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12-13-2007 By MICHELLE MILLER Staff Writer Susan, a class of 2000 graduate of Cooperstown Central School, served about 28 months in the Peace Corps as an English teacher in the nation of Benin, a narrow, north-south strip of land in West Africa. During her time there, Susan submitted a proposal to construct a three-classroom, oneoffice educational building in the little town of Pikira through the Peace Corps Partnership Program. The project was given the green light, and Susan and her mother, Robin, began fundraising. They had great success and the project is now completed. "It's a happy ending because it is finished now," said Susan. Susan said getting students an education is a problem in a lot of communities in Benin, but this particular school in Gomparou, where she taught four classes twice a week, had to turn away students because there was not enough space. "Classes must be scheduled at all hours of the day, light-permitting, since there is no electricity, and on weekends. Sometimes if there is no space and no more time in the schedule, certain classes would just not be held," said Susan, who says it feels good to have had helped provide an educational opportunity to those in need. "My mom helped a lot with the fundraising," said Susan. Robin, who resides in Cooperstown, said she mailed out about 100 letters, handed out approximately 200 fliers, sent out packets of information with stories and budget information, and gave presentations to about 25 community groups such as Rotary, the Lions Club and the Cooperstown Ecumenical Youth Group, seeking donations for the project. She said she also sent a packet to Oprah Winfrey, but is not sure if she made a contribution or not because the donations were made through the Peace Corps website, www.peacecorps.gov, anonymously. "We know someone made a very large contribution, but do not know who made it," said Robin. "It came together much more quickly than I thought it could thanks to many, many people. It's great to know it is finished and kids are using it." Susan said the fundraising went so well that the women surpassed their goal by $5,000, so they decided to donate the excess funds to ONG Victory Way, a non-governmental organization based in Parakou. Susan said the money will go toward a construction project to build an orphanage and school. "It is a big project, and it is typical to build little by little in Benin, so the construction will probably take many years," said Susan. "I'm very thankful to everyone who donated money, and because I do not have a way to know who donated, I don't know how to thank them individually." Susan said she has always liked to volunteer, travel and learn new languages. After her senior year in high school, Susan spent a year as a Rotary exchange student in Hungary. However, Susan said she missed some of the more "simple" things of home while away in Benin. Susan said she mostly missed her friends and family. "I missed two years of my niece growing up," she said. "She was two when I left." Living in Benin was a lot like camping, because there was no running water, said Susan. Since she has been home, she has been indulging in different foods that were not available in Benin. "I really missed having lemon in my water and having a refreshing cold drink," she said. "There was no ice or refrigeration." It was good to get back in a safe car and on paved roads, added Susan, who said people in Benin mostly traveled by motorcycle. She said living in Benin was also like living in a petting zoo, because there were many animals running around. According to Susan, the biggest difference about living in Benin was the climate. "It was so hot there," she said. "It is so cold here; I am still getting used to the cold." Robin said she got to visit her daughter in Benin for a couple weeks, and it was an amazing experience. However, Robin said, it is nice to have her daughter back home. She said in some ways having her daughter so far away was hard, but as long as she knew she was safe and enjoying herself, she could have fun as well. "It was a situation I could make the best of," said Robin. Now that Susan is home, she is sharing her experiences with the community. She said she hopes to educate people about Africa and Benin by giving presentations and showing pictures. She said she recently gave a presentation at the Cooperstown High School, and has more scheduled for a variety of community groups, such at the Rotary in January. Susan said she will be giving a presentation on Benin, her work there, and what she will be doing when she goes back at the First Presbyterian Church on Wednesday, Jan. 9 at 6:15 p.m. She said it is open to the public and people are encouraged, but not required, to bring an African-inspired dish to pass, because the evening will start as an African-themed potluck dinner. "Hopefully this will get people to feel more connected," Susan said. Susan said she plans to head back to Benin soon, but not through the Peace Corps. She said she will go back in March to work for Victory Way and intends to stay there through October. Susan said her job will be to make a complete database of all the orphans to make things more organized. She said there are hundreds of orphans in the area, and Victory Way pays for things such as their schooling, school uniforms, and medical bills. According to victoryway. org, Victory Way was originally created by three young lawyers, including its current president, as an organization for providing free legal counsel to women. Since that time, the organization has broadened its activities, increased its staff, and gained recognition both locally and nationally for its efforts. The website says Victory Way supports a number of orphans and at-risk children, and is the only non-government organization working against sexual harassment in the schools - a problem wellknown over the entire region. Susan was one of three women out of a class of 114 in 2000 who decided to serve terms as Peace Corps volunteers. Cooperstown's Margaret "Peggy" Donnelly and Elizabeth "Beth" Renckens also ventured to foreign lands. Robin said she finds it very interesting and unique that three girls in the same class decided to join the Peace Corps, and said, "Maybe that says something about the Cooperstown community at large." |
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