Interview with Phillip Windell, August 29, 2022

Interview Summary

Phillip Windell served as a married Peace Corps volunteer in an agriculture program in Sierra Leone from 1967-69. He talks about joining the Peace Corps to avoid being drafted to serve in Viet Nam. He tells stories about training in the Caribbean and then in-country, including training every three months on rice growing techniques. He discusses helping rice farmers move their upland farms to the swamps initiating 12-15 new farms. He talks about how fortunate he and his wife were to be placed in a village with a comparatively large house, clean fresh water, a young high school fellow who served them well while they were there, and people who were fluent in English, including other PCV’s and Lebanese. He talks about people’s resilience despite living in poverty. He regrets leaving early because of injury, divorce, and other factors and not staying another year. He talks fondly of fellow Sierra Leone RPPCV’s.

Interview Keyword

Peace Corps (US) Sierra Leone (Country of Service) agriculture (Peace Corps program)1967-69 (years of service) St. Croix, Tortola and St. Thomas (training sites) Naja University College (in country agriculture school where training was conducted) Lugbu Cheifdom (location of new swamp farms) married volunteer Peace Corps training Vietnam War (historical context).

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