My Years in the Early Peace Corps: Ethiopia, 1965-1966

The author describes her second year as a Peace Corps Volunteer teaching Chemistry in Gondar Health College, Ethiopia, including her efforts to motivate students and interactions with physicians and fellow teachers. She also describes vacation travels and instances of anti-Peace Corps agitation.

Format: Paperback / softback
Length: 270 pages
Publication date: 17 November 2021
Publisher: University Press of America

The author vividly recounts her second year as a Peace Corps Volunteer in Gondar, Ethiopia, where she taught Chemistry at the Gondar Health College, a branch of Haile Selassie I University. Her responsibilities included lecturing, conducting laboratory courses, and preparing solutions for these courses. However, she soon realized that the students were not adequately prepared for the classroom environment. Undeterred, she embarked on a mission to inspire and engage her students.

In addition to her teaching duties, the college served as the local hospital, where the author had the opportunity to interact with a diverse range of physicians, many of whom were expatriates. She also describes her vacation travels, exploring various parts of Ethiopia, as well as to Kenya, Tanzania, and Uganda. During her travels, she visited several game parks and even climbed Mount Kilimanjaro, a thrilling adventure that left her with lasting memories.

Goodwin's memoir also delves into her interactions with fellow college teachers, Peace Corps volunteers, and Ethiopians. She shares several instances of anti-Peace Corps agitation in Ethiopia, particularly its impact on the local secondary school. Through her experiences, Goodwin provides a candid and insightful perspective on the challenges and rewards of serving as a Peace Corps Volunteer in a developing country.

Weight: 408g
Dimension: 221 x 150 x 21 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9780761873020