Kalenda, Zaire, 1976
Peace Corp Volunteers in Zaire at the Kalenda House. Pictured left to right: Mary Kate (Schmidt) Pung, Dr. Jerry Galloway and Bob Frere.
The first Peace Corps volunteers arrived in Zaire (now the Democratic Republic of the Congo) in 1970. They were secondary school teachers and smallpox eradication technicians. Small pox was soon eradicated. The education program expanded and the Peace Corps became involved in public health, agriculture, fisheries and public works. By 1976, there were 193 Peace Corps volunteers in the country.
The house in the photo is where Dr. Jerry Galloway and Tony Klaassen stayed in Kalenda. They worked hard to restore the hospital and set up a nursing school. Tony received a lot of experience from Jerry. Jerry wrote a letter of recommendation for Tony when he applied to medical school. Doctor Tony is a physician in Washington.
Pictured on the left is Mary Kate (Schmidt) Pung who taught English. Mary Kate later went on to work in public health for over thirty years. She stated that Jerry had a great impact on her life as he steered her toward a career in public health. In the center is Dr. Jerry Galloway.
Jerry returned to work with the Pygmies in Pendjwa from 1980-2007. On the right is Bob Frere. Bob was a science teacher in a town a couple hours away. When Bob returned to the United States he went to medical school and became a neurologist.
Many Peace Corps volunteers, who went to serve in developing countries, went on to serve others in their careers.
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