Peace Corps alumni recall ‘the toughest job you’ll ever love’

KENT — Heeding the words of President John F. Kennedy when he urged citizens to ask what they could do for their country, five current residents joined the Peace Corps back in the 1960s and’70s.

On Wednesday, July 16, they spoke about their experiences at a session of “People and Places” co-sponsored by the Kent Senior Center and the Kent Historical Society. Moderator was Marge Smith of the historical society.

Established in 1961, the Peace Corps is an independent US government agency that sends American volunteers to serve in communities overseas, working on projects in areas such as education, health, and economic development. They work at building relationships, exchanging cultures and contributing to sustainable development. A key aspect is to promote world peace and foster friendship and understanding between Americans and people of other countries.

Each of the participants gave a glimpse into their time in the corps. Barbara Psarakis said in 1964, at age 24, she had been through college and “wanted to go overseas in the worst way. I’d never been out of the country.” Her first choice was Africa and she was fortunate to be sent to West Cameroon. She was assigned to teach four courses at a girls’ school and said, “I had a wonderful two years. The students were eager to learn.”

Living conditions were primitive, with electricity available only two hours a day. Kerosene was used for heat and there was cold running water. “The Peace Corps had a great influence on me. It was life changing. I got to take two long trips. I consider myself extremely lucky and was glad the Peace Corps was there when I wanted it.” She went on to be a social studies teacher and found that experience to be very helpful in her career.

Irene Coe had just graduated with a bachelor’s degree in education in 1973, but there were no teaching jobs in Hartford. So, she turned to the Peace Corps and chose Central America with a goal of learning Spanish. She was sent to Honduras, and was immersed in speaking Spanish, which she said was tough.

Her position was to teach science, but they needed someone to go to a small town to teach beekeeping, carpentry and sewing. “I was selected,” she said, “But that didn’t last long. My abode was broken into, so they moved me back.” She then traveled around to many small towns teaching science, all the while speaking Spanish, in which she eventually became proficient.

When her stint was up, the Honduran Education Department asked her to stay another two years, which stretched into three. Then it was time to go home. “Within two weeks, I had a position teaching in Hartford because I could speak Spanish,” she said. She still returns to Honduras where she is very close to a family, who are like her own. She speaks lovingly of her “brothers” who have all done well.

“It was the best experience of my life,” Coe said emphatically.

The story of Barbara and Denis Curtiss was a bit different. They had been married for seven years in 1976, when he saw an ad for the Peace Corps that described it as “the toughest job you’ll ever love.” They signed up and had two weeks to prepare. Their home for the next two years was Figi. She said the training part was difficult and they had to pass a language test or be sent home.

They, too, had primitive living conditions, residing in a grass hut with no electricity or running water, “but we had the South Pacific out the door,” said Barbara Curtiss. At first, she was kept busy with the native women, but because men were essentially stripped of their duties, there wasn’t much for her husband to do. Eventually they were assigned teaching jobs at a high school on the main island (Figi had 300 islands), but she said boredom was a big problem. There were long periods with nothing to do.

They later moved to a place near an orphanage, where they were embraced by 57 children and kept very busy.

“The Peace Corps changed our lives hugely,” Barbara Curtiss said. When they completed their time there, they spent the next 20 years teaching at schools around the world.

Catherine Bachrach joined in 1965 immediately after college. “It seemed like the most exciting thing to do,” she said. Her assignment was Turkey. Her training focused quite a bit on the cultural aspects of going to a Muslim country. She was dropped off by herself in a small town on the eastern shore of the Black Sea, which was just across the street from the school in which she taught.

She interacted mostly with women and children and had to dress and act conservatively. Hazelnut shells were the source of heat, she had a squat toilet, and two-burner gas stove, but no refrigerator. She, too, did a lot of traveling during her stay. “Echoing the others, she said, “It was a great experience. I gained as much as everyone else did.”

During the comment period, when asked what the citizens of the countries thought about Peace Corps volunteers, Barbara Curtiss said “We taught them so much about Americans and they taught us so much. The Peace Corps was not imposed on countries. They asked for us.”

Asked if they thought they did good, all responded in the affirmative. Several said their students flourished because of their influence.