Oral history
Returned Peace Corps Volunteer Collection
RPCV-ACC-2019-126
Charles Forbus served as a Peace Corps volunteer in programs for five different countries and also as a Peace Corps Response volunteer in Georgia. Forbus served in the U.S. Air Force after high school and had been inspired by John F. Kennedy's vision for the Peace Corps during the 1960 election, however he did not apply until after raising a family and retiring from AT&T. In 1997, he received his first assignment in Nepal, but had to resign for family-related reasons after completing pre-service training. He applied again and served in the Ukraine from 2002 to 2004 with an organization for disabled individuals, helping to automate record keeping at offices in Kiev and remote locations and providing computer training to the center's clients. In addition, he taught English as a secondary assignment. Next Forbus served in Honduras from 2011 to 2012 with one NGO that supported small farmers and another that supported people with HIV. That assignment was cut short when Peace Corps pulled out of the country due to unrest and security issues. Forbus applied again and was invited to serve in Madagascar in February 2013, but sustained a severe knee injury during training and was unable to continue in that program. In May 2014, he undertook a six-month Peace Corps Response assignment in the Republic of Georgia working with a youth organization to develop training programs in leadership, citizenship, and communications. Finally, Forbus served in Armenia from 2015 to 2017 working with locals to develop their tourism industry. The interview covers each assignment as well as the continuing impact of the Peace Corps on Forbus' life. Interviewed and recorded by Julius (Jay) Sztuk, August 3, 2019. 2 digital audio files (web streaming files combined into 1 file).