Chuck Crimmins has had a challenging but determined experience with the Peace Corps. He was originally posted as a forester in the Philippines but had to be medically separated due to a back problem and hookworm infection. Undaunted, he later contracted malaria after quitting his medication. He then worked as a Peace Corps recruiter before finally being accepted again, this time serving with the indigenous Awa people in Ecuador, where he focuses on agroforestry, education, healthcare and cultural preservation projects. Despite facing several health issues, Chuck has remained optimistic and committed to service.

1. It ain'tovertil it'sover
Optimism, determination and commit-
ment arewords we hearquite often at Peace
Corps.In fact, it's difficult, if not impos-
sible,to completeatour asaVolunteerwith-
out an abundanceof all three. To those in-
gredientsadd alargedoseof humor and you
havewhat we at the Timesthink is Ecuador
PCV Chuck Crimmins.
We first met Chuck in the fall of 1ga+
whenhe wasamedevacinWashingtonwith
a backproblem.(We'renot revealingconfi-
dential material here,Chuck wrote all about
this in an article in the Times.JSo, here's
Chuck in Washingtonwhile they run a rou-
tine seriesof testsand ooops. . . they find
he's full of hookworms.Then he takeshis
medicine and finally the condition clears
up. Meanwhile, he is medically separated
from PeaceCorpsbecauseof his back.Talk
about one downhearted guy. . .that was
Chuck,not ableto gobackto his sitein the
Philippines . . . yes,the Philippines,where
he wasworking asa forester.It washome to
Texasfor him.
A few weeks later we get a call from
Chuckwho is in a Dallashospitalwith ma-
laria.You guessedit, he had quit takinghis
malariapills. By this time Chuckwasafirm
believerin PeaceCorps' preventivemedi-
cine, . . late. but better late than never,
Months later, we get another call. It's
Chuckagainandthis time he'sworking asa
recruiter in our Dallasoffice.
Months again,well probably a year,Iater
we get a note. "I'm finally back in Peace
Corps, this time in Ecuador." (Chuck is
proof that optimism, determination and
commitment and, of course, patience do
pay off.) "And how do I enter the Photo
Contest?"
Sometime later,many slidesarrivecare-
fully wrappedin thelittle white squaresof a
PCV'smost precious commodity. Accom-
panying the slides is a Iong letter catching
us up on all his news . . . that he's getting
married in the spring and hasbeenon home
Ieave with his fiancee but didn't get a
chanceto call (can't imagine why) and that
the bride is also a Volunteer.
In his letter Chuck sajd he had takenover
1,000slidesin Ecuador.Thank heavenshe
only sent us 251For his prize. .. as you
might expect he requested more film but
also macaroni and cheesedinners. They're
on the way. Although Chuck has had more
than his share of problems, he was deter-
mined, and we're surethat his secondtime
aroundwithPeaceCorpsis sweeterthanhis
first. (He'ssmiling in all his photos.)
We wish you and Lucreciaa happy wed-
ding day, Chuck, and we'd better receive
somephotos of the occasion.
Crimmins in Ecuador
Chuck is a foresterand is postedin the
mountain town of San Lorenzo, Es-
meraldas.He works with an indigenous
8 March/April 1988
Even in the jung.le can't get away from the poperwork. An Awa boy keeps him
Chuck fin hot.)with the tribol Awaworking ot the new treenursery,on AID funded prcject.
comDonv of home.
Chuck
PeaceCorpsTimes

2. group, the Awa, in the rainforests of the
Andes. His work includes agro-forestry,
schoolconstruction,health,preservationof
the rainforest and the Awa culture.
A brief word about the Awa which are a
storyunto themselves.Until thepastdozen
or soyearsagovery little was known about
the Awa (Awa-CoaiquerIndians), mostly
becauseof geography.They live in settle-
mentson the isolatedwesternslopesof the
Andes in the world's wettesttropical rain-
forest.Becausetheir region is so inaccess-
ible the Awa thus farhaveescapeddevelop-
ment efforts and miraculously have been
free from guerrilla groups and cocainetra-f-
fickers which have plagued neighboring
groupsacrossthe Colombiaborder.But iso-
lation could not last foreverand a few years
agoa projectwas proposedto build a road
through their territory. To prevent land
speculatorsandcolonistsfrom intruding on
the indians, the governmentsetup a com-
mission to demarcatean Awa Reserve,to
insure their land rights and to help them
preservetheir fragile culture.
"We've been able to set aside about
250,000acresof pristine rainforestwhere
about 1,000 of the Awa live as a hunter/
gatherersociety.We'reintroducing a little
bit of agriculture,but slowly so as not to
disrupt their way of life. The project,which
was started before I arrived by ex-PCV
JamesLevy (now a consultant for the gov-
ernmentof Ecuador)is beingmodeledafter
the Kuna Indian reservationin Panama."
Chuck said.
Dixie Dodd
Update on Chuck-After this story hod
beensetintype,weho.do collfrom Chuck.
He ond his bride, Lucrecio Chomber.loin,
hod just come bockfrom their honeymoon
in the GolapogosIs.londs.TheGolopagos,i/
you don't olreody know, oreoff the coostof
Ecuodorond werethe subjectof o memoro-
ble Cousteou series about the siont seo
turtles.
Commuting to work-in o dugout with the Awa up the
Chuck.)
" * * - - & *
Rio Polovi. [You're looking good,
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