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Oral history
Returned Peace Corps Volunteer Collection
RPCV-MR-2008-081
Mitchell A. Seligson and his wife Susan (Sue) Berk-Seligson served as Peace Corps volunteers in Costa Rica from 1968 to 1970. They were stationed in a rural area not far from the border with Panama. Mitchell worked on cooperative and community development projects, while Susan worked on nutrition and community development projects. Interviewed and recorded by Barbara Kaare-Lopez, June 6, 2008. 3 tapes (web streaming files combined into 1 file).
Oral history
Returned Peace Corps Volunteer Collection
RPCV-ACC-2019-095
David Lipman served as a Peace Corps volunteer in the Philippines from June 1970 to January 1974 as an elementary teacher trainer. He served alongside his wife Arlene. The couple trained in Vermont for three months, and learned the Malay language of Cebuano. In the Philippines, they were stationed south of Davao City, on the island of Mindanao. Later the Lipmans transferred to the city of Tagbilaran on the island of Bohol. David provided teacher instruction in the sciences. He also discusses politics in the Philippines. After returning to the U.S., David and Arlene and others in the Denver area formed I.F. (Independent Foundation), which was the precursor to the Returned Peace Corps Volunteers of Colorado group. They have also been involved with the Filipino American Community of Colorado, and have returned to the Philippines to assist Uplift International with cleft lip and palate surgeries. Interviewed and recorded by Barbara Kaare-Lopez, May 30 and June 13, 2019. 2 digital audio files (web streaming files combined into 1 file).
Oral history
Returned Peace Corps Volunteer Collection
RPCV-ACC-2019-094
Arlene Berg Lipman served as a Peace Corps volunteer in the Philippines from July 1970 to January 1974 as an elementary teacher trainer. She served alongside her husband David. The couple trained in Vermont for 3 months, and learned the Malay language of Cebuano. In the Philippines, they were stationed south of Davao City, on the island of Mindanao. Later the Lipmans transferred to the city of Tagbilaran on the island of Bohol. Arlene provided teacher instruction in basic modern math. She discusses her work and the history of the Philippines. Following their service, the couple has been involved with the Filipino American Community of Colorado, and they have returned to the Philippines to assist Uplift International with cleft lip and palate surgeries. Interviewed and recorded by Barbara Kaare-Lopez, May 30, 2019. 3 digital audio files (web streaming files combined into 1 file).
Oral history
Returned Peace Corps Volunteer Collection
RPCV-ACC-2019-033
Donna Stern Slocum served as a Peace Corps volunteer in Honduras from June 1978 to June 1980 as a community health nurse. After training in Tegucigalpa, she was stationed on Roatan, one of the Bay Islands north of Honduras. She worked at a clinic in Coxen Hole. The local doctor departed after five months and Slocum was left to run the clinic by herself with one other nurse. She worked long days seeing patients, prescribing medicines, treating tropical diseases, and suturing. Slocum also had a health program on the local radio station, Radio Roatan. During her second year, due to burnout and loneliness, she took a short break to work at a yacht club. Interviewed and recorded by Barbara Kaare-Lopez, May 6, 2018. 2 digital audio files (web streaming files combined into 1 file). Please note: Due to a technical issue, the end of the interview is cut off.
Oral history
Returned Peace Corps Volunteer Collection
RPCV-ACC-2019-032
Barbara Ann Sterling served as a Peace Corps volunteer in Honduras from January 1979 to December 1980 in a rural pilot school program. Her training took place in La Guacima, Costa Rica. She and her husband lived in Taulabe, in the mountainous region of Honduras. Both of them worked to teach rural schools how to establish vegetable gardens and grow crops. In addition, Sterling gave health talks and built improved wood stoves at the schools. The Peace Corps volunteers were also expected to promote a wheat soy blend to improve nutrition, but the product was not accepted by Sterling's community. After the Peace Corps, she pursued a federal career with the Bureau of Land Management. Interviewed and recorded by Barbara Kaare-Lopez, July 15, 2018. 2 digital audio files (web streaming files combined into 1 file).
Oral history
Returned Peace Corps Volunteer Collection
RPCV-ACC-2018-019
Cheri Damschroder served as a Peace Corps volunteer in Honduras from 1977 to 1979 as a home economics teacher. She attended training in the capital city, Tegucigalpa. Her college degree was in Spanish, so she didn't need as much language training as others did. However, being able to understand the local people was a challenge. Damschroder was initially stationed in El Paraiso, and then moved to the Escuela Manuel Bonillo school in La Ceiba. There she taught sewing in the practical activities program. Several years after her service, she returned to Honduras with her husband and worked at the Peace Corps training center in Santa Lucia. Interviewed and recorded by Barbara Kaare-Lopez, May 6, 2018. 2 digital audio files (web streaming files combined into 1 file).
Oral history
Returned Peace Corps Volunteer Collection
RPCV-ACC-2018-007
Cedar Wolf served as a Peace Corps volunteer in Namibia from 2006 to 2008. He joined the Peace Corps as he wanted to experience the "rawness of humanity." His training was held with 67 volunteers in Okahandaja, Namibia, and during this time he also made a YouTube video to welcome new Peace Corps Volunteers. Wolf initially worked in math education, and later switched to science education. He taught grades 8 through 10 in Kayengona, a village east of Rundu. During his service, Wolf became friends with am orphaned 3rd grade boy, Matjayi, and people began referring to him as "Cedar's small boy." Wolf also participated in Camp GLOW (Girls Leading Our World). One 9th grade student, Pontianus Mukiski, came to Denver for three weeks in 2017 to learn and stay with Wolf. After returning to the U.S., Wolf became a Peace Corps recruiter in the Denver area and stated, "Peace Corps is my moral compass" and that he believes in "the power of a story." Interviewed by Barbara Kaare-Lopez, December 8, 2017. 2 digital audio files (web streaming files combined into 1 file).
Oral history
Returned Peace Corps Volunteer Collection
RPCV-ACC-2016-039
Nancy Baughman Csuti served as a Peace Corps volunteer in Nepal from September 1979 to December 1981. She completed CAST training (Center for Assessment and Training) for four or five days in the United States, then spent one week in Kathmandu prior to her teacher training in Pokhara. Csuti was placed in the village of Paklihawa, in the Terai plains region of Nepal, where she worked as a TEFL (Teaching English as a Foreign Language) teacher for students in Grades 3, 4, and 5. She speaks of her life in the village, teaching her students, how primitive Katmandu was at that time, the Gurkha soldiers, the caste system in Nepal, and the menstrual sheds used by women in the village. 2 digital audio files (web streaming files combined into 1 file). Interviewed and recorded by Barbara Kaare-Lopez, May 12, 2016.
Oral history
Returned Peace Corps Volunteer Collection
RPCV-ACC-2016-033
Elizabeth (Lizzie) Johnson served in the Peace Corps in The Gambia from 2013 to 2015 in the health sector. Initially she went to Philadelphia for a half day of training; the remainder of her training took place in Gambia. Her health training was held in the village of Saaremusa. Her training group was divided according to the language they were to speak during Peace Corps service (Johnson spoke Pulaar). She learned about ten health education topics, such as hand washing techniques and malaria prevention. Upon moving to the village of Jiroff, Johnson first completed a survey of the residents. There was no health post nor clinic in her village. She lived with a host family during her two years. Johnson speaks about a typical day in her village, the foods she ate, and how sad she was to leave Gambia after completing her service. Interviewed and recorded by Barbara Kaare-Lopez, May 9, 2016. 1 digital audio file.
Oral history
Returned Peace Corps Volunteer Collection
RPCV-ACC-2016-029
Barbara Johnston served as a Peace Corps Volunteer in Nepal from 1980 to 1982. Her Peace Corps training was mainly in Kathmandu. She lived in rural villages such as Hetouda, and worked with the Chapang people near Chitwan. As a health and nutrition volunteer, she walked from village to village giving educational talks. 1 digital audio file. Interviewed and recorded by Barbara Kaare-Lopez, April 1, 2016.