Jilib in 1966

[Grant]

Can you tell us your backstory? If it is not too intrusive of course.

Raised Mormon. Worked 4 summers as a teen on my grandfather's ranch in Utah, working cattle, putting up hay with horses. BA in history from UCR. Father worked for the Air Force, so we lived all over the country. . I Worked more than 40 years as a dental technician, specializing in crown and bridge. I mostly did porcelain fused to gold, and was continuously certified for 34 years. I have been retired since 2012.

My 23andme:

https://www.somalispot.com/threads/got-my-23-and-me.38505/

Some colleagues:

https://www.somalispot.com/threads/the-somaliland-blog-three-pc-observers-of-the-election.35445/

 

[zidane]

Raised Mormon. Worked 4 summers as a teen on my grandfather's ranch in Utah, working cattle, putting up hay with horses. BA in history from UCR. Father worked for the Air Force, so we lived all over the country. . I Worked more than 40 years as a dental technician, specializing in crown and bridge. I mostly did porcelain fused to gold, and was continuously certified for 34 years. I have been retired since 2012.

My 23andme:

https://www.somalispot.com/threads/got-my-23-and-me.38505/

Some colleagues:

https://www.somalispot.com/threads/the-somaliland-blog-three-pc-observers-of-the-election.35445/

Wow

What brought you to Somalia in the 60's?

Missionary work I am guessing

 

[Grant]

Wow

What brought you to Somalia in the 60's?

Missionary work I am guessing

That is your Somali xenophobia talking. Please read the "colleagues" link. The US Peace Corps is not a religious organization and I am not religious..

I left the Mormon Church (LDS) when I turned 18 and was able. My brother served a Church mission in Germany. I was fed up with what I knew of the founding of the Church, and joined the Peace Corps and went to Somalia instead. Mormons believe in free will. My brother and I, and the rest of a very extended family (We were polygamous before the last two generations.) remain on good terms.

There were 9 PC groups, 1962-1969. My group were mostly English teachers, with three lawyers thrown in. We also had Volunteers who built schools, worked in agriculture, etc. John Johnson stayed on to work with Mussa Galaal and later established the Somali Collection at Indiana State.

If you search "The US Peace Corps in Somalia" you will be led to a post of PC material I made a while ago on Somnet.

We served at the request and in the service of the Somali Government. My President was Aden Adde. We were in towns and residential schools all over the country, in ones and twos and threes. There were maybe 300 of us total, about half of whom I have read terminated early. But the Russians saw us as such a threat that those in the country after the Kacaan were given only 48 hours to get out. Americans were generally not liked, but we were Peace Corps, something different. We lived with the people, ate what they ate and spoke what we could of their languages. We were well treated and well accepted. I know from the numbers of Somali students seeking their teachers through PC links that we are remembered.

I taught English at the Government School, in the photo above. Those are photos of my students. They could sing the alphabet song and read the first few pages of the East African Primer. Aged about 5-20, they were all at the same level. This is a school. That is a book. That book is red. I started at zero in an area that spoke Maay and recently Italian at the administrative level. I was evacuated with depression, but was able to maintain contact with friends in Jilib until the Kacaan, some of whom are now in Columbus, Ohio. It is a small world.

 

[zidane]

That is your Somali xenophobia talking. Please read the "colleagues" link. The US Peace Corps is not a religious organization and I am not religious..

I left the Mormon Church (LDS) when I turned 18 and was able. My brother served a Church mission in Germany. I was fed up with what I knew of the founding of the Church, and joined the Peace Corps and went to Somalia instead. Mormons believe in free will. My brother and I, and the rest of a very extended family (We were polygamous before the last two generations.) remain on good terms.

There were 9 PC groups, 1962-1969. My group were mostly English teachers, with three lawyers thrown in. We also had Volunteers who built schools, worked in agriculture, etc. John Johnson stayed on to work with Mussa Galaal and later established the Somali Collection at Indiana State.

If you search "The US Peace Corps in Somalia" you will be led to a post of PC material I made a while ago on Somnet.

We served at the request and in the service of the Somali Government. My President was Aden Adde. We were in towns and residential schools all over the country, in ones and twos and threes. There were maybe 300 of us total, about half of whom I have read terminated early. But the Russians saw us as such a threat that those in the country after the Kacaan were given only 48 hours to get out. Americans were generally not liked, but we were Peace Corps, something different. We lived with the people, ate what they ate and spoke what we could of their languages. We were well treated and well accepted. I know from the numbers of Somali students seeking their teachers through PC links that we are remembered.

I taught English at the Government School, in the photo above. Those are photos of my students. They could sing the alphabet song and read the first few pages of the East African Primer. Aged about 5-20, they were all at the same level. This is a school. That is a book. That book is red. I started at zero in an area that spoke Maay and recently Italian at the administrative level. I was evacuated with depression, but was able to maintain contact with friends in Jilib until the Kacaan, some of whom are now in Columbus, Ohio. It is a small world.

I didnt mean any harm with that comment

It was the most logical scenario from the information available

 

[nine]

@Grant How was the weather in Jilib back then? I hope global warming hasn't changed it.

 

[Grant]

@Grant How was the weather in Jilib back then? I hope global warming hasn't changed it.

In the wet it rained mosquitoes and in the dry the caro madow cracked deeper than you could see.

I worry for what the charcoal business is doing.