1. Guyana Mixing the old with the new

    Older women traditionally dress in their best dresses while shopping in the chaos of the market. Everything is done the old fashion way, yet ironically an internet address is painted on the building. 

  2. Guyana Jhandi Ceremony

    Hindu Ceremony

  3. Guyana Dawali Motorcade

    Guyanese celebration of Dawali in the capital 

  4. Vanuatu A bridal shower, Paama style

    The oldest of the Avock family is my sister Lenneth age 24 who lives on another island with her daughter and husband to be. It’s not uncommon for couples to bear children before the official marriage ceremony. There are several parts to custom marriages that lead up to the actual religious union. Similar to our engagement parties and bridal/groom showers, one of them is when Aunties of the bride who had given the bride a name when she was born*, dress the bride. (*Most Ni-Vanuatu have severa...

  5. Vanuatu Happy Children

    The children in Vanuatu...carefree, loving and happy. If only we could all take on the world with this hopeful and enthusiastic outlook and just maybe there could be peace on earth.  

  6. Vanuatu My mamas and laplap

    The beloved Paama Mamas in my village are the foundation for life on the islands. They go to the gardens, cook, wash and look after the children and household with little time for themselves. Their support, love, hard work and perseverance are an inspiration to me. 

  7. Vanuatu A Basket for Change

      What started out as workshops for women to come together, sew and share stories evolved into A Basket for Change.  55 women from Paama along with the help of two returned Peace Corps volunteers Amy Chan & Brianna Russell started “A Basket for Change” (ABC) where they have created a new style of bag or basket as Ni-Vanuatu call them using cotton material printed with Vanuatu’s vibrant colors and island motif.  www.abasketforchange.org

  8. Senegal Lost in the woods

    This photo was taken on my third day at my site. I was terrified of these crazed, machete and stick-wielding tree-men (called gangurans in Mandinka), who run around the village threatening to beat children as they scream and run away. My host family egged me on to get this photo.   

  9. South Africa I Spy a Waterbuck

    The boundaries of Kruger National Park in South Africa were just 2 km from our house in our village, so we had plenty of opportunities to visit and track down the wildlife there, trying to find at least one of everything that lives in the area.  Here's a particularly intimate photo (taken through the lens of a binocular) of a waterbuck relaxing in the shade during the heat of the day.

  10. South Africa Leapin' Lizards!

    This large lizard with crazy eyes fell off the rafters on our porch ("stoep") and our brother from our host family picked it up to show it to me.  Our home for 2 1/2 years can also be seen in the background.

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“Sunset at the Railroad” by PCV Nicholas Baylor Hall. Namibia, 2011.