This email comes from a recently COS'ed volunteer from Samoa. Shawn was working at "second chance" school in Savai'i teaching basic compuers skills in an environment can only be described as "primitive".

Shawn applied for an extension and was denied. Now here he is working hard to get more and better PCs for the school.

It's really interesting to me that at time when the Bush Administration seems hell bent on increasing volunteer numbers that PCVs should be denied extentions.

Personally, I think that if you can make it through two years of service then if you want to continue, you should have every right to. If there was some kind of problem that would keep the Peace Corps from wanting you in country, they should dealt with it long before the end of service.

Hello all,

This e-mail is all business and no faitala (sorry).

Anyway, I'm hoping to start up a little project here in Hawaii but I need help from all of you. I have computers that need to be taken to Samoa. Let me explain.

I went to an RPCV gathering the other night. There was like 40 people there. Many of the people I talked to work for big companies like hospitals or government departments. A big topic of conversation was on how the RPCV group can do some service projects.

So I was thinking that with all these RPCVs in so many companies, that's a ton of contacts for finding old computers that companies are going to get rid of. Old computers would be VERY valuable in the computer lab of my old school (the Marist Center for Special Learning) in Savaii.

So I sent a mass e-mail to all the RPCVs in Hawaii asking them to check out their workplace and see if there are any surplus computers that just taking up space. If so, then just tell me and I;ll come pick them up. I've gotten a big response and currently have 5 computers with the possibility of many more.

So the next problem is the eternal problem of shipping. It's all well and good to get all these computers but then how the hell to I get them to Samoa. Well, Hawaii is a really popular place for current PC Samoa volunteers to visit. PCs come here for vacation or when they are transiting to go home.

So, what if everytime a PC Samoa volunteer comes through Hawaii, they agree to take with them some computer equipment back to Samoa. Considering volunteers don't have much stuff anyway, they should have a considerable amount of excess allowable backage weight that can be used to take computers back to Samoa.

SO here is what I'm asking from all the volunteers (and even staff). If anyone plans to either visit Hawaii or is transiting through Hawaii to Samoa, could you please be so kind as to lug some extra stuff on the retun leg. If you let me know when you are coming, I can meet you at the airport (or go out for a few drinks). I can then give you the computer stuff (all boxed up) to take back to Samoa where Vic can pick it up and bring it to the school.

What do you think?

So this method is inherently limted in its scope. Volunteers can only take so much computer equipment in excess baggage. But with a steady stream of volunteers I think we can get a fair number of computers over there. Who knows, maybe with some funding for shipping we can expand to include other schools.

Thanks for reading this and let me know if you are flying through Hawaii and are willing to take stuff back....and if you just want to faitala and catch up, defintely e-mail me.