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Oral history
Returned Peace Corps Volunteer Collection
RPCV-MR-2005-046-001
Carole East served as a Peace Corps volunteer in Fiji from 1992 to 1994. She also later served in Paraguay from 1998 to 2000. Interviewed and recorded by Sue Ward, March 12, 2005. 2 tapes (web streaming files combined into 1 file).
Oral history
Returned Peace Corps Volunteer Collection
RPCV-ACC-2019-083
Jack Franklin Davies served as a Peace Corps volunteer in Fiji from 1978 to 1980 as a rural development technician. He discusses his childhood in a military family and how he was recruited into the Peace Corps. His training consisted of an orientation in San Francisco and in-country language and culture training, including a village stay. Davies was assigned to the island of Vanua Levu, the second largest island in Fiji. He talks his experiences traveling to remote villages for his work in rural development. Interviewed and recorded by Julius (Jay) Sztuk, June 10, 2019. 1 digital audio file.
Oral history
Returned Peace Corps Volunteer Collection
RPCV-ACC-2019-064
Betty Ansin Smallwood served as a Peace Corps volunteer in Fiji from October 1969 to December 1971 as an elementary school teacher. She discusses her motivations for joining the Peace Corps, and mentions attending an event at age 12 where John F. Kennedy spoke. Smallwood was recruited as a married couple with her husband John, and their training was conducted in Hilo, Hawaii. She then taught at the Navukailagi District School on the outer island of Gau. In the interview she discusses her life and work in Fiji, and her continued connections with fellow volunteers and students. Interviewed and recorded by Julius (Jay) Sztuk, November 6, 2018. 1 digital audio file.
Oral history
Returned Peace Corps Volunteer Collection
RPCV-ACC-2019-046
Christine (Laws) Anderson served as a Peace Corps Vvlunteer in Fiji from 1974 to 1976 in an education program. Prior to her volunteer service, she had worked for the Peace Corps as a staff member in Los Angeles, California. Anderson's training was conducted in Suva, Fiji, and included homestays with both Fijian and Indo-Fijian families. She then began her work as an arts and crafts teacher trainer at Nasinu Teachers College in Suva. The interview includes a discussion of her motivations for joining the Peace Corps, her recruitment and training experiences, her life and work in Fiji, and her continuing connections with fellow volunteers and her former students. Interviewed and recorded by Julius (Jay) Sztuk, November 27, 2018. 1 digital audio file.
Oral history
Returned Peace Corps Volunteer Collection
RPCV-ACC-2019-043
Beth Shearer served as a Peace Corps volunteer in Fiji from 1970 to 1973 in a secondary education program. She joined with her husband. Her training was conducted in Suva, Fiji, where she studied the Hindi language. Training also included a homestay with an Indo-Fijian family. She taught at the All Saints Junior Secondary School in Labasa. The interview includes a discussion of Shearer's experience growing up overseas, her motivations for joining the Peace Corps, and her daily life in Fiji. She also talks about a return trip to participate in a Habitat for Humanity project, and her continued connections with fellow volunteers. Interviewed and recorded by Julius (Jay) Sztuk, 6 November 2018. 1 digital audio file.
Oral history
Returned Peace Corps Volunteer Collection
RPCV-ACC-2019-040
Paul Milo served as a Peace Corps volunteer in Fiji from 1975 to 1977 as a math teacher. His training was conducted in Suva, Fiji, and included a homestay with an Indo-Fijian family. He worked at Suva Grammar School for a semester, then transferred to Adi Cakobau, a highly regarded girls school in the more remote area of Sawani. The interview includes a discussion of his motivations for joining the Peace Corps, his work and life in Fiji, and how he has continued his connections with fellow volunteers and students. Interviewed and recorded by Julius (Jay) Sztuk, November 26, 2018. 1 digital audio file.
Oral history
Returned Peace Corps Volunteer Collection
RPCV-ACC-2019-028
James (Jim) Reierson served as a Peace Corps volunteer in Fiji from July 1973 to July 1975 as a physics teacher. After an orientation in San Francisco, Reierson's training was conducted in Suva, Fiji, and included language classes and cross-cultural orientation, including stays with families in two Fijian villages. He taught physics at the University of the South Pacific (USP), where the faculty included several other Peace Corps volunteers and expatriates. The interview includes a discussion of his life prior to Peace Corps service, his motivations for joining, and his working and living experiences. Reierson also discusses his continuing connections to Fiji after his Peace Corps service. Interviewed and recorded by Julius (Jay) Sztuk, October 17, 2018. 2 digital audio files (web streaming files combined into 1 file).
Oral history
Returned Peace Corps Volunteer Collection
RPCV-ACC-2019-027
John Cortright served as a Peace Corps volunteer in Fiji from September 2015 to December 2017 in a youth development program. He joined at age 35 to enhance his career in international public health by gaining extended on-the-ground cultural experience working and living in another country. Due to his Master of Public Health (MPH) degree, he was assigned to the Ministry of Education to advance the national secondary-level health curriculum. Cortright discusses the close friendships he made with his Indo-Fijian female co-workers and the many life lessons he learned in Fiji. He talks about Fijians' conservative attitudes toward women's equity in the workplace, and attitudes about reproductive health and mental health issues. He also discusses his and other volunteers' concerns about safety because of the high crime rate in Fiji, especially in Suva, the capital where he was stationed. Finally, Cortright talks about his medical termination and the need for volunteers to think about their safety net upon returning to the U.S. after service. Interviewed and recorded by Evelyn Ganzglass, October 13, 2018. 2 digital audio files (web streaming files combined into 1 file).
Oral history
Returned Peace Corps Volunteer Collection
RPCV-ACC-2019-026
Ben Bryan served as a Peace Corps volunteer in South Korea from 1979 to 1981 on a health education project. He also served in Fiji from 1981 to 1984. His initial technical training was conducted in Louisiana, followed by further technical, cultural, and language training in Korea with a homestay with a local family. Bryan's health education project focused on Hansen's disease (leprosy) and he was stationed at a health clinic in Jinju. Because the Peace Corps program in Korea was being phased out, he was unable to extend his service there, but accepted a similar health education posting in Fiji. He went through training again before being posted to Suva where he produced visual medical aids and served as a driver for the hospital. The interview includes a discussion of Bryan's motivations for joining the Peace Corps, his recruitment and training, his work and life in both countries, and his post service experience. Interviewed and recorded by Julius (Jay) Sztuk, October 7, 2018. 2 digital audio files (web streaming files combined into 1 file).
Oral history
Returned Peace Corps Volunteer Collection
RPCV-ACC-2019-025
David Downes served as a Peace Corps volunteer in Fiji from October 1967 to October 1969 as an English teacher. His initial training was conducted in Hawaii, and included language and cross-cultural orientation. Downes lived in Navua, a town on the island of Viti Levu, and taught English in a secondary school. After completing service in Fiji, he worked with Peace Corps and ACTION as a staff member in various roles. The interview includes a discussion of his motivations for joining the Peace Corps, his work and life in Fiji, and his post service experience. Interviewed and recorded by Julius (Jay) Sztuk, October 17, 2018. 2 digital audio files (web streaming files combined into 1 file).
Oral history
Returned Peace Corps Volunteer Collection
RPCV-ACC-2019-023
William M. (Bill) Dillon served as a Peace Corps Volunteer in Fiji from 1978 to 1981 as a land use planner. His training was conducted in Suva, the capital of Fiji, and included homestays in a local village and with an Indian family. Dillon worked at the Native Land Trust Board in Suva. The interview includes a discussion of his motivations for joining the Peace Corps, his recruitment and training experiences, and his life and work in the city. He also talks about his post service experiences and later return trips to Fiji. Interviewed and recorded by Julius (Jay) Sztuk, September 12, 2018. 1 digital audio file.
Oral history
Returned Peace Corps Volunteer Collection
RPCV-ACC-2019-016
Julius (Jay) Sztuk served as a Peace Corps volunteer in Fiji from 1974 to 1976 on an architecture project. Sztuk resided in Loloma Flats while training in the Fiji capital of Suva. He was assigned to the Public Works Department in Suva as an architect co-worker. He gradually earned the respect of colleagues as he helped design the maternity ward for the hospital and several rural community medical clinics. Sztuk discusses his initial difficulty learning Hindi but spending time with local men helped him to assimilate and become close to the community. Storytelling, card playing, and drinking kava were important forms of entertainment. Sztuk visited local families in his neighborhood, hosted friends for meals, and met his future wife. He also had opportunities to tour other islands in the country. After returning to the U.S., getting married, starting a family, and working full time, he earned his architecture license in 1983. Interviewed and recorded by Patricia Wand, September 3, 2018. 3 digital audio files (web streaming files combined into 1 file).
Oral history
Returned Peace Corps Volunteer Collection
RPCV-ACC-2017-017
Anne Baker served as a Peace Corps volunteer in Fiji from 1984 to 1986. She then worked as a Peace Corps trainer from 1986 to 1987, and later joined the staff of the National Peace Corps Association. In Fiji, she was a math and science teacher at a secondary school in Lomaivuna. The main lesson Baker learned from this experience is that instruction needs to be made relevant to the students' lives. This insight inspired her lifelong career in global education. Interviewed and recorded by Evelyn Ganzglass, December 20, 2016. 2 digital audio files (web streaming files combined into 1 file).
Oral history
Returned Peace Corps Volunteer Collection
RPCV-ACC-2020-020
Steven Smith served as a Peace Corps volunteer in Fiji from 2008 to 2010 in an environmental program. During training he was housed with a local family in a village setting, which he feels was essential to his understanding of the local customs. Smith was assigned to Biausevu village in the Nadroga district and worked on projects in the area that included restoration of trails, re-forestation, and the revival of a traditional farming technique. He engaged village youth in the projects in order to gain acceptance and to help raise money. Smith also worked on a rubbish recycling project, introducing practices that he believes are still being followed, and arranged for a fellow volunteer to provide some public health education in his village. The interview also includes his observations about how the Peace Corps has influenced his life. Interviewed and recorded by Julius (Jay) Sztuk, October 9, 2019. 1 digital audio file.
Oral history
Returned Peace Corps Volunteer Collection
RPCV-ACC-2020-019
Steve M. Shepard served as a Peace Corps volunteer in Fiji from 1986 to 1989 on a public health project. He joined Peace Corps at age 35, after having worked as a medical lab technician. His training was conducted in Fiji and included home stays. Shepard worked as a lab technician, originally on the island of Kadavu, and later at Sigatoka Hospital on the main island of Viti Levu. During his service, there were two military coups. He was arrested by the Fiji military after the first coup for possessing a short-wave radio. Shepard married an Indo-Fijian woman that he met while working at Sigatoka Hospital, and extended his service for an additional year. Interviewed and recorded by Jack Franklin Davies, August 26, 2019. 1 digital audio file.
Oral history
Returned Peace Corps Volunteer Collection
RPCV-ACC-2020-017
Patricia (Pat) Milliren served as a Peace Corps volunteer in Fiji from 1968 to 1970 in an education program. She had wanted to serve in South America and learn Spanish, but instead was invited to go to Fiji. Her training began on the island of Molokai in Hawaii, and she learned the Hindustani language. Milliren taught biology and English at Nadi College, a secondary school where the majority of students were of Indian descent. During her time there she developed strong friendships with the students and local teachers. She also discusses how the Peace Corps influenced her life after her service. Milliren returned to Fiji in 2011 on a trip organized by Friends of Fiji, to work on a Habitat for Humanity project. Interviewed and recorded by Jack Davies, July 31, 2019. 1 digital audio file.
Oral history
Returned Peace Corps Volunteer Collection
RPCV-ACC-2020-014
Paul Clark served as a Peace Corps volunteer in Fiji from 2005 to 2007 in an environmental program. Prior to joining Peace Corps, he served in the U.S. Army and attended graduate school at the University of Montana. His Peace Corps training was conducted in-country and included home stays with local families. Clark's job assignment was in Cuvu and included working with six neighboring villages. He lived with a local family for the first four months of his assignment, and then moved into his own quarters. While in Cuvu he organized the school library, started an environmental club at the school, conducted waste management workshops, and tutored students. He also prepared a brief dictionary of the local dialect for the benefit of future volunteers. Finally, Clark discusses how his Peace Corps experience helped prepare him for his current job with the National Park Service in Alaska. Interviewed and recorded by Jack Franklin Davies, August 12, 2019. 2 digital audio files (web streaming files combined into 1 file).
Oral history
Returned Peace Corps Volunteer Collection
RPCV-ACC-2019-119
Lew Jones served as a Peace Corps volunteer in Fiji from October 1968 to January 1973 on a cooperatives project. His prior military service on a U.S. Navy destroyer influenced his decision to serve less developed populations. While finishing his undergraduate degree, Jones met a Peace Corps recruiter and decided to apply. He was initially invited to Malaysia, but that offer fell through, and he was then invited to Fiji. He was in the second training group of the Fiji program, which was held on the island of Molokai in Hawaii. Once in Fiji, Jones worked with cooperatives, initially in rural villages and later at the main training center in Suva. He lived on an outer island, in a small town, and in a suburb of the capital city on the main island of Viti Levu. By the end of his service, Jones had successfully trained his local counterpart to take over his job. He developed lasting relationships with the locals and continues to remain in touch with them. He has visited Fiji three times since completing his service, including a Habitat for Humanity build in 2011 with Friends of Fiji, and in 2018 for the 50th anniversary of Peace Corps Fiji. Interviewed and recorded by Julius (Jay) Sztuk, July 16, 2019. 1 digital audio file.
Oral history
Returned Peace Corps Volunteer Collection
RPCV-ACC-2019-114
Stephen (Steve) Wiley served as a Peace Corps volunteer in Fiji from 1970 to 1971 as an elementary school teacher. His decision to join was influenced by his desire to pursue a career in teaching and to avoid the draft. He applied and was invited to Fiji, but then realized that he wanted to get married first. He and his new wife Sally applied together and were selected for the next Fiji training group. Training was conducted in Hilo, Hawaii, and covered Fijian language and culture as well as teacher training. Wiley taught at an elementary school in the rural village of Laselevu, where he and his wife were the only non-Fijian teachers, and he spent a great deal of time preparing lesson plans. In retrospect he regrets not socializing more with the men of the village to gain a better understanding of their lives and viewpoints. After completing their two years of Peace Corps service, the Wileys stayed in Fiji for an additional year while Steve continued as a teacher and Sally served as headmistress of the Fiji School for the Intellectually Handicapped. The interview includes discussion of living conditions in the village and visits to other parts of Fiji. Interviewed and recorded by Julius (Jay) Sztuk, June 30, 2019. 2 digital audio files (web streaming files combined into 1 file).