Interview with Willow Pastard, April 25, 2021

Partial Transcript: Hello. Today is, uh, April 25, 2021. My name is Jay Sztuk. I was a Peace Corps Volunteer in Fiji in, uh, 1974 through '76. And today, I'm going to be interviewing Willow Pastard who was a Peace Corps Volunteer in Senegal from 2008 to 2020--or 2018--I'm sorry--2018 through 2020 when she was evacuated due to the COVID pandemic. And, uh, Willow worked in the health program.

Segment Synopsis: Pastard majored in anthropology at Northwestern University and minored in global health. In her senior year, Pastard applied to the Peace Corps as she was global health-minded and interested in learning about other cultures. Pastard accepted a posting in Senegal just before her graduation day and was in-country 6 months later. Pastard had had a high school teacher and a cross country coach who were both former Volunteers.

Keywords: African Americans; Applying; Black Americans; Chicago (Ill.); College majors; Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19); Influences; Interests; Northwestern University; Returned Peace Corps Volunteers; Undergraduate education; Waiting periods

Subjects: COVID-19 (Disease); Evacuation; Peace Corps (U.S.)--2010-2020; Peace Corps (U.S.)--Senegal; Universities and colleges; Volunteer workers in community health services

Partial Transcript: After talking to my parents about it, my dad was really gung-ho about it.

Segment Synopsis: Pastard's parents supported her application and were proud of her. Pastard's classmates were indifferent to her joining Peace Corps as none of them were applying. Pastard was able to meet with an alumnus from her university who was also African American and had served as a Volunteer in Guinea. Pastard also received encouragement from one of her global health professors.

Keywords: African Americans; Black Americans; College students--Attitudes; Diversity in the Peace Corps; Encouragement; Northwestern University; Professors; Returned Peace Corps Volunteers; Support

Subjects: Guinea; Parents; Universities and colleges

Partial Transcript: Did you do, did you do your training in Senegal?

Segment Synopsis: Pastard's cohort had a staging in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania followed by 3 months in Thies, Senegal. About 75% of the trainees in Pastard's cohort were white. But the cohort that was due to arrive in 2020 was 50% people of color.

Keywords: Changes; Cohorts; Diversity in the Peace Corps; Orientation; People of color; Philadelphia (Pa.); Staging; Thies (Senegal); Training centers

Subjects: Peace Corps (U.S.); Peace Corps (U.S.)--Senegal; Senegal

Partial Transcript: Well, tell me about, uh, your first impression of the country.

Segment Synopsis: Pastard felt she was stepping on Mars as the surroundings were red and things seemed alien for several months. Pastard had done little research about Senegal, although she knew she would be using French, which she had studied.

Keywords: Acclimation; French (Language); Preparation

Subjects: Culture shock; Peace Corps (U.S.); Peace Corps (U.S.)--Senegal; Research; Senegal

Partial Transcript: I, I, I think the interesting thing and the good thing about getting acclimated is Senegal's program is really good at getting you acclimated a little bit at a time.

Segment Synopsis: Pastard reports that the trainees were acclimated gradually. From the airport, they were taken to the training center and did community-based training, which involves home stays of increasing lengths. Pastard studied Serer but often ended up using French with her counterparts at her work site.

Keywords: Changes; Counterparts; Cultural differences; Cultural training; Dakar (Senegal); French (Language); Host family; Language training; Local languages; Malikounda-Sass (Senegal); Mbour (Senegal); Peace Corps staff; Serer (Language); Thies (Senegal); Transportation; Wolof (Language)

Subjects: Acculturation; Language and languages; Manners and customs; Peace Corps (U.S.); Peace Corps (U.S.)--Senegal; Senegal

Partial Transcript: My village that I lived in for 2 years, uh, my final site was called Faoye.

Segment Synopsis: Pastard was assigned to Faoye, 90 minutes from Dakar by car. Pastard feels that pre-service training was very good and she felt well supported during her service as well.

Keywords: Dakar (Senegal); Distance; Faoye (Senegal); Mbour (Senegal); Peace Corps staff; Preparation; Safety; Support networks; Thies (Senegal)

Subjects: Peace Corps (U.S.); Peace Corps (U.S.)--Senegal

Partial Transcript: So while you're there on that first few months, uh, during training you're, you're discovering the country and, uh, every--everything is new to you. So what, what were some of the things that really stuck in your mind? Or, uh, memorable, memorable, memorable, uh, events or anything like that?

Segment Synopsis: In Senegal, Pastard belonged to the racial majority, which she found gratifying. Pastard comments on various cultural differences, including body language, eating habits, religious tolerance, and politeness.

Keywords: African Americans; Black Americans; Learning; Missouri; Relationships

Subjects: Acculturation; Culture shock; Emotions; Lifestyles; Manners and customs; Peace Corps (U.S.); Peace Corps (U.S.)--Senegal; Race relations; Racially mixed families; Senegal

Partial Transcript: Okay, so, you completed training and then they shipped you off to, to your village to work.

Segment Synopsis: At her village, Pastard had been preceded by another Volunteer who had stayed with the same host family. Pastard describes the orientation process between the people in the host village and the Senegal Peace Corps staff before the arrival of a Volunteer.

Keywords: Acclimation; Cohorts; Orientation; Peace Corps staff

Subjects: Health; Interpersonal relations; Peace Corps (U.S.); Peace Corps (U.S.)--Senegal; Senegal; Volunteers

Partial Transcript: One of the things that we hear a lot of times from, um, um, people of color, Volunteers of, um--that are Hispanic or Black or whatever is that, uh, uh, that people don't believe they're Americans or, or that they're treated, uh, differently when they reach the village.

Segment Synopsis: Pastard heard the complaint that Peace Corps could do a better job of explaining to the villagers that the coming Volunteer might belong to an ethnic minority. Some local people could not or would not distinguish Black Volunteers as Americans and consequently would treat them with less respect. Pastard witnessed racial slurs being directed at Asian Volunteers. Latinx people and others who were seen by the local people as being light skinned were treated as whites.

Keywords: African Americans; Anxiety; Appearance; Asian Americans; Black Americans; Cohorts; Criticism; Diversity in the Peace Corps; Hispanic Americans; Local people; Locals; Peace Corps staff; Preparation; Racial slurs; Skin color

Subjects: Emotions; Minorities; Peace Corps (U.S.); Peace Corps (U.S.)--Senegal; Race discrimination; Race relations; Racially mixed families

Partial Transcript: Did you stay with a host family as well?

Segment Synopsis: Pastard's host father was the village chief and an important religious leader, too. Pastard's host father traveled a lot and his status gave Pastard status as well. Pastard was assisted in her daily needs by her host mother. All Volunteers in Senegal lived with a host family. Pastard was happy with her host family.

Keywords: Conakry (Guinea); Dakar (Senegal); Host fathers; Host mothers; Safety; Traveling

Subjects: Emotions; Guinea; International travel; Interpersonal relations; Morocco; Peace Corps (U.S.); Peace Corps (U.S.)--Senegal; Senegal

Partial Transcript: Well tell me, tell me about the, the village or town, uh, that you lived in. What that was like.

Segment Synopsis: Pastard's host family had a compound with 4 buildings where she had her own separate hut with a bathroom. The village had about 1,600 residents. As the village was located in a delta region, the people did a lot of fishing, salt harvesting, and farming. Others left to work in nearby cities. Cell phone service from Pastard's village was undependable. Solar panels provided some electricity in the village. Pastard had running water in her room.

Keywords: Amenities; Cell phones; Counterparts; Host family; Housing; Jobs; Running water; Traveling

Subjects: Lifestyles; Manners and customs; Occupations; Peace Corps (U.S.); Peace Corps (U.S.)--Senegal

Partial Transcript: Well, tell me about your job. You worked at the clinic?

Segment Synopsis: Pastard describes her clinic and the local health system. When Pastard first arrived at her village, most of the health workers were on strike which limited Pastard's impact. Pastard feels she improved the clinic's administrative systems. Pastard also held training sessions for the healthcare workers to make them more effective with the clients. Pastard feels that her role at the clinic was not essential. Pastard also taught English at the middle school. Pastard questions the long-term technical effectiveness of the Volunteers in the health and economic development sectors in Senegal.

Keywords: Activities; Changes; Cohorts; Contributions; Faoye (Senegal); First Goal; Health training; Healthcare infrastructure; Impact; Improvements; Inoculations; Malaria; Middle schools; Ndof (Senegal); Pulaar (Language); Second Goal; Secondary projects; Serer (Language); Sustainability; Teaching English as a foreign language; Third Goal; Vaccinations; Wolof (Language)

Subjects: Challenges; Language and languages; Peace Corps (U.S.); Peace Corps (U.S.)--Senegal; Senegal; Volunteer workers in community development; Volunteer workers in community health services

Partial Transcript: Uh, lot of people feel like their personal connections, uh, had more of an impact than their, than their job.

Segment Synopsis: Pastard is still in contact with her work site host family and sends them money at the end of Ramadan. Pastard still has ties to others in her village and plans to return and visit someday.

Keywords: Changes; Counterparts; Future plans; Graduate schools; Holidays; Host family; Questions; Returning; Telephone calls

Subjects: Emotions; Finance; Intercultural communication; Interpersonal relations; Peace Corps (U.S.); Peace Corps (U.S.)--Senegal; Senegal; Stress (Psychology)

Partial Transcript: You said you were, you were, um, you were going to extend if, uh, if this COVID thing--pandemic hadn't, hadn't happened, huh?

Segment Synopsis: Pastard was anticipating extending and moving to Dakar and interfacing with people at USAID. At that time, Pastard was considering a career in international development. Pastard enjoyed the slower pace of life in Senegal but was still looking forward to living in a cosmopolitan city.

Keywords: Career paths; Dakar (Senegal); Expectations; International development; Social media

Subjects: Culture shock; Lifestyles; Peace Corps (U.S.); Peace Corps (U.S.)--Senegal; Senegal; Stress (Psychology); United States. Agency for International Development

Partial Transcript: At this point, um, I'm in grad school here in the States and then I'm starting medical school in August.

Segment Synopsis: Pastard is presently in graduate school and will start medical school in August. So, she is unable to resume her Peace Corps service. As a young person, Pastard is more interested in living in a cosmopolitan city than in a rural village.

Keywords: Dakar (Senegal); Faoye (Senegal); Graduate schools; Peace Corps Response Volunteers; Returning; Villages

Subjects: Education, Higher; Lifestyles; Mozambique; Peace Corps (U.S.); Research; Senegal

Partial Transcript: So, do you think, do you think this Peace Corps experience changed you in some way?

Segment Synopsis: Before joining Peace Corps, Pastard envisioned global health as people from wealthy countries telling others what to do while the people from the wealthy countries overlooked domestic problems such as homelessness. Pastard is now willing to travel and learn from others. At times, Pastard questions her own motives more than before.

Keywords: Altruism; Changes; Learning; Motivation; Personal growth; Problems; Questions; Traveling

Subjects: International travel; Mental health; Peace Corps (U.S.); Peace Corps (U.S.)--Senegal; Senegal; World politics

Partial Transcript: Uh, we didn't talk about evacuation.

Segment Synopsis: Before Volunteers were evacuated from Senegal, Pastard was aware of the evacuation of Volunteers from China and the first cases of COVID-19 appearing in the U.S. Pastard was notified of the evacuation on March 16th, picked up on March 18th, and left Senegal on March 20th. Pastard recognizes that she was privileged to be able to be evacuated. Pastard briefly describes leaving her village. Back in the U.S., Pastard went into quarantine. Initially, Pastard found a job with the Small Business Administration. Pastard started graduate school in biomedical science in June 2020.

Keywords: Acclimation; Adjustment; Applications; Applying; Awareness; Closing borders; College majors; Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19); Counterparts; Difficult; Disease transmission; Graduate schools; Jobs; Master's degrees; Privilege; Quarantines; Re-entry

Subjects: COVID-19 (Disease); China; Culture shock; Emotions; Manners and customs; Peace Corps (U.S.); Peace Corps (U.S.)--Senegal; Senegal; Small business; West Africa

Partial Transcript: Uh, and we've already talked about keeping in touch with your fellow--uh, your, your, the people you worked with in Senegal.

Segment Synopsis: Pastard recently returned from Mexico where she stayed with a Volunteer from her cohort. Pastard is in frequent contact with other Volunteers. The Volunteers in Pastard's cohort continue to support each other. Pastard had a positive experience serving in the Peace Corps but also acknowledges some imperialistic aspects of the Peace Corps.

Keywords: Acclimation; Adjustment; Cohorts; Friends; Misconceptions; Returned Peace Corps Volunteers; Support circles; Traveling

Subjects: Emotions; Evacuation; International travel; Interpersonal relations; Mental health; Mexico; Peace Corps (U.S.); Peace Corps (U.S.)--Senegal; Senegal