Interview with Ryan Ruggiero, September 30, 2023

Interview Summary

Ryan Ruggiero served as a Peace Corps Volunteer in South Africa from 2010 to 2013 in the Health Program. While studying journalism at Lehigh University, Ryan heard a presentation by an RPCV, and decided to volunteer. While in college she traveled to Prague, Tanzania, South Africa, and Peru through the Global Citizenship Program and study abroad. Values of service, volunteering, and social justice were part of her Catholic upbringing. Ryan’s cohort, South Africa 21, trained in a Bundu village near Pretoria. She was assigned to Ezitendeni, a Zulu community near Weenen in KwaZulu-Natal province, to work with Siyanakekela, a small local organization focused on HIV/AIDS education. Seeing a need to address unemployment, Ryan obtained a Volunteer Activities Support and Training (VAST) grant to train out-of-school youth to be HIV Peer Educators. That led to the founding of the Simunye Youth Development Project. Ryan extended for a third year to continue her work. After returning home, Ryan earned a Master’s Degree in Public Policy. Her career focuses on social justice.

Interview Keyword

Peace Corps (U.S.) South Africa (country of service) 2010-2013 (date of service) Peace Corps Volunteer Job: Health HIV/AIDS prevention Zulu (language) Peace Corps (U.S.)--2010-2020 Lehigh University Global Citezenship Program study abroad South Africa 21 (cohort) Bundu village Ezitendeni (assignment) Weenen KwaZulu-Natal Siyanakekela (org) Volunteer Activities Support and Training (VAST) grant HIV peer educators Simunye Youth Development Project President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR)

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