A native of Palmetto, Florida, David Ripley served as a health volunteer in Rwanda. He worked at community health centers and read books to children regularly at the Kigali Reading Center. He was passionate about using technology to deliver clean water to his community, and was making great progress.

Peace Corps staff in Rwanda remember David as positive and caring, and someone who was respected by his colleagues and Peace Corps staff. They said that David was “dedicated to helping the people of Rwanda and took his service seriously.”

In his Peace Corps aspiration statement, David wrote, “I hope to give as much as I plan to gain from all the relationships I make during my commitment to Rwanda and the Peace Corps.” He wrote, “understanding and compassion for other peoples’ life experiences, views and circumstances are paramount in building any personal or professional relationships.”

David was committed to serving others. Prior to Peace Corps, he worked as a charge paramedic and earned certifications as a paramedic/EMT and a firefighter in his home state of Florida. He graduated cum laude from Saint Petersburg College in Saint Petersburg, Florida.

All donations to the David Ripley Memorial Fund will support approved Peace Corps Partnership Program (PCPP) projects which focus on health in Rwanda.