(This article is from the Gainesville Sun. This type of thing can happen anywhere, abroad and in America. My heart and thoughts are with his family, friends, and other volunteers in Lesotho.)
By Kimberly C. Moore
Staff writer
Published: Sunday, September 5, 2010 at 8:37 p.m.
Last Modified: Sunday, September 5, 2010 at 8:37 p.m.
The United States Peace Corps announced over the weekend that University of Florida graduate and Peace Corps volunteer Tom Maresco was shot and killed in an apparent robbery attempt in the small African nation of Lesotho on Friday night.
“Tom was an exceptional volunteer, leader, teacher and coach — he was an integral part of his host community where he shared his passion for teaching, music and sports,” said Peace Corps Director Aaron Williams. “We are deeply saddened by this tragic event, and I ask that you keep Tom’s family and our volunteers and staff in Lesotho in your thoughts and prayers.”
According to the Peace Corps, Maresco was from Port St. Lucie. He was a secondary education teacher in the village of Katse. He arrived in Lesotho for Peace Corps service in November 2009 and served as a science teacher in the nation that is entirely surrounded by South Africa. He was an active member of his local community of Katse and coached youth in a number of sports, including basketball and swimming. Maresco became his district’s representative on the Peace Corps Lesotho HIV/AIDS committee and was committed to developing innovative ways to address HIV awareness and prevention among young people. He was scheduled to complete his Peace Corps service in January 2012.
According to CNN, Maresco was attending a farewell function at the Maseru Sun Cabanas Hotel in the nation’s capital. He and a female friend had left the hotel and decided to return on foot, even though their vehicles were waiting outside the hotel.
“We think they were observed leaving the hotel on foot and when they were returning, (an) assailant was waiting outside the hotel,” Inspector Lekhotla Mojete, of the Lesotho police, told CNN. “The stranger started making demands of them, which they didn’t fully understand and (the assailant) then shot the deceased.”
He said the woman accompanying Maresco rushed back into the hotel to get help, but police were unable to find the gunman when they arrived on scene.
CNN also reported that a description of the attacker was provided to law enforcement officials by the woman. No arrests have been made yet and an autopsy was scheduled.
University of Florida spokesman Steve Orlando said Maresco graduated in May 2008 with a Bachelor of Science degree in integrated biology and a minor in classical studies.
“It’s always awful when something like this happens, but it’s especially sad when it happens to someone who’s trying to do something good in the world and clearly Thomas was,” Orlando said.
On his blog, http://tmaresco.blogspot.com/, Maresco talked about his excitement at seeing South African President Jacob Zuma in his village last month and eating lunch within 3 feet of him.
“It was a surreal feeling because I’m sure I wouldn’t have been able to get within 10 city blocks of President Obama,” Maresco wrote.
And in May, he wrote about coaching the kids in basketball.
“Playing with the kids is great and the exercise is an added bonus I suppose,” he wrote. “We make the most out of our practice facility, which is essentially a netball court. Think basketball without the dribbling and no backboards on the hoops. So my new pilgrimage has been to construct some new hoops for my Ballers, woot! I’ve made friends with the local welder who does work for the school and he has been great. ... He reminds me of my dad.”
Maresco added: “Everyday I feel more confident in the work I am achieving and the direction that my life is going in.”
Contact Moore at 374-5036 or Kimberly.moore@nytrng.com.
This article was found at:
http://www.gainesville.com/article/20100905/ARTICLES/100909709/-1/entertainment?p=1&tc=pg
No comments:
Post a Comment