Interview with Ellis Owens, September 9, 2020

Interview Summary

Ellis Owens served as a Peace Corps volunteer in an agriculture/forestry program in Senegal from September 2019 until he was evacuated in March 2020 because of the COVID-19 pandemic. He discusses his work helping farmers increase their crop yield, his close relationship with his host father, and the evacuation experience. He also talks about local people’s expectations of him as an African American, especially regarding his language skills, and that he hopes that as a person of color with some authority in the community he was a role model for local youth. He suggests that Peace Corps could do a better job in recruiting diverse volunteers and staff and that country directors should be RPCVs so that volunteers feel that their perspectives are being heard.

Interview Keyword

Peace Corps Volunteer Job: Agriculture Senegal (Country of service) Peace Corps Volunteer Job: Forestry 2019-2020 (Date of service) Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) Minorities Thies (Training site) Jaranke (Language) Kedougou region Taifa Diversity in the Peace Corps #covid19

Interview LC Subject

Peace Corps (U.S.) Peace Corps (U.S.)--Senegal Senegal COVID-19 (Disease) Acculturation Communication and culture Culture Culture shock Intercultural communication Interpersonal communication and culture Interpersonal relations Interpersonal relations and culture Language and culture Language and languages Lifestyles Manners and customs Voluntarism. Volunteers

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