Lindsey Forsythe thanks home town for helping school

By DONNA HICKMAN
Daily Journal Staff Writer

Thursday, October 2, 2008 10:11 AM CDT

Lindsey Forsythe graduated from Farmington High School in 2002 and graduated from the University of Missouri in Columbia in 2006 with a degree in journalism. She hoped for a career in magazine writing. She married Scott Clithero just before she left Mizzou. Her life seemed to be on a set course. But, she longed for something more.

“Sometime around October 2005, Scott and I decided to apply for the Peace Corps,” said Lindsey.  “To be honest, at that time I was frustrated with a lot of things that were happening in the United States and felt like it would benefit me to get out and see how the rest of the world was living. Also, there had always been a part of me that felt a little bit guilty for the nice life that I had been given, simply because I was fortunate enough to be born in the U.S.A.”

She thought the Peace Corps provided an opportunity to try to help those less fortunate than herself. So, she and Scott applied, listing the Pacific Islands as their first choice.

“Who wouldn’t want to spend two years in a place like Fiji?” said Lindsey.

They listed Southern/Eastern Africa as their second choice.

The young couple was assigned to Namibia.  They live in Nkurenkuru, which Lindsey describes as “an interesting — and quite wonderful — place.” It’s a village that’s developing into a town, which means that more businesses are starting to come in and people are starting to build modern houses here instead of traditional “huts.”  It’s in the Kavango Region, which is in the northern part of Namibia, so Nkurenkuru lies on the Namibia-Angola border.

She said there is one market where they can buy essentials, and then there are a few other smaller shops that sell different things. There is one small bank and a small post office. There are two schools. Lindsey works in the Nkurenkuru Combined School, which is government-run. Scott’s school is ELCIN High School, which is semi-private. Although the town is slowly developing, most people here don’t have jobs and survive off the land. They cultivate mahangu and maize and depend on the river for water and fish. Most of them do live on homesteads with their extended family members, in traditional houses. 

“However, I shouldn’t give the impression that everyone lives that way,” said Lindsey. “Scott and I have a very nice modern home with running water and electricity, and most of our colleagues also live in Western-style housing.”

Late last year, Lindsey submitted a proposal to renovate a run-down building on the school grounds that could be used for a staff room and meeting space. She needed to raise nearly $3,000 for the renovation project. She raised the full amount by last July with help from people in her hometown.

“So, on behalf of Nkurenkuru Combined School, I would like to whole-heartedly thank my fellow Farmingtonians and their businesses who so generously contributed to this project. Without their help, this renovation project truly would not have been possible. Thank you very much to: McDonald’s - Mike and Cyndy Gladbach; Hutson Enterprises, Keith and Karen Hutson; Missouri Natural Gas; Jane and David Howard; and Gary and Vicki Scott.”

She also thanked the people who donated anonymously to the project.

In response to questions sent to her from the Daily Journal via e-mail, Lindsey said the experience will undoubtedly change her. Every day, she sees people walking miles to and from the river carrying large buckets of water on their heads. She sees them building their homes with materials from the earth.

“More than the material things, though, I think this experience has really opened my eyes to the beauty of different cultures. Because I thought of us as so different from one another, it was hard for me to imagine before coming to Namibia that I’d be able to really connect with the people here in my village, much less establish great friendships with them. But, since we’ve been here, I’ve met some of the nicest, funniest, most interesting people that I’ve ever come across — and I’ve developed a very strong friendship with two of my colleagues.”   

Lindsey said she has developed a new appreciation for the United States and no matter how she might complain about it, she will always know that she likes being an American. She has decided she would like to go back to school to get a Master’s degree in International Affairs or some related field because she would like to have a job that deals with international assistance.

The couple have a few months left in their two-year commitment. They’ll return home in December. She said being away from her family and friends has been the hardest part. They talk with their families once a week, but she said she misses being able to come home whenever she wants to come home.

“I guess I would want people back home to know that the work I’m doing here isn’t as scary or as “out-there” as it might seem. I’m surrounded by wonderful people, I live in a great place, I teach super kids every day and I really enjoy my life here. It’s very difficult at times, yes, but when I walk down to the river and see the hippos or the ladies washing their clothes and taking baths, I know that it’s an experience that is irreplaceable, and I feel incredibly lucky to have it.”

She said she would strongly encourage anyone who wants to do volunteer work — whether in the U.S. or in a foreign country — to go for it.  She said it’s a great experience, and it gives you the chance to see things that you might not have the chance to see otherwise. 

  

Donna Hickman is a reporter for the Daily Journal. Contact her at 431-2010, ext. 138 or at dhickman@dailyjournalonline.com.

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