Oral history
Returned Peace Corps Volunteer Collection
RPCV-ACC-2018-035
Sara Thompson served as a Peace Corps volunteer in Burkina Faso from 2010 to 2012 in a program to educate and empower girls. She was stationed in Matiakoali, in the eastern part of the country. She discusses her medical issues while in-country and problems with getting treatment after her return to the U.S. In particular, she talks about suffering from side effects of mefloquine (an anti-malarial medication also called Larium) and her on-going battle with boils. She criticizes the continued use of mefloquine under Peace Corps policy, and describes problems with the U.S. Department of Labor FECA disability programs and her on-going advocacy activities to address these issues. Thompson also talks about her group's evacuation from Ouahigogou, Burkina Faso, at the beginning of their in-country training because of safety concerns, and the limitations on travel from her town near the Mali border because of violence in neighboring countries. In addition, she discusses a library, farming, and other projects she worked on with the local woman and girls. Interviewed and recorded by Evelyn Ganzglass, July 12, 2018. 2 digital audio files (web streaming files combined into 1 file).