Interview with Eugene "Gene" Radwin, March 15, 2022

Interview Summary

Gene Radwin served in Sierra Leone, 1967-1969, working in Community Economic Development. He was first assigned to work with farmers to transition them to growing rice in wetland areas for greater crop yield. Later he worked with WHO, USAID and local Health Ministries on a country-wide smallpox eradication/vaccination effort. Pre-service training was for 6 weeks in the Virgin Islands. Krio was the language taught. Another 6-week training period occurred in-country at Njala University agricultural college. From there volunteers went to their assigned “chiefdoms”; Gene’s was in Sierra Leone’s Northern Province. After a few months he learned of the smallpox project, joined and moved to a Peace Corps hostel in Bo. Gene said he enjoyed the vaccination work because of its concrete and measurable goals. Gene believes service is a worthwhile endeavor and that “you learn about your own country by being immersed in another”, gaining an “appreciation of common humanity”.

Interview Keyword

Peace Corps (U.S.) Sierra Leone (Country of service) 1967-1969 (Date of service) Peace Corps Volunteer Job: Community Economic Development Peace Corps Volunteer Job: Health Sierra Leone Canary Islands Peace Corps (U.S.)--1960-1970 Peace Corps staff Vietnam War English (Language) Krio (Language) Language training Training

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