Serving Sri Lanka

Katie Johnson sits down with Jeffrey Goveia, Peace Corps Sri Lanka's Country Director, to trace his path from Volunteer to agency leader — a career spanning Tanzania, Namibia, Uganda, Malawi, Moldova, Georgia, and Sri Lanka. They talk about what three decades of service across such different contexts have taught him.

Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed in this podcast are those of the hosts and guests and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of the Peace Corps or the U.S. government.

Katie sits down with Christian to discuss their expectations and experiences of Buddhism in Sri Lanka. They chat about their meditation and contemplative practices before coming to Sri Lanka, what they expected Buddhism here to look like, some realities of how it's actually practiced, draw some comparisons to the Christian mainstream in the US, and more.

Disclaimer: This episode touches on sensitive topics, including religion. Neither Christian nor Katie is an authority on Buddhism or anything else — they are just sharing their experiences. Their views do not represent those of the US Government or the Peace Corps.

Living with a host family is one of the most challenging and rewarding parts of Peace Corps service in Sri Lanka.

This week, Katie sits down with her two Sri Lankan host sisters, Pahanya and Dihara, to discuss the past two years of living together and becoming sisters. They discuss their first impressions of each other, some differences between how Americans and Sri Lankans eat and behave at home, their favorite memories together, and how their lives have changed since living together.

Katie talks with Sophie about the time they went viral on Sri Lankan social media and everything that came with it. They also cover what it's like being the only foreigner in their villages, how their approach to all that attention has shifted over time, honest doubts about their service, and ideas around how to build a good life. 

Sophie is a Canadian-American Peace Corps Volunteer from Toronto who is serving in Uva Province.

Katie chats with Gina about how she felt about coming to Sri Lanka, cultural differences between Americans and Sri Lankans regarding clothes, what she packed for Sri Lanka and what she wishes she hadn't, and other topics.

Gina is a Peace Corps Volunteer from Virginia who is serving in North Central Province.