In this interview, you’ll hear from Holden Madison, a Peace Corps Community Economic Development (CED) volunteer in Senegal. Holden shares what daily life looks like, the work being done, and how service has shaped their personal and professional growth. You’ll learn about housing, cultural differences, project work, language learning, and what it’s like to live and work in a new country. This interview offers a real look into Peace Corps service and what future volunteers can expect.
Table of Contents
- Volunteer Experience and Motivation
- Living Arrangements and Cultural Integration
- Surprises and Challenges
- Advice and Support
- Practical Tips and Language Learning
- Social Identity
- Final Thoughts
Volunteer Experience and Motivation
1. What do you do as a Peace Corps volunteer in Senegal?
As a Peace Corps CED Volunteer in Senegal, my primary responsibilities were to 1) promote economic development by training youth and women in entrepreneurship; 2) strengthen individual and women’s groups’ capacity to implement small-scale economic activities; and 3) in partnership with local and national partners, support access to technical training in agribusiness and solid waste management.
After PST training and swearing in, I was assigned to the city of Tambacounda. My official local counterpart was a special office of the Mayor’s – the Bureau of Project, Planning, and Programs. I led an entrepreneurship training program (ETP) at a trade school in my community for two academic school years.
I taught waste transformation techniques to local tailors through the fabrication of artisanal tote bags with recycled plastic water sachets. Additionally, I worked with community members in trainings in other income-generating activities like soap-making and homemade pesticide fabrication.
The highlight of my service was relaunching a Girl’s Camp for the region of Tambacounda. After a 5-year hiatus due to COVID-19, we were able to relaunch a weeklong summer camp called Camp Nio Far in September 2024. The Wolof phrase “nio far” means “we are together.” The camp was a great success—girls and their fathers came together for a week of learning in health, environment, agriculture, and personal finance. Mixed in with the technical themes of the camp, we had a lot of fun with music, games, art, and handicrafts.
Another highlight of my service was getting to collaborate with English teachers at the local high school, where we get to explore poetry, speeches, songs, and film together.
2. Why did you decide to join the Peace Corps and serve in Senegal?
I had several friends join the Peace Corps, and I was inspired by the mission of spreading peace and friendship in the world. I also appreciated the range of sectors Peace Corps Volunteers have been active in globally at a local level—education, the environment, public health, youth development, economic development, and agriculture.
Ultimately, I felt a calling for service, applied where needed most, and was fortunate enough to be placed in Senegal. I knew very little about the country when I was accepted into the CED program here.
Starting in August 2024, CED Volunteers have been integrated into Peace Corps Senegal’s remaining three programs: Agriculture, Environment, and Health. Appreciating that CED Volunteer skills are critical for all programs, moving forward, all communities with Peace Corps Volunteers in Senegal are now weaving and incorporating entrepreneurial, leadership, and management skills in trainings and application for these sectors.
Living Arrangements and Cultural Integration
3. What is your housing like in Senegal?
I lived with a local Tamba family in an urban setting in Tamba for the full two years. They went out of their way to make sure I was included in all major holidays (Korité, Tabaski, Tamkharit, Maggal, etc.) as well as family celebrations (baptisms, weddings, etc.) and the daily lunch around the bowl.
My space was well respected, and I felt safe throughout my time in the host family compound. I lived in a concrete-construction, new build. I had one main bedroom, a small kitchen, and a bathroom. I had electricity. And I used a well and a rubinette to collect water for dishes, laundry, the bathroom, handwashing, etc. I used a Peace Corps-issued gas stove and kept my veggies/perishables in a mini fridge I purchased at the local market. I cooked pasta and veggies on the stovetop frequently.
My host family introduced me to a number ofnational dishes – Thieboudienne (Fish & Rice with Root Vegetables), Mafé (A Peanut Stew on a Bed of Rice), and Thiéré ak Sow (An Ancient Grain Mixed with Powdered Milk and Water, typically eaten for dinner).
My neighborhood was centrally located within one of the 30 neighborhoods of Tambacounda, and I biked most places – to work, the market, the Post Office, the Cultural Center, to name a few.
4. What moments or interactions stand out during your service?
My core group of people during my service were my Cultural Integrator Facilitator (CIF), my English Teachers from the local high school, my host sister, and my counterparts at the Mayor’s Office. These folks helped me so much in my service – from integrating with the local language to planning trainings and activities to sharing in personal successes and failures. I always felt well-supported and heard. Equally, I felt that they could share their aspirations and ideas with me, and we could work together to help realize some of them.
Surprises and Challenges
5. What has surprised you most about living or working in Senegal?
Tambacounda and Senegal are beautiful. It’s one of the hottest countries on Earth (third hottest in the world, hottest Peace Corps country), and I felt the warmth, teranga (hospitality in Wolof) of the Senegalese very much. I found home here, and I always felt welcome in anyone’s residence. I was frequently invited to sit, take attaya (very hot, sweet mint tea), and share in conversation.
6. What challenges have you faced in your work, and how did you respond?
90% of the Senegalese economy is informal and agribusiness-based. I never had any prior experience working in agriculture or in small-scale business activities. My background was international hospitality management and B2B sales with a media publishing business. I learned that I quickly needed to adapt to the context I was working in.
We received 115 hours of community economic development and monitoring and evaluation training, 60 hours of cross-cultural training, and 15 hours of core program training, which helped alleviate some of the knowledge gaps.
At site and during my 2 years, I didn’t always have a regular work schedule and the seasonality played a big part in availability of work partners. For example, rainy season (July – October) meant that most family members were attending to crops and livestock and traveling in-country. This impacted the schedule of the ETP, Girl’s Camp, and other sector-specific work. Having patience, working and listening to workpartner’s needs and schedules allowed me to have a more realistic, fulfilling experience.
7. What secondary projects have you worked on during your service?
As mentioned previously, I worked with an English Club at the Lycée Mame Cheikh Mbaye. The two English professors I worked with were incredible and instrumental in the success of the English Club. We met on a regular basis during the two academic years, and together we witnessed the students’ public speaking, leadership skills, and creativity develop. I thoroughly enjoyed watching the students take on skits, sing, and actively participate and engage in this club week after week.
Advice and Support
8. What advice would you give to future volunteers in Senegal?
As mentioned, the CED program has been sunsetted in Senegal, but the sector lives on through the Health, Agriculture, and Environment sectors. For these future volunteers, I would encourage them to be proactive in connecting with community members and building trust from the start. In Senegal, people-to-people relationships are the foundation for any working partnership. CED skills are applicable to other sectors – from fostering entrepreneurship behaviors to accounting for expenses and budgeting.
9. How did Peace Corps training prepare you for service?
Peace Corps provided extensive training in language and cultural integration, sector-specific coaching and guidance, as well as thorough safety/security briefings. Throughout my tenure, the designated conferences – PST, IST, MST, and COS provided great anchors and checkpoints.
Practical Tips and Language Learning
10. What would you tell future volunteers to pack—or leave behind?
For Peace Corps Senegal, I definitely can’t stress enough bringing a reliable Nalgene, Camelbak, or equivalent water bottle. I went through so many refills on a daily basis at all times of the year due to the striking heat. Equally important are good sunglasses and a hat. The sun can be brutal as Senegal sits just below the Tropic of Cancer and is closer to the Equator. Chacos were my go-to footwear in Senegal. Shoes are often removed before entering houses or before mealtimes. The Chacos were reliable and sturdy.
If at a site with decent enough biking infrastructure, some biking essentials include ski goggles (to protect eyes from the dust, sand, dirt, exhaust fumes), and front and back bike lights will be very helpful if you have to go on a quick errand around dusk or dawn. A KN95 mask will also be very useful in the midst of dust storms. I found an iPad with Apple Pencil using Notability to be helpful for note-taking for conferences and trainings, but I had to be very mindful of the extreme elements (heat, dust, sand) as well as proper storage out of sight to prevent theft (electronics should not be left lying around in plain sight).
Though time is relative in Senegal, I was very happy to rely on my Casio F91W-1 wrist watch. A speaker and AirPods were also great, as I am an audiophile, but just like with the iPad, at one’s own discretion. Some simple keepsakes from home can go a long way to make you feel at home. Sunscreen, bug spray, malaria prophylaxis, and all other medications will be dispensed by the Peace Corps Medical Officers (PCMOs) in country. A bike helmet and a few bike accessories will be provided by the Peace Corps as well. There will also be a Peace Corps-issued water filter.
11. How has language learning been for you in Senegal?
Language learning started nearly the moment we got off the plane and entered PST. We had to learn survival Wolof expressions for ordering taxis, buying essentials, or walking about. The language learning is intense, but very thorough. Ultimately, we needed to reach an intermediate mid-level in the language proficiency assessment to swear in. Language learning was encouraged in service, and I used a tutor and later a local friend (one of my English teachers) to help me with my Wolof.
Additionally, I studied French in high school and spoke it frequently in college. Numbers and a few basic expressions in French can be useful. Written documents, national broadcasting, and pricing are all in French in Senegal. Machines and equipment use the French words as well. Though French is the official language, Wolof is the national language and is most widely spoken. Google Translate, with the help of AI, added Wolof as an option. It’s not perfect, but it can help share/write basic expressions.
Keeping a running “Note” with all key expressions and phrases was instrumental in my retention. Equally important was speaking with family, neighbors, work colleagues, and strangers alike to build up vocabulary and language confidence.
Social Identity
12. How has your personal identity shaped your service experience?
My Catholic faith is an important aspect of my identity. I attended Sunday Mass services at the Tambacounda Catholic Cathedral. It was a modest yet beautiful parish with some great drummers and a live choir. I felt this really helped ground me during my service.
13. Did your identity lead to specific challenges or situations?
Some individuals might not understand why I was not going to the mosque on Muslim holidays or fasting in the holy month of Ramadan. A strategy I used was to learn the Wolof expressions/greetings for these holy periods, and I had the opportunity to share that, as a Catholic, I have my own faith obligations, and that I share and appreciate theirs.
14. What advice do you have for volunteers who share your identity?
Even in a 95% Muslim majority country, there is a tolerance for other faiths. Christians and Muslims exchange food and greetings for their respective holidays. For example, for the Muslim holiday of Eid al-Fitr (Tabaski) in Senegal, Muslim families share their barbecued lamb and stews. For Christian’s Good Friday feast day, they share a sweet yogurt dessert called Ngalax with their Muslim neighbors. There is a harmonious relationship between the groups. I felt very safe in sharing my Catholic faith and traditions with my host family and strangers.
Final Thoughts
15. What final advice would you share with future volunteers?
Expect the unexpected. Be brave, not perfect. Come as you are and do the best you can. Failure is a part of service. We can’t reach all our goals and objectives, but we can make our best efforts. We can build relationships. We can make an impact as individuals. Keep pushing yourself to integrate into new communities and continue on paths of service.
Are you thinking about joining the Peace Corps? If you’re curious about service and ready for something new, apply today. Like Holden, you can live abroad, work with communities, and grow in ways you didn’t expect.
Apply to the Peace Corps and take the next step.
The content of this post does not necessarily reflect the views of the U.S. Government, the Peace Corps, or Senegal Government.
