Tag Archives: Health Education

Joanne Trabert (Ashton) in Guatemala

Country of Service: Guatemala
Service Project Title: Community Health Project
Dates in Service: 1996-1998
Keywords: (Choose From) Community Development, Education, Health, Youth
Accession Date: December 2, 2022
Access: No restrictions
Collection Size: 0.5 linear feet

Document Types

  • Correspondence
  • Photographs
  • Reports
  • Publications
  • Film/Video

Finding Aid:

Box 1

  1. Documents
    1. Correspondence
      1. General Correspondence and Related Materials, c. 1995-early 1996
      2. General Correspondence and Related Materials, February-June 1996
      3. General Correspondence and Related Materials, July-December 1996
      4. General Correspondence and Related Materials, January-July 1997
      5. General Correspondence and Related Materials, August 1997-c. April 1998
      6. Letters to Parents, 1996-1998
      7. Cards to Gloria Hiller, 1996-1997
    2. General Documents
      1. Peace Corps Documents, c. 1995-1998
      2. Peace Corps Volunteer Handbook, c. 1996
      3. Close of Service Report, 1998
      4. End of Service Documents and Training Certificate, 1996, 1998
    3. Other Papers
      1. Reading Log, c. 1996-c. 1999
      2. Maps, c. 1996
  2. Other Materials (Box 2)
    1. DVD with image slideshow (DVD-2006, slideshow-1998)
    2. Flash Drive with correspondence (besides cards) and photos (see below)
    3. Three photo albums in a matching box, c. 1996-1998

Patricia (Penny) Jessop in Niger

Country of Service: Niger
Service Type: Public Health Educator, Maternal & Child Health
Dates in Service: 1970-1973
Keywords: Community Development, Education, Health, HIV/AIDS, Literacy, Youth

Accession Date: March 2, 2021
Access: no restrictions
Collection Size: 3 linear feet + 1 digital collection

Document Types

  • Correspondence
  • Photographs
  • Reports
  • Publications
  • Sound
  • Training Materials

Digital Surrogates

Finding Aid

Box 1 

  1. Jessop Archive: Content Guide 
    1. This is a document created by Patricia Jessop that lists (in no particular order) the entire contents of her donation 
  2. Audio Tapes 1-6, September 9, 1970-April 24, 1971 
  3. Audio Tapes 7-12, May 28, 1971-January 7, 1972 
  4. Audio Tapes 13-14 and “Supertape” Reel-to-Reel 
  5. Correspondence (Penny to her family and friends), June 24, 1970-October 4, 1970 
  6. Correspondence Transcriptions (Penny to her family and friends), June 24, 1970-October 4, 1970 
  7. Correspondence (Penny to her family and friends), October 10, 1970-December 23, 1970 
  8. Correspondence Transcriptions (Penny to her family and friends), October 10, 1970-December 23, 1970 
  9. Correspondence (Penny to her family and friends), January 2, 1971-April 18, 1971 
  10. Correspondence Transcriptions (Penny to her family and friends), January 2, 1971-April 18, 1971 
  11. Correspondence (Penny to her family and friends), April 25, 1971-December 25, 1971 
  12. Correspondence Transcriptions (Penny to her family and friends), April 25, 1971-December 30, 1971 
  13. Correspondence (Penny to her family and friends), January 26, 1972-December 8, 1972 
  14. Correspondence Transcriptions (Penny to her family and friends), January 26, 1972-March 4, 1973 
  15. Correspondence (Penny to her family and friends), February 3, 1973-May 5, 1973 
  16. Correspondence (Penny to her family and friends), May 22, 1973-October 25, 1973 
  17. Correspondence (Penny to her grandmother: Charlotte A. Petersen Fischer), January 22, 1970, November 27, 1972 
  18. Correspondence (Grandmothers Kincaid + Fischer to Patricia Jessop), August 9, 1970-December 30, 1970 
  19. Correspondence (Grandmothers Kincaid + Fischer to Patricia Jessop), January 16, 1971-March 6, 1973 
  20. Correspondence (Jean Jessop to her daughter: Patricia Jessop), June 29, 1970-September 14, 1970 
  21. Correspondence (Jean Jessop to her daughter: Patricia Jessop), September 16, 1970-December 29, 1970
  22. Correspondence (Jean Jessop to her daughter: Patricia Jessop), January 15, 1971-July 15, 1971 
  23. Correspondence (Jean Jessop to her daughter: Patricia Jessop), July 19, 1971-December 11, 1971  
  24. Correspondence (Jean Jessop to her daughter: Patricia Jessop), January 4, 1972-June 1, 1972 
  25. Correspondence (Jean Jessop to her daughter: Patricia Jessop), June 5, 1972-December 1, 1972 
  26. Correspondence (Jean Sutherland to her daughter: Patricia Jessop), February 3, 1973-June 16, 1973 
  27. Correspondence (Jean Sutherland to her daughter: Patricia Jessop), July 2, 1973-September 25, 1973 
  28. Correspondence (Siblings Peter, Karen, and Kathy Jessop to Patricia Jessop), July 13, 1970-October 6, 1971 
  29. Correspondence (Siblings Peter, Karen, and Kathy Jessop to Patricia Jessop), October 8, 1971-August 28, 1973 
  30. Miscellaneous Correspondence, 1970-1973 

Box 2 

  1. Publications: Directory of Peace Corps Volunteers and Staff, Publishes Short Stories and Pamphlets, Newspaper Clippings  
  2. Reports: Field Reports that Patricia Contributed to During Peace Corps Service; State Department Report 
  3. Slides, Box 1, June 1970-December 1973 
  4. Slides, Box 2, June 1970-December 1973 
  5. Slides, Box 3, June 1970-December 1973 
  6. Slides, Boxes 4 and 5, June 1970-December 1973 
  7. Training Materials + Personal and Administrative Documents

Katharine Gabell Panfil in Venezuela & Guatemala

Country of Service: Venezuela & Guatemala
Service Type: Community Development Work (Health & Sanitation)
Dates in Service: 1964-?
Keywords: Architecture, Community Development, Education, Environment, Health, HIV/AIDS, Urban Planning

Accession Date: February 17, 2021
Access: no restrictions
Collection Size: 1 open reel audio tape

Document Types/Finding Aid

  • Sound (Open Reel Audio Tape) 

Jim M. Brown in Colombia (Friends of Colombia)

Country of Service: Colombia
Place of Service: Bucaramanga
Service Type: Physical Education Teacher & Coach
Dates in Service: 1963-1964
Keywords: Community Development, Education, Health,  Sports, Youth

Accession Date: January 27, 2021
Access: No restrictions
Collection Size: .5 linear feet

Document Types

  • Correspondence
  • Photographs
  • CDs

Related Items in Other Repositories

Finding Aids

  1. Correspondence, August 9, 1962-September 7, 1964 
  2. Photographs and Business Card, January 1963-Spring 1964 

India 20A Group

Peace Corps Volunteers are trained and sent abroad in groups. They often visit each other while in country and remain in contact for decades after their service. One such group is India 20A, which has hosted many reunions in the past fifty years and have a website that details their service.

India 20A trained in public health at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee. After three months, August to November, the original group of 65 was reduced to 37 and sent to India. They spent 1965-1967 serving the country.

Mrs. Lady Bird Johnson walks past India 20A trainees standing in a presentation line. Visible are trainees Steve Sloane, Julie Revilla, and Phil Scholl.

 

PCTs Normal Bell, David Johnson, Werner Hollstein, and Richard Smith starting work on an outhouse constructed as part of our two-week experience on the Stockbridge-Munsee Indian Reservation in Wisconsin. October 1965.

At the time, India was experiencing extensive health issues. The people were at the mercy of tuberculosis, malaria, cholera, smallpox, and plague, so the government asked for Peace Corps assistance.

Cheyl Axtell, Gerry Hysashida, Penny Pendleton, and Marilyn Martiny at their site in Trichur, Kerala.

Essie Jackson, Richard Smith, Dave Johnson at home in Puthenthope, Kerala. Newly arrived in December 1965.

Once in India, volunteers worked with the Public Health Center “to extend its preventative and promotional health work into the villages.” They had 3 goals:

  1. To instill in the minds of the villagers by action and word a desire to lead more healthy lives.
  2. To activate key community organizations (the school, the village council) to take up health programs.
  3. To give active leadership to village efforts to improve health education, school health, diet, maternal and child health services, control of communicable diseases, production of nutritious foods, and environmental sanitation.

Their “priority was on provision of safe water supply, healthy housing, and sanitary disposal of human excreta.”

Dick, Diane, Karen at the Erumpathy, Kerala Public Health Center

Richard Smith bathing in the Ganges River at dawn 1967.

While in India, volunteers not only helped promote better health, they also experienced Indian culture in many different ways.

Diane Dickerson, Karen Thornbury with their friends Lily, DeVagi, Padma, and Nalini.

 

Caravan

Throughout the years, the group has kept in contact through reunions and return trips to India.

Rochester, New York – 1988.

Lake Tahoe – 2003.

 

To find out more information about the group India 20A, check out their website here: www.india20a.org which details their training process, how they corresponded with family and friends, their experiences in India, and many more photos of their service.

A video of volunteer Phil Scholl’s experience can be found here: Peace Corps Group “India 20A” in India 1965-1967, it details his travels through India, various village markets, the domestic life of villagers, and a large festival.

—-

Other volunteer groups have created group websites as well, such as the Friends of Brazil. Their website chronicles the history of volunteer groups that served in Brazil. It shows the different states people served in, where people trained, who served, and where they served. The website is a comprehensive look at the Brazil Peace Corps program during its existence from 1962-1980.

Find the website here: Peace Corps Brazil

 

 

*All pictures and information are courtesy of the India 20A website.

Timing their Training: Scheduling Peace Corps Volunteers’ Training

Before leaving for a foreign country, Peace Corps Volunteers in the 1960s were required to complete intensive training to help prepare them for their experiences abroad. This training occurred at universities all over the United States. They learned a variety of tasks ranging from agriculture and livestock care to language studies. Each PCVs’ training varied by where they attended training, their service type, and other factors.

Peace Corps Volunteers all received informational packets on their training, much like this one from Karen Keefer who trained at Columbia University for her service in education in Nigeria.

Peace Corps Volunteers all received informational packets on their training, much like this one from Karen Keefer who trained at Columbia University for her service in education in Nigeria.

 

One of the earlier PCVs is Thomas Hebert, who trained at University of California, Los Angeles in June of 1962. Hebert served in Nigeria from 1962 to 1964 educating youth and managing the University of Ibadan’s Shakespeare Traveling Theatre program. Hebert spent a total of 419 hours training for his service in Africa. The bulk of his training program was an orientation on Africa and Nigeria, totaling 92 hours, where he learned how to effectively communicate and understand the culture he would be serving in. Interestingly enough, Hebert also had a total of 81 hours of training in American Civilization and Institutions, which would “[enable] the volunteers to see political events more perceptively, to view the interchange of political interests more realistically, and to articulate democratic values more convincingly,” according to the training informational packet.

Hebert also spent 60 hours learning educational practices for Nigeria, in order to understand how to effectively reach his students abroad. He also had 55 hours of training in the languages of Hausa, Ibo, and Yoruba, the three major indigenous languages of Nigeria. In addition to his practical training, Hebert also spent 43 hours on health training and 56 hours in physical education. The Peace Corps emphasized the importance of each PCV’s health during their service. Lastly, he also spent 32 hours on “Special Features,” which ranged from lectures to documentaries.

Winifred Boge attended training at University of California, Davis from February to May 1965. The program totaled 720 hours of work over a 12-week period, resulting in an average of 60 hours per week. Boge served on the Health Nutrition Project in India, but her training also covered a variety of topics to assist with her transition into life in a different country.

 

As part of her training at UC Davis, Winifred Boge learned agricultural techniques.

As part of her training at UC Davis, Winifred Boge learned agricultural techniques.

 

For Boge, the most time was spent on language training, with a total of 300 hours on learning Telugu. Next, she focused on technical studies on health and nutrition, for a total of 200 hours. Following this, she also learned area studies and world affairs for 105 hours in order to understand the history and culture of her place of service. Also required for training was physical education as well as health and hygiene to ensure the health of every PCV.

One of the more interesting areas of study is the topic of Communism for 15 hours total. While each area of study in the information packet includes a description and list of teachers, Communism lacks this information. Even though the Red Scare of the 1950s had passed, the Peace Corps probably wanted to prepare their PCVs for different types of government in the world.

 

Many Volunteers enjoyed their training because it gave them a chance to get to know fellow PCVs. Pictured here by Boge, PCVs interact during their training at UC Davis.

Many Volunteers enjoyed their training because it gave them a chance to get to know fellow PCVs. Pictured here by Boge, PCVs interact during their training at UC Davis.

 

Peggy Gleeson Wyllie trained at Brooklyn College from 1963-1964 for her time as a nurse in Colombia. She spent most of her time–a total of 360 hours–in intensive language studies in Spanish. Not surprisingly, the second highest element of training at 106 hours was technical studies, along with 30 hours of health education. Technical studies included techniques in Nursing as well as the prevention and treatment of diseases found in Colombia. Wyllie also spent 72 hours learning the history and culture of Colombia, as well as 60 hours studying American studies, world affairs, and Communism. Like Boge, Wyllie learned “critical appraisal of the developing concepts and organizational challenges of the Communist world.” Lastly, she attended classes in physical training for 72 hours and a general “Peace Corps Orientation” for 20 hours.

 

After completion of their training, many PCVs received a certificate like this one. Steve Bossi completed his training in conducting Science Workshops in India from University of Wisconsin, Milwaukee.

After completion of their training, many PCVs received a certificate like this one. Steve Bossi completed his training in conducting Science Workshops in India from University of Wisconsin, Milwaukee.

 

Each training session, no matter how different in terms of location of training, location of service, or service type, served to best prepare each PCV for the challenges and successes they experienced during their service. Training takes into account the culture and society each PCV is entering in order to provide guidance for the most effective approaches to help both the Volunteer and community alike.  

Kay Muldoon-Ibrahim in Chile; Peace Corps Photographer

Kay Muldoon-Ibrahim

Country of Service: Chile
Keywords: Education, Health, Community Development, Fisheries, Crafts, Mapuche Indians

Accession Date: January 14, 2016
Access: Copyright retained by Ms. Muldoon-Ibrahim
Collection Size: 79 digital files

Document Types and Finding Aid

Strengthening Female Education Worldwide

Earlier this month, the Peace Corps announced it would partner with Michelle Obama to expand educational opportunities for women around the world. This partnership plans to accomplish this goal through specialized community training, raising public awareness and support for international partnership programs, and recruiting and training hundreds of new Peace Corps Volunteers working to serve as advocates for female education.

The Peace Corps Community Archive’s holdings reflect the Peace Corps’ continuing commitment to promote female education. From 1968-1970, Christine Hager served in Colombia working as a community developer. Part of her duties included educating women about self-sustainable work such as cooking and sewing. Winifred Boge worked on the Health Nutrition Project from 1965-1967, which educated men and women in India about healthy daily practices. The more recently announced initiative by Michelle Obama and the Peace Corps will build upon the already impressive work of the Peace Corps in addressing the need for increased female educational opportunities throughout the world.

Winifred Boge with female students in India

Winifred Boge with female students in India. PCCA

Interview with Returned Peace Corps Volunteer Robert Meade

The following post features an interview with Returned Peace Corps Robert Meade. Meade served in Paraguay from 1968-1969, and remained active in training future PCVs. In 2013, Robert Meade donated many of his Peace Corps materials to the Peace Corps Community Archive, including his correspondence, 35mm slides, training materials, reminiscences, and additional publications from his time in Paraguay.  We thank Robert Meade for his time in answering our questions.

 

"Volunteer Robert Meade on the patio of the Hotel Terraza in Asuncion. The hotel was the unofficial Peace Corps home-away-from-home for Paraguay PCVs when they came to Asuncion from their posts." PCCA

“Volunteer Robert Meade on the patio of the Hotel Terraza in Asuncion. The hotel was the unofficial Peace Corps home-away-from-home for Paraguay PCVs when they came to Asuncion from their posts.” PCCA

Q: What inspired you to enter the Peace Corps?

A:  I was in high school when John F. Kennedy proposed and established the Peace Corps. The idea struck me as something I might want to do once I got through college.  Like many people of that era, I was motivated by the idea of service to my country. I had an idealistic streak, too.  My older brother was encouraging. He was close to people in the Kennedy administration and a backer of the Peace Corps from its beginning.

 

"Paraguay II PCV Vince Francia (far left) and PCV Bob Meade (center) at the health center in General Artigas with U.S. YMCA representatives and Paraguayan nurses and student nurses." PCCA

“Paraguay II PCV Vince Francia (far left) and PCV Bob Meade (center) at the health center in General Artigas with U.S. YMCA representatives and Paraguayan nurses and student nurses.” PCCA

Q: What surprised you most about your first few weeks outside the United States?

A: I think I was surprised by how little I really knew about the work I was supposed to do. My service involved work in rural public health and sanitation. I asked myself, “how I could play a useful role during my time in Paraguay?”

It all seemed a bit overwhelming at first. Even though the people I worked with were very friendly, they didn’t quite know how to deal with the whole notion of a “volunteer” who left behind a “rich” life in the US to live with them and help them improve their lives.  Such altruism was very foreign to the Paraguayans.

 

"PCA Bob Meade and PCV Bpb Caruso (P-III) play soccer with the shoeshine boys who frequented the area around the Peace Corps office in Asuncion. The volunteers "adopted" these boys and took them on excursions to parks, professional soccer matches, picnics, etc." PCCA

“PCA Bob Meade and PCV Bob Caruso (P-III) play soccer with the shoeshine boys who frequented the area around the Peace Corps office in Asuncion. The volunteers “adopted” these boys and took them on excursions to parks, professional soccer matches, picnics, etc.” PCCA

Q: What projects did you work on during your Peace Corps service and what challenges did you face during their completion?

A: The principal focus of my work was public sanitation, especially the effort to control the parasitic hookworm among the general population in rural Paraguay.  This involved projects aimed at providing clean water and the use of sanitary latrines (outhouses). I also educated people in basic hygiene such as washing hands, wearing shoes, and constructing latrines at their houses and schools. Fortunately, I had a Paraguayan counterpart who had a pretty good idea of how to attack these problems.  One of the challenges we faced were the lack of financial and physical resources to carry-out our work. We also had to confront the basic ignorance of the population about preventing an endemic disease that was just part of life for many of them. Explaining the life cycle of the hookworm, an intestinal parasite, to a mainly illiterate population was no easy task.

We also had to confront the fairly ubiquitous presence of “curanderos” (witchdoctors) in rural areas who, because they sometimes prescribed an efficacious herbal remedy, had some credibility in the local population. Another challenge was transportation. We had to use my counterpart’s motorbike to get around or take public transportation and walk to many of the sites we had to get to.  The problem of hauling equipment such as pumps and piping for wells had to be arranged. We had no budget for this purpose, nor did we have money to buy cement, bricks, wood, etc. to build latrines.  This money problem was a constant struggle and, often, I used my PC living allowance to purchase supplies.

 

"PCV Bob Meade working in the garden at Kilometro 5." PCCA

“PCV Bob Meade working in the garden at Kilometro 5.” PCCA

Q: How has your Peace Corps service influenced you in your post-Peace Corps work?

A: Despite the difficulties of Peace Corps service, my two years in Paraguay made me decide to pursue a career focused on Latin America and in public service of some sort.  Immediately after Paraguay, I completed a Master’s Degree in Latin American studies at the University of Texas at Austin. I also worked for 15 months as a trainer for the Peace Corps in California and Puerto Rico.

In 1973, after having passed the written and oral exams, I joined the U.S. Foreign Service as a commissioned officer with the U.S. Information Agency (now part of the State Department).  In this role, I worked for 23 years overseas and in Washington.  I had assignments working in cultural and educational affairs in Panama, Ecuador, Brazil, Costa Rica, and Spain, with domestic tours for eight of those years.

My Peace Corps experience continued to serve me throughout my professional life. My experience gave me excellent command of the Spanish and Portuguese languages. I also gained an ability to work in foreign countries and develop meaningful relationships with people of different cultures while serving my country at the same time.

 

Q: What advice would you give current and future Peace Corps volunteers?

A: The Peace Corps experience is a very personal one, and how a volunteer reacts to an assignment and “fits in” varies greatly from person to person. I would recommend that you enter into service with an open mind. Do not have too many preconceived ideas about how things should be done.  Remember that you are only “passing through” your place of service.  In all probability, you will get a lot more out of the experience than you will leave behind. You will be a better person for having been a PCV. Lastly, bring back your new-found knowledge and perspectives to your fellow citizens.

 

Cole Shaw in Mexico

Cole Shaw

Country of Service: Mexico
Place of Service: Nuevo Leon
Service Type: Engineering (CONACYT)
Dates in Service: 2009-2011
Keywords: Community Development, Information Technology, Health

Accession Date: July 10, 2014
Access: No restrictions
Collection Size: 1 item

Document Types and Finding Aid

      • web blog

https://wayback.archive-it.org/1435/20140825194452/http://awolverineinmexico.blogspot.com/