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Oral history
Returned Peace Corps Volunteer Collection
RPCV-MR-2008-090
C. Michael (Mike) Farmer served as a Peace Corps volunteer in Nepal from June 1963 to June 1965 in a community development program. In his interview, he recounts his experiences and observations as a volunteer. Note: Interview ends abruptly. Interviewed and recorded by Paul Kinsley, June 17, 2008. 2 tapes (web streaming files combined into 1 file).
Oral history
Returned Peace Corps Volunteer Collection
RPCV-ACC-2018-005
Malcolm Odell, Jr., served as a Peace Corps volunteer in Nepal from 1962 to 1967. Odell was in the first group of volunteers to serve in that country (Nepal I). In the interview, he discusses his various posts teaching in remote villages and his close friendships with Sherpas and other Nepalese. He tells many stories of his adventures in Nepal, India, and other countries. These include traveling around the world between Peace Corps tours with another volunteer to learn about successful educational approaches, meeting the Dalai Lama, and hitchhiking from Nepal to Turkey with a friend at the end of his service. Interviewed and recorded by Evelyn Ganzglass, 10 January 2018. 2 digital audio files (web streaming files combined into 1 file).
Oral history
Returned Peace Corps Volunteer Collection
RPCV-ACC-2016-039
Nancy Baughman Csuti served as a Peace Corps volunteer in Nepal from September 1979 to December 1981. She completed CAST training (Center for Assessment and Training) for four or five days in the United States, then spent one week in Kathmandu prior to her teacher training in Pokhara. Csuti was placed in the village of Paklihawa, in the Terai plains region of Nepal, where she worked as a TEFL (Teaching English as a Foreign Language) teacher for students in Grades 3, 4, and 5. She speaks of her life in the village, teaching her students, how primitive Katmandu was at that time, the Gurkha soldiers, the caste system in Nepal, and the menstrual sheds used by women in the village. 2 digital audio files (web streaming files combined into 1 file). Interviewed and recorded by Barbara Kaare-Lopez, May 12, 2016.
Oral history
Returned Peace Corps Volunteer Collection
RPCV-ACC-2016-029
Barbara Johnston served as a Peace Corps Volunteer in Nepal from 1980 to 1982. Her Peace Corps training was mainly in Kathmandu. She lived in rural villages such as Hetouda, and worked with the Chapang people near Chitwan. As a health and nutrition volunteer, she walked from village to village giving educational talks. 1 digital audio file. Interviewed and recorded by Barbara Kaare-Lopez, April 1, 2016.
Oral history
Returned Peace Corps Volunteer Collection
RPCV-ACC-2020-001
Duane Karlen served as a Peace Corps volunteer in Nepal from February 1970 to July 1972 in the education sector. He later served on Peace Corps staff as a training contractor (1977-1989), in the Eastern Caribbean (1991-1994), and at the Washington headquarters (1994-1999). In addition to living in a cooperative intercultural house during college, the Vietnam War also influenced his decision to join the Peace Corps. Karlen completed training at the University of California-Davis as well as in-country and received his teaching certificate. He lived in an isolated rural community of 100 houses, Gaunsahar, in the Lamjung District. He taught math and science and conducted teacher training. Karlen built meaningful relationships with the community members, especially through exchanges of understanding about the U.S. and Nepal. He returned to Nepal ten years after his service to see the changes. The Peace Corps altered Karlen's career path and he became interested in adult education and leadership development. As a staff member, he learned that work structure and a safe living situation are critical to volunteers' success. Interviewed and recorded by Randolph A. Adams, August 8, 2019. 2 digital audio files (web streaming files combined into 1 file).
Oral history
Returned Peace Corps Volunteer Collection
RPCV-ACC-2019-126
Charles Forbus served as a Peace Corps volunteer in programs for five different countries and also as a Peace Corps Response volunteer in Georgia. Forbus served in the U.S. Air Force after high school and had been inspired by John F. Kennedy's vision for the Peace Corps during the 1960 election, however he did not apply until after raising a family and retiring from AT&T. In 1997, he received his first assignment in Nepal, but had to resign for family-related reasons after completing pre-service training. He applied again and served in the Ukraine from 2002 to 2004 with an organization for disabled individuals, helping to automate record keeping at offices in Kiev and remote locations and providing computer training to the center's clients. In addition, he taught English as a secondary assignment. Next Forbus served in Honduras from 2011 to 2012 with one NGO that supported small farmers and another that supported people with HIV. That assignment was cut short when Peace Corps pulled out of the country due to unrest and security issues. Forbus applied again and was invited to serve in Madagascar in February 2013, but sustained a severe knee injury during training and was unable to continue in that program. In May 2014, he undertook a six-month Peace Corps Response assignment in the Republic of Georgia working with a youth organization to develop training programs in leadership, citizenship, and communications. Finally, Forbus served in Armenia from 2015 to 2017 working with locals to develop their tourism industry. The interview covers each assignment as well as the continuing impact of the Peace Corps on Forbus' life. Interviewed and recorded by Julius (Jay) Sztuk, August 3, 2019. 2 digital audio files (web streaming files combined into 1 file).
Oral history
Returned Peace Corps Volunteer Collection
RPCV-ACC-2019-121
Chuck Ludlam served as a Peace Corps volunteer in Nepal from 1968 to 1970 on an agriculture project. He also served in Senegal from 2005 to 2007. His training for Nepal occurred in Terai and involved instruction in the Maitahlai language. Ludlam was stationed in the town of Haripur, a very isolated rural community with harsh conditions, and he worked with Nepali agricultural extension counterparts promoting the planting of hybrid rice and wheat seeds. In Guinguineo, Senegal, he served with his wife Paula Hirschoff. They planted trees and promoted small business development. Much of the interview is devoted to Ludlam's criticism of Peace Corps management, especially in Senegal, and the advocacy work he and his wife did both during their service and afterwards to improve transparency in Peace Corps operations and empower volunteers through policy and legislative change, especially regarding whistleblower rights for volunteers and staff. Interviewed and recorded by Evelyn Ganzglass, July 24, 2019. 2 digital audio files (web streaming files combined into 1 file).