Interview with Yvonne Hauwiller, July 29, 2021

Interview Summary

Yvonne Hauwiller was raised on a farm, attended college, then taught home economics for three years in a small town in Northern Minnesota. Prompted by a speech by President Kennedy, she and her husband joined the Peace Corps. They joined a cohort of educators headed to Sierra Leone. Upon arrival in Freetown, she was struck by the dim lights, sounds of babies and barking dogs, musty smells of the tropics, and the heat and humidity. She wondered if she’d be able to live there for two years. In a secondary school for girls, Hauwiller taught home economics using a textbook to teach Western sewing and cooking techniques as part of British West African exams. She taught literacy classes in the evenings to colleagues’ families, house boys, and vendors. In an unknown culture, Hauwiller says she learned to interact with others with understanding and empathy. Two years later, in tears, she left Sierra Leone.

Interview Keyword

Farms 1965-1968 (Date of service) Sierra Leone (Country of service) Home economics Sewing Cooking Northern Minnesota John F. Kennedy Educators Freetown (Sierra Leone) British West African Exams Literacy classes Understanding Empathy

Interview LC Subject

Peace Corps (U.S.) Peace Corps (U.S.)--Sierra Leone Sierra Leone Acculturation Communication and culture Culture Culture shock Intercultural communication Interpersonal communication and culture Interpersonal relations Interpersonal relations and culture Language and culture Language and languages Lifestyles Manners and customs Voluntarism Volunteers

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