Oral history
Returned Peace Corps Volunteer Collection
RPCV-ACC-2019-121
Chuck Ludlam served as a Peace Corps volunteer in Nepal from 1968 to 1970 on an agriculture project. He also served in Senegal from 2005 to 2007. His training for Nepal occurred in Terai and involved instruction in the Maitahlai language. Ludlam was stationed in the town of Haripur, a very isolated rural community with harsh conditions, and he worked with Nepali agricultural extension counterparts promoting the planting of hybrid rice and wheat seeds. In Guinguineo, Senegal, he served with his wife Paula Hirschoff. They planted trees and promoted small business development. Much of the interview is devoted to Ludlam's criticism of Peace Corps management, especially in Senegal, and the advocacy work he and his wife did both during their service and afterwards to improve transparency in Peace Corps operations and empower volunteers through policy and legislative change, especially regarding whistleblower rights for volunteers and staff. Interviewed and recorded by Evelyn Ganzglass, July 24, 2019. 2 digital audio files (web streaming files combined into 1 file).