In this interview, you’ll hear from Deondae Henderson, a Peace Corps Community Economics Development (CED) volunteer in Senegal. Deondae 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
- Final Thoughts
Volunteer Experience and Motivation
1. What do you do as a Peace Corps CED volunteer in Senegal?
As a Community Economic Development (CED) Volunteer with the Peace Corps in Senegal, I worked closely with local communities to strengthen small businesses, improve financial literacy, and promote sustainable income-generating activities.
In Linguère, I served as a radio show host, using the platform to share practical information on life in the U.S, entrepreneurship, savings practices, and community development, which helped expand access to knowledge in a culturally relevant way.
I also supported the development of a women’s garden initiative, collaborating with local women to organize resources, improve agricultural practices, and create a reliable source of income and food security. Through these efforts, I focused on building local capacity, fostering leadership, and supporting long-term economic resilience within the community.
2. Why did you decide to join the Peace Corps and serve in Senegal?
I decided to join the Peace Corps and serve in Senegal because I wanted to use my professional experience in leadership, training, and community development to make a meaningful, grassroots impact while also growing personally. Senegal offered a unique opportunity to immerse myself in a new culture, build relationships, and support communities in ways that are sustainable and locally driven. I was especially drawn to the Community Economic Development sector, where I could help individuals and groups strengthen their financial independence.
Living Arrangements and Cultural Integration
3. What is your housing like in Senegal?
My housing in Senegal is in a town smack dead in the middle of the desert, though some other volunteers would call my living situation “posh corps.” I live in a house with a main house where my small 4-member host family would gather for meals and conversation, along with any events we had.
In the compound, there’s a second house in which I live alongside a renter and his family. My room is a pretty nice size with its own bathroom covered in tile and a Turkish toilet with a western style shower and a separate room for my kitchen.
4. What moments or interactions stand out during your service?
The most memorable moment for me during service was when I contracted Dengue Fever. While the sickness itself was pretty bad, it’s the care that I received from complete strangers that will always stand out.
I was on a bus heading for the training center in Thies, Senegal, when I started experiencing symptoms. I passed out and awoke to 3 men carrying me to the back of the bus, which had been cleared for me to lie down. During this 5-hour ride, different passengers on the bus would come and check on me, giving me food and drinks to make sure I stayed hydrated. They also contacted the Peace Corps medical team to make them aware that there was a sick volunteer on the bus. These strangers also made sure that I made it to the Peace Corps medical unit, where I was taken good care of and recuperated for two weeks.
Surprises and Challenges
5. What has surprised you most about living or working in Senegal?
I was surprised by the Peace in which the Senegalese people live. They all take care of each other, and they extend the same care to strangers. One day, I was looking for the store to buy a wifi box and I asked some people where it was. After they realized that I wasn’t from Senegal and had a hard time speaking the language when I first arrived, two young men walked me almost a mile out of their way just to make sure I found the store. The Senegalese people have a word in Wolof, which is Teranga, and it means Hospitality. They live by Teranga, and I believe Senegal is the most welcoming place I’ve been.
6. What challenges have you faced in your CED work, and how did you respond?
It was really hard to find work for the first year of my service, along with the struggle to grasp the language. Every day is a learning experience, and I continue to get better even though my service ends in two months. With work, I went to every program and meeting that I was invited to. I introduced myself to anyone who was in a position to become a potential work partner, including teachers, local leaders, and community organizations.
7. What secondary projects have you worked on during your service?
My secondary projects included tree planting and co-hosting a weekly radio show in English, where we would discuss a range of topics and invite different people to come and sit with us to have a conversation to help people better understand and speak English.
Advice and Support
8. What advice would you give to future CED volunteers in Senegal?
I would advise that any volunteers come with an open mind. You may not know what to expect day to day in your personal or professional life while serving. Secondly, be flexible. Sometimes an idea or project may not go as planned, but if you remain flexible, it can be easy to pivot to something new. Lastly, I will say be patient. You may wait a year or so to start something that you may deem significant, but the connections and friendship that you make while waiting can sustain you and become beneficial to any project you start.
9. How did Peace Corps training prepare you for service?
While all of the training prepared me for service, I believe the most impactful was community-based training (CBT). It gave me a sense of what to expect when it came to integrating into the community. I realized that just being around my host family would be the learning curve that I would need at my permit site to make my service a success.
Practical Tips and Language Learning
10. What would you tell future volunteers to pack—or leave behind?
I would tell future volunteers to pack the things that make them comfortable. It can be silly things like soap, razors, and toiletries that you prefer, or books and games. These things may seem small, but sometimes self-care will make the difference in the day you have.
11. How has language learning been for you in Senegal?
The language learning for me was a struggle. I studied Wolof, and at the beginning, I felt like it just was not clicking for me. I spent time around my host family, work partners, and neighbors. Also, my good friend Koudedja, who’s also a volunteer and a master at speaking Wolof. I would call her for help; she served as a friend, translator, and teacher to me. Everyone is willing to help you learn, especially the kids.
To future volunteers, don’t be afraid to mess up. Everyone understands, and they may even laugh at you, but don’t take it personally. Believe me, they respect you for learning to communicate with them in their native language.
Final Thoughts
12. What final advice would you share with future volunteers?
My final advice to future volunteers is to hang in there. You will have good and bad days. There will be times that you may want to leave, but take it one day at a time. Also, find a friend. It can be another volunteer whom you call regularly or someone in the community with whom you can share laughs; it makes all the difference.
Are you thinking about joining the Peace Corps? If you’re curious about service and ready for something new, apply today. Like Deondae, 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.
