w,https://susangreisen.files.wordpress.... 900w,https://susangreisen.files.wordpress.... 1200w,https://susangreisen.files.wordpress.... 1500w,https://susangreisen.files.wordpress.... 1733w" alt="" data-height="1300" data-id="5651" data-link="https://susangreisen.com/?attachment_..." data-url="https://susangreisen.files.wordpress...." data-width="1733" src="https://susangreisen.files.wordpress...." />

After traveling to 10 countries in Africa including the Middle East, and now Costa Rica (CR), I realized how fortunate we are in the U.S. In particular, how easy it is for us Americans to travel to CR. I left my electrical converter for charging my portable devices at home. I brushed my teeth and drank tap water. And the best part, I could flush my toilet paper down the loo. It may seem trivial, but when I returned home after six months of travel in countries where these modifications must occur, I found myself hesitating many times when disposing of my toilet paper in the proper receptacle. I’ve readjusted to my normal routine after CR. Let’s not take these luxuries for granted. Please.

Now, for a little less verbosity, I want to share some wonderful photos of CR for your enjoyment. Just tap the arrow on the right for the slideshow with captions.

The iconic Catholic Church, the heart of Grecia where I stay for one monthThe metal church imported from Belgium in 1850, Nuestra Senora de las MercedesView of Grecia from my AirB&B balconySunset from the balconyIced Latte and sweets: comfort not too farawaySven was my Christmas gift that followed my journeyKathy visited, making sure Sven was tucked away and didn’t melt.Bus ride to Tortuguero, the Caribbean side of CR. Chiquita Banana PlantationKathy and Sven waited for the boatCruising down the canal looking for wildlife. Caiman near the boatTiger Heron fishingKathy and Susan viewing the canal separating the Pacific Ocean from the mainlandPoisonous dart frog. the size of a fingernailSquirrel monkeys aboundKathy and Susan preparing for our Ziplining, Canyoning and Repelling adventureRepelling down a 120 ft waterfallSuccess after the repellCanyoning is not for the weakOur adventure consisted of all men and two old grannies. We loved the ratio and attention. 4 Aussies, 3 Brits, 2 Canadians, 4 CR guides.Birds for morning breakfast at our lodgeJungle trekkingRelaxing at the hot springs near Arenal VolcanoA day in San Jose, the capitolSculpture immerging from the earthHistory Museum, once a fort, prison and residenceDocumentation of the demise of the indigenous people when foreigners came to conquer the land and people for bananas and pineapple Finding the local sorbet treatSan Jose architectureSusan & Kathy with our friendly neighborVisiting with an old friend Bernie and his girlfriend AnnaThe END

Subscribe to my blogs

Where is the Peace?

What a poignant question during these turbulent times. And so what’s the Peace Corps got to do with it, you may ask?
I was recently interviewed and asked this question for the WorldView magazine that was published in the Winter 2024 edition. This magazine sponsored by the National Peace Corps Association is supported by those of us who have served abroad, including Peace Corps Volunteers.

This topic was not randomly chosen. The world is experiencing the highest level of violence since World War II, with armed conflicts simmering, enduring, or raging in Ukraine, Yemen, Afghanistan, and Israel/Palestine, to name just a few. In 2022, more than 2 billion people were displaced by violence according to the United Nations. In 2023, the Global Peace Index noted that the number of conflict-related deaths rose last year by an astonishing 96%.
Here is the editor’s summary of my interview and what the Peace Corps has to do with it.

Susan Greisen (Liberia 1971-73) of the Friends of Liberia affiliate group has no doubt that Peace Corps Volunteers have had an impact on peacebuilding efforts in her former host country. Though Peace Corps was not present during Liberia’s brutal civil war, which lasted from 1989 to 1997, many RPCVs (returned Peace Corps Volunteers) remained engaged with people and programs in the country, offering support from abroad that continues today.
“My village was destroyed. The people were destroyed. So in some ways I look back on my experience and think that all the good I had done is gone,” Greisen says. Nonetheless, she says, “One of the very first Volunteers who returned to Liberia after the war, said to me, ‘Susan, when we came back 20 years later, they said, We remember the schools you built, the roads you constructed and the clinics you supported. We remember the Peace Corps.'”

Certainly, the bombs and bullets of war leave lasting scars on the people and the environment. But it is the Peacebuilding efforts that endure in the hearts and minds of the people, so that after the war, they still have hope and an openness to build a better future.

In this same magazine edition, it was announced that Friends of Liberia (FOL) won the annual Loret Ruppe award for Outstanding Community Service as we demonstrated the impact that we not only continue to make with the people of Liberia, but also within our own communities as we serve back home.

This award recognized FOL for our publication of Never the Same Again, an anthology of gripping stories to celebrate Peace Corps Liberia’s 60th anniversary. A group of FOL members traveled to Liberia in 2022 to present a copy of our book to the U.S. Ambassador in Monrovia and to the National Library of Liberia. All proceeds from the book benefit current humanitarian programs in Liberia. You may purchase our anthology on this website or where ever fine books are sold.

Let me know what you think with an applause or comment below. I’d love to hear from you.

Join my blog reading audience

By clicking submit, you agree to share your email address with me to recieve periodic blogs. Use the unsubscribe link in those emails to opt out at any time.

Processing… Success! You're on the list. Whoops! There was an error and we couldn't process your subscription. Please reload the page and try again.