Interview with Willow Pastard, April 25, 2021

Interview Summary

Willow Pastard served as a Peace Corps volunteer in Senegal, from 2018 to 2020, in the Health Program. She was evacuated in March 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Pastard majored in anthropology and minored in global health at Northwestern University. Global health studies helped motivate her to volunteer. Language (Serer), culture, and technical training were conducted in Thies, Senegal. During Community-Based Training, volunteers stayed with families in local villages. Pastard’s assignment was in Faoye, a village of approximately 1,400 people, where she worked at a health clinic and lived on the compound of a host family. Her work included systems optimization, assisting with vaccinations, and other health care activities. She also taught English at a middle school. Pastard intended to extend her service, but was unable to because of the evacuation due to COVID-19. The interview covers Pastard's reasons for volunteering; training; living and work conditions; experience of people of color as volunteers in Senegal; and views on Peace Corps service.

Interview Keyword

Senegal (Country of service) 2018-2020 (Date of service) Peace Corps Volunteer Job: Health Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) Evacuated Peace Corps Volunteer (EPCV) Peace Corps (U.S.)--2010-2020 Serer (Language) Black Americans African Americans Northwestern University Thies, Senegal Malikounda-Sas, Senegal Faoye, Senegal Health clinics

Interview LC Subject

Senegal Peace Corps (U.S.) Peace Corps (U.S.)--Senegal COVID-19 (Disease) Thies (Senegal) Malikounda-Sas (Senegal) Faoye (Senegal) 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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Interview Usage

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