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).