Bio rcollman

From Rpcvdraft

Revision as of 16:05, 2 January 2008

Who was Chris then? Autobiographical

I think there was one person younger than me in our group and I was part of a small set who had not completed college. I have no idea why I was selected.

I just turned 20 in April, when I started training at MSU. I went to a junior college, was interested in anthropology, worked in a place that made almond sheets (which were put under the trees to collect almonds) and irrigation dams, along with tents and awnings. I did know how to mow a lawn. I had 3 years of Latin and still consider my language aptitude pretty weak. That was my vague agricultural and cross cultural qualifications.

Actually being a summer boy scout counselor for 3 years while I was in High School should have gained high marks on my limited resume. At Camp Harvey West, I worked with 1 to 2 troops a week over a 7 week season as a "Ranger". I was used to dealing with different groups, leadership styles and adapting our camp's offerings to a troop's desires. I would led troops on daylong hikes, taught basic scouting camp skills and sometimes escort them to special activities run by others. And for two years I was also the camp Master of Ceremonies. This included 2 well rehearsed campfires a week for 300 campers put on by the staff. Prior to Peace Corps, I had read the book "The Ugly American" which probably influenced how I answered questions in the application.

I think Ikot Ekpene Division was roughly 20 by 30 miles and divided into 4 County Councils. Most of my work was with 12 community oil palm farms scattered somewhat evenly about the Division. I would assist any village in their community projects. This included cloth weaving, bridge construction, a raffia cooperative, poultry projects and a very troublesome rice demonstration project. I was working with more groups but it was very similar to being a boy scout counselor - you tried your best to make things possible, other people had to do them.

A typical day

Get up in the morning. Stand under my bucket shower, put on my pressed shirt and shorts (hot irons killed the eggs of insects that liked the wet clothes on the line), eat a breakfast prepared by Fabian Cypril Ibanga. Then it was off to a village. Sometime I would have company or pick somebody up along the way. There would usually be a series of unofficial and official meetings and tours that might fill up the morning.

My afternoons varied. I might stop by and visit another PCV at a school, see another village and its leader just to say hello, or do a visual check on a project (usually for show). Or I might head back to the Divisional Office or see some Ministry of Agriculture extension agents or read some files. I would generally return to my house and have dinner. Sometimes I would cage a dinner invitation from another volunteer or eat out. Not every evening, but very often I would walk to one of several bars in Ikot Ekpene or visit people at their house in town. Maybe another PCV would show up with some excuse to leave their post like "My house was invaded by Army ants" or "the motor foot done broke".

A tough day would mean official visits to 2 community farms or one official visit and physical work. Usually the physical work was more symbolic than effective.

Official visits were always arranged in advanced and were based upon the local market week day, spaced a month apart for any given project. The start time was usually vague and in the morning (early for me, late for the village). There might be a brief pre community farm meeting with the extension agent and the leader(s). The meeting itself usually followed an agenda which had been worked out before hand. There could be 30 to 100 people at the meeting. Sometimes family heads would escort me to the community farm for a visit. I always encouraged and accepted an invitation to someone's house for refreshments after the meeting. This was where new business was discussed and questions raised, next steps to be finished by next official meeting were laid out and when the next official meeting date was determined. I found that this worked well for everybody. Sometimes it was a good idea to have an unofficial visit, which might also be scheduled or just sort of happen. In general, an official visit never lasted less than a half day.

There were special official events. For example walking the perimeter of the proposed community farm was a very important event. Often a community farm was placed on the boundary with another village, so it was good practice to make sure the event was very public. There were different types of celebrations, somebody was having a second burial, a festival, a some village party that might require my presence. Sometimes I would be asked to give a speech or sit with Divisional Officer as an advisor.

Only that troublesome Rice Demonstration Project (assigned to me in my second year) might find me back in the same place twice in one week.

Summary of my Peace Corps experience

Like most other PCVs, my Peace Corp experience was profound. For me I got to experience the best and the worst of a PVC's tour. I am so glad that I was in Nigeria first. And I believe I was lucky to be stationed in Ikot Ekpene, which of course (like most other PCVs, I still believe) was the best working situation in the entire country. I was busy all the time and helped people do good things. By contrast, only 50% of the Volunteers assigned to Somalia finished their 2 year tour. If it were not for another Nigerian transplant (Everett T), who got me a job as a roadie in a traveling PCV rock and roll band, I probably would not have finished my extension in Somalia.

After Somalia I went to Geneva and Red Cross, NYC and the United Nations to see if I could assist with aid to Biafra. No doors opened up, probably because I was burnt out mentally from Somalia and could not see them. I went to Washington to see about USAID, but met another Nigeria XVI volunteer and decided being USAID in Viet Nam was not my cup of tea. I ended up in the Army and never left the states. After the Army, I went back to Nigeria on a 3 month visa and spent 2 months with the Clan Head of Ekpenyong Atai, who was a friend. [edit]

Who is Chris now?

Upon my return to the US, I was an upper division student at Franconia College (my brother went there as well). For my year's outreach, I lived with the Navajo as a volunteer at a boarding school for specially handicapped young adult Navajos. A private people, more like Somali's than Annangs, I decided to do some historical research to compare oral tradition and the written tradition. I am one of the few experts on Navajo Indian Scouts who served in the US Army from 1873 to 1895. I stayed on at the College and was a part time Director of Financial Aid. Then the college closed and I worked for a family agriculture business for a couple of years.

Without putting too fine a point on it, I have basically been with my wife since the first time we met. I helped her start a sewing business as a cottage industry, we bought a house, and got married. Gale River Designs ended up growing to 40 employees and lasted over 20 years. Lots of stories there. While we would never recommend it, we worked together for all those years. Gale River could not make the transition to offshore manufacturing and basically we lost everything in 2000 except the important stuff (our house, honor and family).

Both Karen and I reinvented our careers. She is now a certified K-12 school counselor in both NH and VT. I am paid by the University System of New Hampshire to assist state public safety agencies with distance education. This means I supervise 700 hours a year of interactive video training events and act as a technical adviser for on-line learning software (Moodle.org). Like many other FON members, many of the things I learned in Nigeria are being used again and again in my life.

We have two children. Our son is a graduate student in Micro Biology (something to do with the mechanics of memory and learning). Our daughter is an undergraduate and should have her BFA next year and works with clay. Karen and I live in the beautiful White Mountains, still in the same house.

See also