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Oral history
Returned Peace Corps Volunteer Collection
RPCV-ACC-2019-086
Genesis Castellon served as a Peace Corps volunteer in Benin from 2014 to 2016 as a Teaching English as a Foreign Language (TEFL) teacher. As a first-generation Nicaraguan-American, she discusses her identity as a Latina with a foot in both countries and being treated as "white" by people in Benin. She also talks about her mother's opposition to her going to Africa in the Peace Corps as opposed to Nicaragua, where she could have lived with family. Castellon's training in Benin went well, except for her home-stay experience. The training was divided into two parts: the first focused on teaching French, and the second part, which occurred after a 2-week exploratory visit to the town in which she would be teaching, focused on pedagogy and introduction to the Beninese education system. Castellon was assigned to Kouande, in the northwestern part of the country, where she taught 6th and 7th grade English. She also started women's soccer teams in three towns and an English Club, which the students named after her. Castellon hopes that she made an impact by serving as a capable, single feminist role model for her students. She also reflects on how Peace Corps helped her learn who she really was and the enduring close friendships she made with students, teachers, and fellow volunteers. Interviewed and recorded by Evelyn Ganzglass, June 8, 2019. 2 digital audio files (web streaming files combined into 1 file).
Oral history
Returned Peace Corps Volunteer Collection
RPCV-ACC-2019-020
Mary Lou Weathers served as a Peace Corps Volunteer in Benin from 1980 to 1983 as an English teacher. She later worked in the Human Resources Management office at Peace Corps headquarters in Washington, D.C., from 1990 to 1997. In Benin, she first taught in Parakou in the northern part of the country, and then in Allada, a small agricultural town in the south. Weathers also was the Teaching English as a Foreign Language (TEFL) Coordinator for new volunteers and participated in other training in her third year. She talks about her teaching experience, including hiring a student to help him pay for tuition, and fundraising to build a library in Allada. She discusses the impact of tensions between the U.S. and Benin, including the withdrawal of Peace Corps volunteers before her time and the near evacuation of volunteers when a drunk U.S. Embassy contractor stormed a Benin military base. She also talks about the murder of a Peace Corps volunteer by a fellow teacher whom she reported as being abusive to women. Finally, Weathers comments on her work in the Peace Corps human resources office, including her term as HRM [Human Resource Management] Deputy Director and Director (1995-1996). She discusses the pros and cons of staff turnover on different parts of the agency due to the 5-year rule. Interviewed and recorded by Evelyn Ganzglass, September 20, 2018. 2 digital audio files (web streaming files combined into 1 file).
Oral history
Returned Peace Corps Volunteer Collection
RPCV-ACC-2020-038
Brian Cohen served as a Peace Corps volunteer in Benin from October 2001 to August 2004 in an environmental action program. After completing in-country training in Parakou, he was stationed in the town of Toucountouna in Atakora province. Cohen worked with the local community to make better use of their abundant mango crops by drying mangoes for sale to tourists and using them as a source of vitamin C when they lacked fresh fruit. He got funding for the project from the U.S. Embassy, but it ultimately failed due to local conflicts. Cohen had success with other projects to cultivate mushrooms with women's groups, build energy efficient mud stoves, and develop tree nurseries. His Peace Corps service led him to a career in international environmental issues, and he believes that all Americans should have an overseas experience in order to broaden their perspectives. Interviewed and recorded by Evelyn Ganzglass, December 11, 2019. 2 digital audio files (web streaming files combined into 1 file).
Oral history
Returned Peace Corps Volunteer Collection
RPCV-ACC-2019-108
Margaret (Mardi) Nott served as a Peace Corps volunteer in Benin from June 1991 to September 1994 as a math teacher. Her interest in travel began early, and she decided at age 13 that she would accomplish that goal by joining the Peace Corps when she became eligible. Nott's training was conducted in country and included intensive language training in French as well as a home stay with a local family. After training she was assigned to a school in the city of Ouidah, where she taught math for the duration of her initial tour, plus a one year extension. In the interview, Nott discusses her integration into the community where she was assigned, and a multi-day bicycle trip through Togo to a beach resort in Ghana. Interviewed and recorded by Julius (Jay) Sztuk, June 19, 2019. 1 digital audio file.