Oral history
Returned Peace Corps Volunteer Collection
RPCV-ACC-2017-028
Amanda Silva served as a Peace Corps volunteer in Indonesia from 2013 to 2015, in an English education and youth development program. Her cohort was the third group to re-enter Indonesia after an absence of nearly 50 years. (Previously, Peace Corps volunteers had served in Indonesia from 1961 to 1963.) Silva's training was conducted in-country in the cities of Surabaya, Bandung, and Malang. She was then stationed in Cikedung, Indramayu, West Java, where she lived with a host family, taught English in a vocational high school, acquired a bicycle for the hour-long commute, and became involved in the community. Working with the children of Indramayu Javanese backgrounds, Silva developed after-school clubs and regional leadership camps for both boys and girls. Challenges included adjusting to various counterparts, changing host families, and enduring dengue fever. Interviewed and recorded by Patricia Wand, January 5, 2017. 2 digital files (web streaming files combined into 1 file).