Oral history
Returned Peace Corps Volunteer Collection
RPCV-ACC-2020-020
Steven Smith served as a Peace Corps volunteer in Fiji from 2008 to 2010 in an environmental program. During training he was housed with a local family in a village setting, which he feels was essential to his understanding of the local customs. Smith was assigned to Biausevu village in the Nadroga district and worked on projects in the area that included restoration of trails, re-forestation, and the revival of a traditional farming technique. He engaged village youth in the projects in order to gain acceptance and to help raise money. Smith also worked on a rubbish recycling project, introducing practices that he believes are still being followed, and arranged for a fellow volunteer to provide some public health education in his village. The interview also includes his observations about how the Peace Corps has influenced his life. Interviewed and recorded by Julius (Jay) Sztuk, October 9, 2019. 1 digital audio file.