Teachers brave three cyclones to tutor island children Teachers brave three cyclones to tutor island children (April 27, 2005)

By Jane Knoerle

Almanac Lifestyles Editor

They've helped build a kindergarten classroom in Viet Nam and trails in Costa Rica, but retired teachers Mary Frances Jourdan and Peggy Rose of Menlo Park never expected to endure three cyclones in three weeks during their recent trip to the Cook Islands in the South Pacific.

Both teachers are retired from the Las Lomitas School District; Ms. Jourdan taught at Las Lomitas, Ms. Rose taught at La Loma and Ladera. They have been friends for 40 years and are neighbors at Menlo Commons.

The teachers were part of a team of eight Americans who set off for the Cook Islands in February with Global Volunteers, a non-profit organization that sends volunteers on working vacations to 19 countries.

The volunteer team had signed on to tutor elementary school children on the island of Rarotonga. However, they ended up tackling everything from painting classrooms to stocking the local Red Cross with emergency supplies.

Ms. Jourdan and Ms. Rose were looking forward to spending three weeks in one location in an oceanfront hotel. During the worst of the storms, they had to be evacuated from their lodging and moved inland for safety. They actually changed rooms 10 times.

Before they arrived, a serious cyclone had already damaged the Cook Islands. Three of the rooms in their hotel on the main island of Rarotonga had been destroyed.

Just as they were getting settled, along came Cyclone Nancy with winds of 130 mph. They were evacuated to the home of the program director, away from the water. They returned to their hotel the next day, but two days later, Cyclone Olaf forced them to leave again.

"Because of the cyclones we met lots of local people. We even spent one night at a hostel and slept on mats on the floor," says Ms. Jourdan. "I was impressed with the warmth of the Cook Islanders. It was great to see how everyone pulled together in an emergency."

The cyclones blasted Rarotonga with fierce winds and gigantic waves. No one was killed or seriously injured in the cyclones, but, after each one, cleanup efforts had to start from scratch.

When skies cleared, the teachers were finally able to focus on their work at Takitumo School tutoring elementary school children.

When Cyclone Percy came more than a week later, they decided to stay put, trying to sleep the night through heavy rains.

When the women left the island after their three-week adventure, the trip home took 38 hours.

Reflecting on their experiences, both women say they enjoyed working with the local teaching staff.

"I would like teachers in the United States to observe the islanders' approach to teaching," says Ms. Jourdan. "I saw such quality of life there. The children seem to have a childhood, whereas U.S. children are so bombarded with TV and computer games."

Global Volunteers sends teams of volunteers worldwide to work on projects ranging from teaching English to assisting with health care and constructing community buildings. The organization is not subsidized.

Volunteers pay a tax-deductible fee, from $1,395 to $2,560, to cover food, lodging and project expenses. Airfare is extra.

For more information, call Global Volunteers at 1-800-487-1074.

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