One Hand Does Not Catch a Buffalo: 50 Years of Amazing Peace Corps Stories

Download or read book One Hand Does Not Catch a Buffalo: 50 Years of Amazing Peace Corps Stories written by Aaron Barlow and published by Travelers' Tales. This book was released on 2013-05-30 with total page 388 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Africa is a complicated place, and the Peace Corps Volunteers who have worked in 43 African nations have seen it all: from public executions to public celebrations to life in a time of AIDS. This heartfelt collection is the first of its kind to chronicle 50 years of Peace Corps service. Stories range from poignant to hilarious, involve political intrigue and cultural missteps, illuminating the joys and agony of volunteering abroad and representing the United States in the process. Sixty stories provide a broad overview and give readers a glimpse into the life and times of these brave volunteers, who each learned at least one new language and went to work in the villages and cities from Morocco to South Africa. They worked hard, too. But in these stories you will see that they also danced, faced death by elephant, and witnessed unbearably grim events. One is admired for her “big butt,” another reminded that he had taught proper police procedure in a time of civil unrest. Saying “I was there” is sometimes a bittersweet declaration.