Interview with Agma Prins, March 2, 2022

Interview Summary

Agma Prins, born in Indonesia, and raised in Holland, the U.S., and Venezuela, completed her BA in pre-med and African Studies at the University of Michigan. A desire for adventure and admiration of JFK and Albert Schweitzer led her to the Peace Corps. Initially assigned to Cameroon in an ESL program, she extended three more years in a public health care program. In-country technical and cross-cultural training in Yaoundé followed French training in La Pocatière, Quebec. Her first year was in Kribi, second in the Sultanate of Foumban, third at an American Baptist Mission in Makak, and the last three in Guzang in Anglophone Cameroon. Agma married a recent PCV in her second year, extending her own service. During summer vacations, she worked as a Peace Corps trainer focused on logistics, language, and cross-cultural issues. Agma shared her challenges and lessons learned with regards to relationships, development, and cultural influences. Cameroon, 1971 – 1977 – English as a Second Language (ESL) and Primary Health Care (PHC)

Interview Keyword

Cameroon Dutch Indonesia colonialism New Jersey Venezuela Albert Schweitzer Pre-med University of Michigan African studies Swahili application Pre-Service Training La Pocatière, Quebec Yaoundé etiquette teaching practicum neo-colonialism Kribi coastal jungle bush taxi authoritarian regime Laissez-passer travel permission préfet local governor government house traditional magic social interaction students illness Sultanate of Foumban highlands coopérants French volunteers women’s outreach challenges real life Makak Baptist mission fire ants local food accomplishments West Cameroon Guzang primary health care lessons learned relationships development cultural influence language and culture Star Fish Story Three Goals career in Africa public health

Interview Rights

All rights to the interviews, including but not restricted to legal title, copyrights and literary property rights, have been transferred to the University of Kentucky Libraries.

Interview Usage

Interviews may only be reproduced with permission from Louie B. Nunn Center for Oral History, University of Kentucky Libraries.