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Oral history
Returned Peace Corps Volunteer Collection
RPCV-MR-2009-015-003
Linda Meinders Webb served as a Peace Corps volunteer in India from 1966 to 1968 on an applied nutrition project. She learned Telugu during training at Dartmouth College. Webb was part of a Peace Corps nutrition education team working in the village of Chandragiri in the state of Andhra Pradesh in southern India. Her role within the team was to work with the community to start nursery schools. At the end of her tour, she worked at the Peace Corps office in Bangalore for a month. She later also worked as a recruiter for VISTA and Peace Corps. Interviewed and recorded by Robert Klein, November 3, 2008. 2 tapes (web streaming files combined into 1 file).
Oral history
Returned Peace Corps Volunteer Collection
RPCV-MR-2008-010
James (Jim) Maurer served as a Peace Corps volunteer in India from 1966 to 1968 on an agriculture project. He applied upon graduating high school and began serving two years later when he was a college student. In India, he worked on a pig production project that he describes as well-intentioned but poorly planned. It required more skill in community development than animal husbandry. Maurer ended up frustrated and disappointed at the lack of progress. Interviewed and recorded by Robert Klein, October 17, 2007. 2 tapes (web streaming files combined into 1 file).
Oral history
Returned Peace Corps Volunteer Collection
RPCV-MR-2007-073-004
Ruth Ficek Stepien served as a Peace Corps volunteer in India from 1966 to 1968 as a staff secretary in the Worldwide Secretaries program. She had graduated from business school and worked for two years prior to joining. She trained at George Washington University in Washington, D.C., with a group of volunteers who were assigned to many different countries. In India, Stepien was assigned to the Peace Corps regional office in Hyderabad as secretary to the assistant directors. The office was very busy and she worked long hours to support the hundreds of volunteers in the area. Interviewed and recorded by Robert Klein, June 10, 2007. 2 tapes (web streaming files combined into 1 file).
Oral history
Returned Peace Corps Volunteer Collection
RPCV-MR-2002-001-008
Ruth Ann Van Hala (then Stanonik) served as a Peace Corps volunteer in India from 1965 to 1968 on a poultry project. She trained at St. John's College in Annapolis, Maryland, with the India 16 group, and learned Hindi and how to care for chickens. Due to political instability in India at the time the group was due to depart, they were temporarily sent to a kibbutz in Israel instead. Van Hala was then stationed in Satara in Maharashtra state in central India, where she worked with a poultry project sponsored by the Indian government with funding from USAID. The project was intended to encourage people to raise chickens and to introduce eggs into their diets, which was challenging due to cultural norms. At the end of her first year, Ruth married fellow volunteer Marcus Van Hala and moved to Udaipur. Note: Interview ends abruptly. Interviewed and recorded by Robert Klein, November 17, 2001. 1 tape (web streaming files combined into 1 file).
Oral history
Returned Peace Corps Volunteer Collection
RPCV-MR-2002-001-007
Marcus Van Hala served as a Peace Corps volunteer in India from 1965 to 1968 on a poultry project. Van Hala was on track to become a minister when he decided to apply to Peace Corps in order to broaden his outlook. He trained at St. John's College in Annapolis, Maryland, with the India 16 group, and appreciated the discipline of the physical education component. Due to political instability in India at the time the group was due to depart, they were temporarily sent to a kibbutz in Israel instead. Van Hala was then stationed in Udaipur in the state of Rajasthan in western India, where he worked to sign up more farmers for the poultry cooperative society, opened an egg store in town, and introduced barbeque as a way to encourage people to eat more chicken. At the end of the first year, Marcus married fellow volunteer Ruth Stanonik and they then served an additional two years as a couple. Note: Interview ends abruptly. Interviewed and recorded by Robert Klein, November 17, 2001. 2 tapes (web streaming files combined into 1 file).