Interview with Carrie Meyer, June 29, 2023

Interview Summary

Dominican Republic, 1980 – 1983, Agriculture

Carrie Meyer was born and raised on a farm in Illinois. At the University of Illinois, she studied economics and Spanish. Carrie was influenced by her 4th grade RPCV teacher and a university recruiter in considering the Peace Corps. Her application took a year before she was offered three posts and chose an agriculture project in the Dominican Republic. Her Pre-Service Training in Costa Rica focused on agricultural activities: gardening, pesticides, and raising small animals. Carrie was assigned to the Agriculture Ministry in the Regional Office in El Seibo, a small town of 30,000. She described her living conditions, the town, and various towns in her area. Carrie worked with women’s groups, youth groups, and schools in the surrounding area about gardening and small animal husbandry. Joining another PCV, she also introduced Lorena stoves. Some of her other activities included soap and jam production and raising rabbits. Carrie also taught English in the evenings. Carrie especially enjoyed getting to know Dominicans.

Interview Keyword

Dominican Republic Agriculture Illinois farm RPCV University of Illinois B.A. Ph.D. economics recruiter Spanish application staging Pre-Service Training Costa Rica Alahuela town La Garita small nursery training center Africa swine fever El Seibo site town description pension guest house Dona Julita landlady health issues vino de cahuil cashew wine housing description San Pedro de Macoris La Romano Hato Mayor regional towns work activities women’s groups youth groups school groups small communities motorcycle Agricultural census PRD political party Ginette PCV Lorena stoves projects English classes Hipolito Mejia Dominican Republic President gua gua bus In-Service Training PCV parties boyfriend lessons learned Dominican culture CIA accusations corruption huacal wood boxes botella bottles brother’s death land reform agriculture tourism Radio Guarachita radio station

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