US Peace Corps from Louisiana is doing voluntary work in Zambia and was in Botswana for New Year holidays after spending some time in Malawi and Mozambique. He says he has been surprised by the peaceful people he met in all the African countries he toured. "I am surprised people in Africa are more peaceful than I had expected. The people here are all beautiful and the town is more like our towns in the US, and the difference is that the place here is tidier than some of the towns back home," he said referring to the Main Mall. Subscribe to AllAfrica

He was surprised that what he had experienced is in contrast to what he grew up knowing about Africa. "In the US, many if not allsubsidise farming, a thing that hurts economies of developing countries, who could export their products to developed countries without having to face stiff competition from our farmers."

He said that his friends and the people back home despise him for his dreadlocks. Some tell him that he is silly and has lost his mind and that he would never get a job with his hairstyle. "My parents do not have any problem with my dreadlocks and they always advice me to take care of myself."

He said that he only heard about Botswana for the first time in Zambia.

When this story was posted in January 2005, this was on the front page of PCOL:

Peace Corps issues appeal to Thailand RPCVsPeace Corps is currently assessing the situation in Thailand, anticipates a