Interview with Claudia Jayne, October 8, 2021

Interview Summary

Entrepreneur Claudia Jayne joined the Peace Corps at age 59 and served in Fiji from 2010-2012. After 40 years in the fashion and interior design industry, 30 in her own business, Claudia wanted to share her skills. Her classes with Margaret Mead greatly influenced PC’s appeal. When her first assignment to a microfinance company required her to collect loan fees from destitute recipients, she refused on ethics grounds. PC threatened to send her home, but she instead created her own work: traveling to PC volunteers' villages conducting sewing and pattern workshops. Subsequently, she continued her workshops with Fiji’s Ministry of Women conducting 46 workshops in all and helping 703 participants fix 263 sewing machines. She traveled throughout Fiji by bus and boat, on foot and horseback, and in livestock trucks. Since returning, she's had six hand surgeries due to injuries from repairing the rusted sewing machines. Nevertheless, she’s spoken to various groups encouraging all to join the PC, and she highly values this life-changing experience.

Interview Keyword

Peace Corps Fiji (Country of Service) 2010-2012 Community Economic Development Older volunteer Developing countries Margaret Mead In-country training Microfinance Smoke inhalation recuperation in New Zealand Trade school PC unsupportive Ministry of Women Advantage to be older volunteer sewing machine maintenance sewing workshops hand injury and surgery Adjustment to consumerism health insurance public speaking values perspectives 2010-2012 (Years of service)

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