Interview with Lanieta Budi, July 3, 2020

Interview Summary

Lanieta Budi served in Republic of The Gambia from October 2018 - March 2020. Budi is from Glen Allen, Virginia. She studied political science and chemistry at University of Mary Washington. Her father is an RPCV from Fiji where he married a Fijian Peace Corps staff member. Her pre-service community-based training model instruction included Mandinka language and gardening, and in-service training sessions included nutrition, beekeeping, and fruit trees. She was based in Massembeh, lower river region. Lanieta’s Gambian name is Sarjo Dahaba. She worked in the agriculture sector specializing in fruit tree nursery, vegetable gardening, and nutrition education to nursery and elementary school students - a social change model of children influencing adults. She introduced sunken beds for gardens as an alternative due to drought situations. She was evacuated from Gambia due to COVID-19. She gave her clothes and other items to friends. She couldn’t say goodbye individually to many people. Peace Corps’ “Learning Space” offered useful resources and they provided vouchers for services. She talks about issues of diversity being a person of mixed white and Fijian descent.

Interview Keyword

Returned Peace Corps Volunteer family Republic of The Gambia (Country of service) Community-based training Peace Corps Volunteer Job: Agriculture Vegetable gardens Fruit trees Nursery and elementary school children Mandika (Language) Massembeh, Gambia Ebola (Disease) Diversity in the Peace Corps Pacific Islanders LGBTQ+ Learning space Evacuated Peace Corps Volunteer (EPCV) Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) Peace Corps (U.S.)--2020-Evacuation #covid19 2018-2020 (Date of service)

Interview LC Subject

Peace Corps (U.S.) Peace Corps (U.S.)--Republic of The Gambia Republic of The Gambia COVID-19 (Disease) 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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