Interview with Elizabeth "Betsy" Davis, November 13, 2020

Partial Transcript: This is Evelyn Ganzglass. I was a Peace Corps Volunteer in Somalia from 1966 to 1968. And today, I'm interviewing Elizabeth "Betsy" Davis who was a Peace Corps Volunteer in, in Brazil from 1968 to 1971 and then she continued in Peace Corps, uh, with another t--[audio drops out]--Volunteer in Ecuador, 1972 to 1974. Then she was Ecuador Country Director from 1987 to 1990. And from 1993 to 1998, she was, uh, coordinator of Peace Corps' Women in Development program and I understand also did consulting after that.

Segment Synopsis: When she was 15 years old, Davis met some Girl Scouts from Colombia who told her that there were Peace Corps Volunteers in their town who did good things and everyone loved them. This inspired Davis to join the Peace Corps. Davis joined the Peace Corps right after her college graduation and was posted to Brazil after pre-service training in Los Angeles. Davis spent 3 years serving in an Amazon village with a population of 800 people.

Keywords: Amazon region (Brazil); Assignment; Goals; Los Angeles (Calif.); Motivation; Peace Corps directors; Peace Corps staff; Population; Pre-service training; Villages

Subjects: Colombia; Peace Corps (U.S.); Peace Corps (U.S.)--1960-1970; Peace Corps (U.S.)--1970-1980; Peace Corps (U.S.)--1980-1990; Peace Corps (U.S.)--1990-2000; Peace Corps (U.S.)--Brazil; Peace Corps (U.S.)--Ecuador; Voluntarism; Volunteers

Partial Transcript: Um, so, where did, where did you grow up?

Segment Synopsis: As a youth, Davis traveled extensively, domestically and internationally, as she was in a military family and changed schools annually. Davis' father liked to socialize with other foreign military officers.

Keywords: Changes; Fathers; Holidays; Interests; Socializing; Traveling

Subjects: Brazil; Childhood; Germany; International travel; Schools

Partial Transcript: So, I usually ask, what did your parents think about you joining the Peace Corps?

Segment Synopsis: Davis' father approved of her serving the nation. Davis' parents had met while Davis' mother had been serving as a nurse in Italy during World War II. She also supported Davis' joining the Peace Corps, as did Davis' maternal grandmother.

Keywords: Family; Older Americans; Support; Traveling; Vietnam War; World War II

Subjects: Families.; International travel; Italy; Parents; Peace Corps (U.S.); Voluntarism; Volunteers

Partial Transcript: Where did you go to college?

Segment Synopsis: Davis attended the University of Kentucky and studied sociology and Spanish.

Keywords: College majors; Spanish (Language); Undergraduate education; University of Kentucky

Subjects: Language and languages; Universities and colleges

Partial Transcript: Did you apply on your own? Or were there recruiters in those days on college campuses?

Segment Synopsis: Davis applied to Peace Corps when she was 15 years old. Davis got a nice letter in reply advising her to go to college first. Davis applied again when she was a junior in college. On her application, Davis asked to be posted to Brazil but far away from Rio de Janeiro. Before leaving for pre-service training, Davis had briefly studied Portuguese in college.

Keywords: Applications; Language training; Letters; Peace Corps recruiters; Portuguese (Language); Posts; Pre-service training; Rio de Janeiro (Brazil); Spanish (Language)

Subjects: Brazil; Language and languages; Peace Corps (U.S.); Peace Corps (U.S.)--Brazil; Voluntarism; Volunteers

Partial Transcript: So, um, you applied and you were accepted. And then, where was your training?

Segment Synopsis: Davis' pre-service training was held at California State University, Los Angeles. Davis' cohort started with 38 trainees, 28 of whom were eventually sent to Brazil. The program focus was health and rural community development. Most of the trainees were generalists and had no formal medical background. At the end of training, there was a 3-day break before the cohort flew out of Miami.

Keywords: California State University, Los Angeles; Changes; Community development; Cultural training; De-selection; Disease transmission; Examinations; Exams; History; Improvements; Inoculations; Language training; Miami (Fla.); Peace Corps directors; Peace Corps staff; Rural areas; Struggles; Technical training

Subjects: Brazil; Ecuador; Emotions; Health; Peace Corps (U.S.); Peace Corps (U.S.)--Brazil; Universities and colleges; Voluntarism; Volunteers

Partial Transcript: And then, we all got on a plane to fly to Belem in Brazil.

Segment Synopsis: In Belem, Davis was among those who received another week of training in gardening. The Volunteers with nursing backgrounds had 2 weeks of additional training at a maternity hospital. A week later, the Volunteers were sent out to their work sites.

Keywords: Belem (Brazil); Peace Corps staff; Technical training; Traveling

Subjects: Brazil; Hospitals; International travel; Peace Corps (U.S.); Peace Corps (U.S.)--Brazil; Voluntarism; Volunteers

Partial Transcript: Um, on Thanksgiving, and, and--I think two days later, on Thanksgiving Day, the mayor of the county and his wife picked me up and took me to my village where they were having a school closing ceremony.

Segment Synopsis: At the village school, Davis taught kindergarten, health, and coordinated her additional activities with the school director. This included organizing a parent/teacher organization and teaching adult literacy. Davis rented part of a house for living space and took her meals with her landlord's family. Most of the village's 800 people lived on a subsistence economy based on the men hunting in the surrounding jungle.

Keywords: Activities; Alcohol; Amenities; Drinking; Gender discrimination; Housing; Living conditions; Problems; Schedules; Traveling; Villages; Weather

Subjects: Brazil; Finance; Health; Peace Corps (U.S.); Peace Corps (U.S.)--Brazil; Teaching; Voluntarism; Volunteers

Partial Transcript: So, what was it like in the town with, uh, mostly women? Did you interact a lot women-to-women then mostly?

Segment Synopsis: The villagers had large families so the women were always busy. Davis tended to have more interactions with the few local women who had salaried jobs. Davis describes some of the local economy and transportation system. Sometimes, another Volunteer, who was an hour and a half away by truck, would catch a ride and visit Davis. Every other month, Davis would take a 2-hour train ride to town, where 2 other Volunteers were assigned, to get her living allowance. Davis had to adjust to being the person who always physically stood out. Davis was able to make friends in the community and improve her Portuguese.

Keywords: Adjustment; Distance; Fluency; Friends; Jobs; Kids; Language skills; Learning; Living alone; Local people; Locals; Porto Grande (Brazil); Portuguese (Language); Self-confidence; Site visits; Special occasions; Trains; Transportation; Traveling

Subjects: Brazil; Finance; Interpersonal relations; Language and languages; Lifestyles; New Zealand; Peace Corps (U.S.); Peace Corps (U.S.)--Brazil; Voluntarism; Volunteers

Partial Transcript: USIA allowed you to, to borrow a 16 millimeter projector.

Segment Synopsis: Through an arrangement with USIA (United States Information Agency), Davis was able to borrow a projector and educational films. Screening of the films in Davis' village raised money which was used to improve the school.

Keywords: Accomplishments; Changes; Disease transmission; First Goal; Funding; Fundraising; Improvements; Malaria; Porto Grande (Brazil); Portuguese (Language); Recreation; Second Goal; Transportation; Walt Disney

Subjects: Brazil; Health; Hygiene; Language and languages; Peace Corps (U.S.); Peace Corps (U.S.)--Brazil; Teaching; United States. Information Agency; Voluntarism

Partial Transcript: Do you have other stories of, of work you did in the village?

Segment Synopsis: Davis started a parasite eradication campaign. Through fecal exams, Davis found that all the villagers had at least one intestinal parasite. Accordingly, Davis was able to dispense appropriate medicine supplied by the government. At times, Davis found that people had the desire to change but didn't have access to the necessary resources.

Keywords: Accomplishments; Clothing; Examinations; Exams; Kids; Learning; Medication; Peace Corps directors; Siblings

Subjects: Brazil; Ecuador; Finance; Peace Corps (U.S.); Peace Corps (U.S.)--Brazil; Voluntarism; Volunteers

Partial Transcript: So, you, you stayed--did you stay in this town for three years?

Segment Synopsis: After 2 years, Davis extended her service because she felt she understood the local system and had made personal connections necessary to be effective. Davis felt at home, in part, because when growing up, her family was constantly being uprooted. Before her extension began, Davis had a month's leave and traveled back to the U.S. During her third year, Davis moved in with the head teacher and cooked for herself.

Keywords: Acceptance; Acclimation; Changes; Coming home; Goals; Living situation; Personal growth; Politics and government; Porto Grande (Brazil); Problems; Returning; Site visits; Support; Traveling

Subjects: Acculturation; Brazil; Emotions; International travel; Interpersonal relations; Peace Corps (U.S.); Peace Corps (U.S.)--Brazil; Voluntarism; Volunteers

Partial Transcript: Did you, did you get to travel around Brazil at all?

Segment Synopsis: After a year, Davis took vacation with another Volunteer and stopped at Macapa, Belem, Santarem, and visited other Volunteers in-country. After her third year, Davis traveled for 6 months with another Volunteer to Tierra del Fuego and then up the west coast of South America.

Keywords: Belem (Brazil); Macapa (Brazil); Manaus (Brazil); Mosquito nets; Santarem (Brazil); Site visits; Tierra del Fuego (Argentina); Tourists; Traveling

Subjects: Amazon River; Bolivia; Brazil; Chile; Ecuador; International travel; Peace Corps (U.S.); Peace Corps (U.S.)--Brazil; Peru; Somalia; South America; Voluntarism; Volunteers

Partial Transcript: And then, in Ecuador, um, we were asked by the Peace Corps program there to join a program that they were expanding that trained primary healthcare workers from villages around a health center out in the mountains.

Segment Synopsis: In Ecuador, Davis was asked to join an expanding program to train primary healthcare workers. Davis agreed but first needed to return to the U.S. and re-apply. Six weeks later, Davis was back in Ecuador working with 4 other Volunteers. Davis lived and worked with these other 4 Volunteers and followed a curriculum developed at the University of Cuenca. Davis' team worked during the week and spent the weekends in Cuenca where they often encountered other Volunteers who were working nearby.

Keywords: Application process; Applications; Applying; Cuenca (Ecuador); Differences; Healthcare infrastructure; Invitations; Leaving; Returning; Site mates; Traveling; University of Cuenca

Subjects: Brazil; Ecuador; International travel; Peace Corps (U.S.); Peace Corps (U.S.)--Ecuador; Universities and colleges; Voluntarism; Volunteer workers in community health services; Volunteers

Partial Transcript: What is it that you learned from each one?

Segment Synopsis: Davis says people from all backgrounds can all relate to each other if we try. Davis felt self-confident that she could learn to do anything. Davis recounts the repeated failures she had gardening in Brazil until she finally had a successful harvest and learned to take advice. Davis comments that sometimes, being on one's own, as she was in Brazil, is an advantage. Davis found, particularly when she was country director, that a small percentage of the Volunteers would come into the urban areas in their free time rather than stay and interact with local people at their work site. Davis came to share the belief of one of her supervisors in Ecuador that everyone deserves healthcare.

Keywords: Advice; Criticism; Cuenca (Ecuador); Flexibility; Healthcare; Inoculations; Learning; Local people; Locals; Peace Corps directors; Peace Corps staff; Persistence; Problems; Quito (Ecuador); Self-confidence; Traveling; University of Virginia

Subjects: Brazil; Ecuador; Peace Corps (U.S.); Peace Corps (U.S.)--Brazil; Peace Corps (U.S.)--Ecuador; United States. Agency for International Development; Universities and colleges; Voluntarism; Volunteers

Partial Transcript: I returned to the States in '74.

Segment Synopsis: Upon returning to the U.S., Davis worked for 3 years with the Florida juvenile justice system. Then, for 10 years, Davis found a job working with exchange students coming from Brazil, Latin America, and Scandinavia.

Keywords: Florida; Foreigners; Iowa; Jobs; Students; Study abroad

Subjects: Brazil; Emotions; Latin America; Peace Corps (U.S.); Scandinavia

Partial Transcript: And then I went back.

Segment Synopsis: Because of a change in Peace Corps policy, Davis became the first country director who was not a political appointee. Davis served as country director in Ecuador from 1987 to 1990. Davis was the first Returned Volunteer and the first woman to serve as country director in Ecuador. The Peace Corps organization in Ecuador was large, with about 220 Volunteers and 70 trainees at any given time.

Keywords: Attitudes; Changes; Conversations; Difficult; Improvements; Loret Ruppe; Misconceptions; Peace Corps directors; Peace Corps staff; Problems; Returned Peace Corps Volunteers; Site visits; Support; Vaccinations

Subjects: Ecuador; Interpersonal relations; Panama; Peace Corps (U.S.); Peace Corps (U.S.)--Ecuador; Peace Corps (U.S.)--Management; Preparation; Voluntarism; Volunteer workers in community health services; Volunteers

Partial Transcript: Let me ask you about host countries' Peace Corps staff.

Segment Synopsis: Davis believes that native members of the host country staff are invaluable as they are more familiar with the local community and government agencies. While country director in Ecuador, all but one of Davis' staff were local people.

Keywords: Local people; Locals; Peace Corps staff; University of California, Davis

Subjects: Ecuador; Panama; Peace Corps (U.S.); Peace Corps (U.S.)--Ecuador; Peace Corps (U.S.)--Management; Universities and colleges; Voluntarism; Volunteers

Partial Transcript: As you reflect back on that, what do you--what, what lessons do you learn from that?

Segment Synopsis: Davis' time as country director strengthened her belief in the Peace Corps. Davis enjoyed seeing the personal growth of the Volunteers. Davis became less judgmental as she became more appreciative of the obstacles to bringing about change.

Keywords: Ages; Changes; Peace Corps directors; Peace Corps staff; Personal growth

Subjects: Ecuador; Peace Corps (U.S.); Peace Corps (U.S.)--Ecuador; Peace Corps (U.S.)--Management; Voluntarism; Volunteers

Partial Transcript: Why is it such a profoundly transformative experience for virtually every Peace Corps Volunteer?

Segment Synopsis: Davis acknowledges the impact that modern technology has had on making Volunteers better connected. But what makes the Volunteer experience transformational for so many people is the learning to overcome new challenges on one's own in an unfamiliar environment. This leads to self-confidence. Typically, Volunteers come to respect other points of view while seeing the commonality of human existence.

Keywords: Cell phones; Challenges; Cultural differences; Differences; Learning; Personal growth; Self-confidence; Technology

Subjects: Acculturation; Intercultural communication; Peace Corps (U.S.); Voluntarism; Volunteers

Partial Transcript: You and I were talking just briefly off-line, um, about the work I did with, um, gender and development with Peace Corps.

Segment Synopsis: Davis' role was to help Volunteers and staff identify the different needs and priorities between men and women. Davis notes that it is easier to notice distinctions made in other cultures, whereas differences in one's own culture seem normal. Some of the techniques developed by Davis were later used by Volunteers in their own communities.

Keywords: Challenging; Differences; East Los Angeles (Calif.); Food culture; Gender discrimination; Gender roles; Identity; Mothers; Participatory Analysis for Community Action (PACA); Peace Corps staff; Pele; Perceptions; Racial discrimination; Techniques; Women

Subjects: Bolivia; Culture; Ecuador; Emotions; Food security; Lifestyles; Manners and customs; Minorities; Peace Corps (U.S.); Peace Corps (U.S.)--Ecuador; Peace Corps (U.S.)--Management; Racism; Social norms; Voluntarism; Volunteers

Partial Transcript: You've had multiple roles: volunteer, country director, um, headquarters staff, headquarters consultant, um, now RPCV.

Segment Synopsis: Davis notes that there is no mechanism for Volunteers to return to their work sites after an absence of several years to see what on-going impact was achieved. Davis believes that Peace Corps is trying to do a better job of tracking contributions made by the Volunteers. One indicator is the number of foreign government officials who got a boost in their education through Volunteers and the number of Volunteers who go into government service in the U.S.

Keywords: Career paths; Changes; Conversations; Differences; Education; Empowerment; Impact; Influences; Jobs; Politics and government; Privilege; Reputations; Sustainability; Third Goal

Subjects: Africa; Ecuador; Ghana; Peace Corps (U.S.); Voluntarism; Volunteers

Partial Transcript: I want the Peace Corps to continue because I think the Peace Corps is needed now more than ever in the individual person-to-person diplomacy that Peace Corps Volunteers and their host country, uh, counterparts engage in.

Segment Synopsis: Davis believes that there is still a great need for the Peace Corps because of the personal relationships in which the Volunteers are involved. Davis was happy to hear that Peace Corps still is planning on sending Volunteers overseas.

Keywords: Counterparts; Cultural exchange; Friends; Funding; Future plans; News; Poverty

Subjects: Eastern Caribbean; Emotions; Evacuation; Interpersonal relations; Peace Corps (U.S.); Peace Corps (U.S.)--2020-; South Africa; Vietnam; Voluntarism; Volunteers; Washington (D.C.)