Interview with Marjorie Scieszka, Greg Scieszka, Jr., May 24, 2021

Interview Summary

Marjorie and Greg Scieszka Jr. served as Peace Corps Volunteers (Education) in Lesotho from 1971-1973. Marjorie taught English and biology, and Greg taught math and African history in a rural mountain village high school. Their one-year-old son Jimmy went with them. Marjorie and Greg served as Response volunteers (Education) in Swaziland from 2010-2011. Greg contributed to the Swaziland Ministry of Education’s initiative to provide free primary education to 30,000 new students. Marjorie supported the Ministry’s Early Education/Special Education programs and traveled throughout Swaziland to establish school libraries. Greg served as a Response volunteer(Education) in St. Vincent and the Grenadines in 2018. He helped develop a new summer math education project to train math teachers. Marjorie and Greg have lived the Peace Corps goals professionally and personally. Both are educators who brought the world back home through numerous annual speaking engagements. They continue to stay connected to their communities in Lesotho and Swaziland through email, travel, and outreach to Basotho and Swazi students studying in the U.S.

Interview Keyword

Peace Corps (U.S.) Lesotho (Country of service) 1971-1973 (Date of service) Peace Corps Volunteer Job: Education Morijo, Lesotho (Training site) Sesotho (Language) Siswati (Language) Basotho people (Culture) St. Monica Mission, Lesotho (assignment site) King Moshoeshoe II of Lesotho rondavel (Basotho house) Hloho Mahetla (Sesotho body parts song) Marjorie’s Lesotho name: Makhotso (mother of Khotso) Greg’s Lesotho name: Ntate Pule (father rain) Jimmy’s Lesotho name: Khotso (peace) British Consul SRA (Science Research Associates) Reading Laboratory AIDS epidemic Peace Corps management apartheid Response Volunteers Swaziland (Country of service) 2010-2011 (Date of service) Response Volunteer Job: Education Siswati (Language) UNICEF (United Nations International Children’s Emergency Fund) UNESCO (United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization) FunDza NGO (non-governmental organization) Marjorie’s Siswati name: Nomsa (kindness) Greg’s Siswati name: Musa (kindness) Peace Corps management Volunteers (other): Help Lesotho (Canadian NGO) Swaziland (Country of Service) 2015 Volunteer job: Education Response Volunteer: Greg Scieszka, Jr. St. Vincent and the Grenadines (Country of service) 2018 (Date of service) Response Volunteer Job: Education kombi (local bus)

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Interview Usage

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