This photo was taken in 1964 in Danané, Ivory Coast, where I taught English and physical education at a secondary school. The little boy, the son of the town photographer, was quite brave. Many of the other kids would run away when I approached.
Taken during first year when visiting student's house in Sousse, Tunisia. The family wanted me to wear a bridal dress to better understand the culture.
This photo was taken in 2005 on a return visit to Turkey, and Ayvali Koyu after 38 years. In 1967 Veli was a modern farmer, because he farmed with a horse, and not a water buffalo, and because his plow had a metal rather than wooded blade.
Veli...
Unicef furnished us vegetable seeds so we could help the women in the villages learn to plant and maintain vegetable gardens to have a variety of vegetables all year long. Nilokheri, Haryana, INDIA. Winter 1967
This photo is of Usha, a young girl in the town who assisted me in the Nursery School, and myself. We spent many hours together as friends and teaching young children. Nilokheri, Haryana, INDIA. Fall 1966.
Animals were flown in from the USA to St. Cruz where they were acclimated, inoculated, and distributed in cooperation with a ten agency Comite Heifer to area residents. 1965
This photo was taken in April/May 1966, of the Philippine Navy ship BRP Oriental Mindoro [formerly the WWII USS LSM-320] docked at Culion Harbour, Culion Island, Palawan, Philippines. The ship had transported Manila leper visitors and PVC's who...
His Excellency Hamani Diori, the first president of Niger, is personnally welcoming each 1967 Peace Corps Volunteer to Niger. The Volunteer welcome included a dinner with the President, the First Lady, other government officials, several embassy...
A history of the Peace Corps in Chile, prepared on the occasion of the 50th Anniversary of the US Peace Corps, for distribution at the reunion of Returned Peace Corps Volunteers who served in Chile, hosted by the Embassy of Chile in Washington DC...
The Despedida 6: The Newlyweds shows newlyweds Jeff and Francy Hirsch leaving the Bicol Teachers College (BTC) Little Theater. Well-wishers in white are BTC students (future teachers). The two children at right are fourth-graders in the BTC...
The Despedida 5: “are now husband and wife.” It’s official! Jeff and Francy are legally married, a few people thinking to the contrary notwithstanding!
The Despedida 4: With This Love, I Thee Wed shows us at about the time we together proclaimed, “With this love, I thee wed.” Looking on are bridesmaid, Flor Andes, PCV groom, David Briscoe, the bride’s father, Quirico Villar, and Reverend...
The Despedida 3: Be My Wife and Share a Life shows me saying that “I, Geoffrey Alan Hirsch, take thee, Francia Marchan Villar, to be my wedded wife, to share a life, as long as we both shall live.” It’s the same concept as “’til death do...
Of the more than 30 remaining photos, The Despedida 1 – The Despedida 6 capture the essence of the event.
The Despedida 2: The Assemblage, shows some of those gathered for The Despedida. Most did not realize they would be at a wedding ...
It’s not every day that one gets married… to a person of a different culture… in a far-off place… for next to nothing … in a wedding ceremony one wrote oneself… as part of a surprise number… at a farewell party (despedida)… with...
This is a photo of Terry, my husband, outside our home in Nilokheri, Haryana, India. He is holding our dog, Ginger. Ginger was given to us by the Butalia family. They said we needed a dog to alert us to any snakes nearby. Winter 1967