Fergus grad back from Africa work

By Tom Hintgen (Contact) | The Daily Journal

Published Saturday, June 23, 2007

Anne Wenstrom, a 1999 Fergus Falls High School graduate, who learned about cultural diversity during college at Gustavus Adolphus, had a desire to live someplace overseas and believed she could help people and make a difference in the world.

“I wanted to live within another culture, help make lives better and be accepted by the people of a country outside the United States. That’s why I joined the Peace Corps,” Wenstrom said.

Wenstrom was a health and physical education major and left for Benin, West Africa, with other Peace Corps volunteers in September 2004. That was the start of her 33-month Peace Corps tenure.

Benin is in West Africa on the northern coast of the Gulf of Guinea. It has land borders to the east by Nigeria, on the west by Togo, the north by Niger and on the northwest by Burkina Faso.

Wenstrom lived in the village of Tori-Bossito until December 2005 and from January 2006 until May 2007 lived in Lissezoun. She was among close to 100 Peace Corps volunteers working in Benin.

“I worked closely with a Non-Governmental Organization (NGO), with an emphasis on nutrition,” Wenstrom said. “We also worked with AIDS prevention, developed ways to counter malnutrition and taught people about basic health and hygiene issues.”

Wenstrom led many workshops that taught women about the importance of nutrition and how to prepare foods that add more nutrients to their diet.

“The moringa tree is rich in vitamins and minerals, especially protein and vitamin A. It’s an affordable source of essential nutrients for those who suffer from malnutrition, but many people don't know about it,” Wenstrom said. “Part of what we did was educating women on the benefits of moringa and how to use it in cooking.”

She said that many people in West Africa call moringa the miracle tree, adding that moringa can really improve the lives of those who use it.

Related projects for Wenstrom and her fellow workers included building a heath center, writing a grant in order to build two new schools and arranging for clothing and toy distribution for Christmas.

“I can’t say enough about the generous people in the Fergus Falls area who donated clothing and toys for the children in Benin,” Wenstrom said. “People in our area really come through when they are asked to donate to worthy causes.”

Looking back, Wenstrom sees her 33 months spent in Benin as a wonderful cultural experience — and she wants to experience this in other parts of the world. Her next step in life is to move to Singapore and teach physical education at an international school.

Her twin sister, Mary, also wanted to experience life overseas and teaches in the international school system. Mary taught in Frankfurt, Germany, for two years and now is teaching in Sotogrande, Spain.

“It’s great to have been accepted by people in a different part of the world and, at the same time, be able to help make some positive changes in people’s lives,” Anne said.

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