Former New Jersey resident Christine Herbert returned to Washington Township High School on March 17 to speak with students about her newly published book, “The Color of the Elephant: Memoir of a Muzungu.”
“I am originally from New Jersey, so it is great to be back,” she said. “I served in the Peace Corps from 2004 to 2006 in Zambia on a health-education assignment. I tackled issues like HIV, malaria, TB, child health and nutrition, water sanitation – a lot of different sectors.
“I lived in a mud hut in the middle of Africa,” Herbert added, “no running water or electricity. It was an extraordinary experience that was really rewarding for me.”
These exact experiences are what her new memoir touches on. According to Herbert, “The Color of the Elephant” is a chance for readers to have their own “armchair adventure” without having to set foot outside their living rooms.
“I never thought I would be the person to write a book,” the author acknowledged. “It is very hard, and I am very hard on myself in the book. It is very self deprecating. I think that people will appreciate that and they can see themselves … I
“I think that was the real driving force of writing this memoir,” Herbert added. “I wanted to share these experiences with others. I want them to reap the benefits of these hard-earned lessons that I learned.”
It was not the first time Herbert has shared her experiences with Washington Township students. She first visited the school – and her sister, Sharon Serano, a math teacher there – after serving her two-year term in the Peace Corps. Now that she has published a book on the subject, Herbert felt it was the perfect opportunity to return to the school and educate a new generation.
“I really enjoyed speaking with the students there; a lot of them were unfamiliar with the Peace Corps and I was their first exposure,” noted Herbert of the worldwide organization, created during the Kennedy administration in the early 1960s.
“I want them to understand it is okay to do hard things,” she added. “It is okay to fail at doing hard things, because you always learn through your failures … You know it is going to be hard and a challenge for you, and that is where the real learning and value of life comes in.”
Since her time in Zambia, Herbert has returned to her long-term passion of massage therapy. She goes back to that, she said, because it fulfills her passion to help others. Along the same lines, Herbert has organized spiritual retreats for multiple nonprofits, including the Center for Courage and Renewal in South Carolina and for Spiritual Directors International.
Along with that work, Herbert continues to spread the cross-cultural spirit she was taught in the Peace Corps by setting up booths and tables at universities to speak to students about the benefits of joining the organization.
“Your Peace Corps service doesn’t end after two years,” Herbert explained.
Herbert also stressed how much she loves to interact with readers since the publication of her book, and she hopes book clubs will take it on and invite her to Q&A discussions. Her next writing adventure is a fictional story based in sub-Saharan Africa.
‘The Color of the Elephant: Memoir of a Muzungu” can be purchased on Amazon for Kindle or in paperback.
