A Difficult Time

I have been delaying writing and posting this entry as it comes as quite a challenge, and that is because it is about the death of a fellow Peace Corps Volunteer. I have been thinking about it a lot for the past few weeks, but anything I say doesn't seem to capture the emotions and hardships we have all been dealing with. 

As I may have told some of you, a few weeks ago, in the beginning of May, we got a call from Peace Corps Staff and it was not good news. A few other PCVs and I were traveling back from a World Malaria Day event and we were in the heart of Western Region. Staff called one of the PCVs I was traveling and told him she had some sad news...Danielle "Danni" Dunlap had just passed away from an illness, and it is believed to have been cerebral malaria. I was a few rows back and when I saw my friend coming back towards us I could tell it wasn't good news due to the look on his face. My heart was racing. He told us everything he knew and then we just stood/sat there for a few minutes in silence. I couldn't believe what I was hearing. How could someone I had just seen less than a week ago have passed away? The rest of the bus ride was probably one of the worst rides I've been on in Ghana. Phone reception was cutting in and out so it was difficult to get a hold of other people to figure out what was going on. 

I was supposed to be going back to site that night, but instead the PCVs I was traveling with and I decided that as soon as we reached the station we would turn around and take the overnight bus to Accra. A memorial service was being planned for Danni and we wanted, needed to be there. There was no questioning whether we'd go to Accra. A member of our family passed and we were going to be there no matter what. 

No matter what I say about Danni it won't do her justice. In one word, Danni was incredible. She was one of the kindest souls I have ever met. There is not one negative thing I could say about her. She was the kind of person others strive to be. At 25 she already had impressive academic and professional accomplishments. She graduated from Brown University and had already taught English in South Korea and volunteered in Haiti before coming to Peace Corps. And her work ethic didn't stop upon arriving in Ghana. She did everything under the sun - HIV/AIDS education and testing campaigns, trained new Peace Corps Volunteers, hosted In-Service Trainings, brought latrines to her village, and so much more. She was what we call a Super Volunteer. No task was impossible for Danni. If she wanted to do something, she got it done. Inspirational would be putting it mildly. And one of the many great things about Danni was that she never bragged or gloated about her service. I never felt intimidated around her when we talked about work.

My most successful project at site is actually in thanks to Danni. A couple of months ago we sat and talked for a few hours about life, boys, jobs, Peace Corps, and probably 100 more things. She began talking about doing English tutouring for some of her local JHS students. I have done quite a bit of English tutuoring before Peace Corps so naturally I was very intrigued by this project. She gave me tips and advice on how to start the group and told me if I ever needed anything I could go to her. I started this project at my site and it has been amazing. I only wish I could have told her that. 

Besides Peace Corps work though, Danni was an amazing human being. She never excluded anyone and always had a smile on her face. She was a delight to be around and instantly put you in a better mood. And she was an excellent hugger. Danni and I weren't in the same Peace Corps training group but I got to know her really well during her time here and I still can't believe she is gone. It doesn't feel right being at site and continuing to do work and knowing that she is no longer with us, but she wouldn't want us to feel that way. Wherever she is I know she is smiling down and telling us all to get to work and be happy, so that is what I am going to do. 

The memorial was wonderful. It was beautiful, powerful, and it really showed me that Peace Corps truly is a family. It was one of the most amazing things to see...PCVs and Staff working together in Accra throughout the week to plan Danni's service. We were all working hard and supporting each other through this dark time and I have never seen anything like it. Our Country Director opened up his house for the memorial and we are very grateful for that. Throughout the week, PCVs were coming together to write personal stories, compile photos and videos, memories of Danni's service, and much much more. We even designed funeral cloth with a Dr. Pepper stamp (goodness knows she was addicted to Dr. Pepper). We even had a Dr. Pepper toast for her at the end of the service. 

It was truly one of the hardest weeks I've had to endure and I couldn't have done it without my friends and family, especially my Peace Corps family. This truly showed me how powerful the relationships that we build in Peace Corps are. We love and support each other like I have never seen. I always say that I have met some of the greatest, most amazing people here in Peace Corps, and that is beyond true. I wish everyone had a chance to meet my friends here and see how incredible they are. They make me a better person and I can count on them for anything. I love them more than they know and I can't imagine my service without them. Unfortunately many of them are starting to leave soon as they came in groups before me, but it will all be OK in the end.

Tomorrow I will leave for the STARS (Students Taking Action Reaching for Success) Conference in Kumasi. It is a leadership conference for high school students around Ghana. There will be over 60 Form 2 (sophomore) students and quite a few PCVs. I am one of 12 Group Leaders this year, so that means I will have a partner and we will be in charge of six students. Throughout the week we were learn about different leadership and goal setting skills, health issues, academic and career prospects, and much more. My students that I am bringing are beyond excited and I can't wait for them to experience this conference. I am hoping that it truly inspires them to be better students and lead by example when they return home. So thank you to everyone that donated, big or small, we couldn't have done it without you. 

And some more good news...In about 65 days I will be on a plane to Orlando! I will be home this summer for a few weeks and I couldn't be more excited. I have quite a list planned out...The Pig Stand, Snack Jacks, Hurricane Patty's (notice how I started with places to eat), Universal Studios, Allison's wedding, the beach, my pool, shopping (sorry, Dad. Mom told me about Millennium Mall). And not only that I get to see my wonderful parents and my brother (who I haven't seen in over a year!) Summer can't come soon enough!