Interview with Hana Admassu, August 9, 2020

Partial Transcript: Okay. So today is, uh, August 9th, 2020, I am interviewing an Evacuated Volunteer from Ukraine who is also qualified as a Returned Peace Corps Volunteer.

Segment Synopsis: Admassu talks about her family background and her introduction to Peace Corps. She talks about her exchange year in India and her conversation with the current head of Peace Corps. She talks about how she originally wanted to go to Ghana but eventually chose to be placed anywhere. She talks about how the Peace Corps chose Ukraine for her and her excitement to go to Europe.

Keywords: Community service; Ecuador; Ethiopia; Ethiopian Americans; Exchange program; Ghana; Graduate school; Immigrants; India; International social work; Peace Corps; Social work; Ukraine; University of Maryland; Youth development

Subjects: Peace Corps (U.S.)--Ukraine.; Travel; Voluntarism; Volunteer workers in community development

Partial Transcript: Wow and, uh, how long have you been in, in Ukraine?

Segment Synopsis: Admassu talks about spending four years in Ukraine and her experience serving there. She talks about the issues related to safety in the village and enjoying her time with the youth of the village. She talks about moving sites and the differences between the two sites that she worked at.

Keywords: Challenges; Children; Connections; Difficulties; Education; Human immunodeficiency virus infection and acquired immune deficiency syndrome (HIV/AIDS); Language; Peace Corps; Russian; Sex education; Town; Ukraine; Ukrainian; Village; Young adults; Youth; Youth development

Subjects: AIDS (Disease); Health education.; Language and languages.; Peace Corps (U.S.); Peace Corps (U.S.)--Ukraine; Voluntarism; Volunteer workers in community development; Volunteer workers in education

Partial Transcript: Wow. So when, when did you hear about, uh, Coronavirus in your community?

Segment Synopsis: Admassu talks about how COVID-19 began to impact her community in April 2020 as there were very few cases near her site. She talks about expecting to stay there for a few months and then leaving at the end of her time at her site. She talks about the Ukrainian borders closing and being evacuated around mid-March. She talks being in denial when it came to evacuating because she was about to start her work on an HIV program.

Keywords: 2020; Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19); Denial; Drinking; Evacuation; Going home; Goodbyes; HIV program; Human immunodeficiency virus infection and acquired immune deficiency syndrome (HIV/AIDS); Kiev; Leaving; Packing; Pandemic; Peace Corps; Sex ed; Sex education; Tradition; Ukraine; Vodka; Zaporizhzhia

Subjects: COVID-19 (Disease); Peace Corps (U.S.); Peace Corps (U.S.)--Ukraine; Volunteer workers in education

Partial Transcript: How was, how was the evacuation experience for you?

Segment Synopsis: Admassu talks about Peace Corps' role in evacuating all of the volunteers. She talks about the different emotions and how difficult it was for her. She talks about how well the different volunteers and Peace Corps staff supported each other. She talks about isolating herself once she was home and reaching out to her colleagues. She talks about her colleagues being unwilling to finish the HIV project without her.

Keywords: America; Coming home; Communication; Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19); Difficulties; Emotional rollercoaster; Emotions; Evacuation; Family; Feelings; Host family nationals; Leaving; Peace Corps; Positivity; Projects; Quarantine; Ukraine

Subjects: COVID-19 (Disease); Peace Corps (U.S.); Peace Corps (U.S.)--Ukraine; Voluntarism

Partial Transcript: And I, I have to agree with you. Honestly it's, it's okay to give yourself a break, you know, to just reflect on everything because it was a lot to a lot of volunteers.

Segment Synopsis: Admassu talks about dealing with difficult emotions and the feeling of betraying her Ukrainian community. She talks about going back in the future either through Peace Corps or on her own. She talks about projects and programs that she has been working on during the pandemic. She talks about going back to a normal state of mind and applying to schools. She talks about the impact of her four years in Ukraine and how it feels like home.

Keywords: America; Community; Coping; Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19); Emotions; Evacuation; Feelings; Going back to normal; Home; Mental health; Mentorship program; National Peace Corps Association; Peace Corps; Plans; Programs; Projects; Reaching out; Shocking; Ukraine; United States

Subjects: COVID-19 (Disease); Peace Corps (U.S); Peace Corps (U.S.)--Ukraine; Voluntarism

Partial Transcript: Would you, um, would you go back?

Segment Synopsis: Admassu talks about not wanting to go back to Ukraine as a Peace Corps volunteer. She talks about having done what she can do at that site and potentially working in Ukraine in a different capacity. She talks about potentially working in Ethiopia and being able to share her experience there. She talks about going into Ukraine with an open mind and what she learned and accomplished.

Keywords: Accomplishments; Acculturation; Adapting; Assistance; Attitude; Building trust; Community development; Connections; Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19); Ethiopia; Experience; Future goals; Goals; Going back; Guidance; International experience; Learning; Mindset; Peace Corps; Relationships; Sharing stories; Teaching; Trust; Ukraine

Subjects: Acculturation.; COVID-19 (Disease); Peace Corps (U.S.); Peace Corps (U.S.)--Ukraine; Voluntarism

Partial Transcript: So that was a big take on for me. Like that--'cause at the beginning of my service when I was in the village I felt like, "You know what? I'm not doing anything. Why am I here?"

Segment Synopsis: Admassu talks about figuring out what was actually important when working in the village--building relationships. She talks about the importance of an open attitude and understanding that not everything is black or white. She talks about the value of Peace Corps in the modern day and its impact on her life. She talks about the kids in Ukraine and their reaction to her ethnicity and hair. She talks about how the relationships that they build there are more sustainable than the projects and programs they implement.

Keywords: Accomplishments; Commonalities; Community interactions; Connections; Culture; Expectations; Learning; Life experience; Open-minded; Peace corps; Programs; Projects; Race; Relationship building; Relationships; Take away; Ukraine; Value of Peace Corps

Subjects: Peace Corps (U.S.); Peace Corps (U.S.)--Ukraine; Voluntarism; Volunteer workers in education

Partial Transcript: I, I agree with you. Um, relationships are very important, um, and, and that's how you build trust.

Segment Synopsis: Admassu talks about the culture shock of coming home and wanting to be alone. She talks about coming to terms with her friends and family's reactions. She talks about communicating with some Peace Corps volunteers over Facebook. She talks about the importance of accepting people where they are and with who they are. She talks about the impact of her time as a Peace Corps volunteer and how Ukraine will always be home for her.

Keywords: America; Communication; Community; Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19); Culture shock; Depression; Diversity; Ethiopia; Evacuation; Facebook; Family; Friends; Isolation; Living abroad; Open-minded; Pandemic; Peace Corps; Reactions; Relationships; Relationships building; Trust; Ukraine

Subjects: COVID-19 (Disease); Culture shock; Culture.; Peace Corps (U.S.); Peace Corps (U.S.)--Ukraine; Voluntarism