21 Peace Corps volunteers sworn in, ready to serve    

21 Peace Corps volunteers sworn-in

DAR ES SALAAM: A TOTAL of 21 Americans were sworn in as Peace Corps volunteers at the Peace Corps Tanzania Headquarters in Dar es Salaam yesterday.

US Ambassador to Tanzania Michael Battle and Peace Corps Tanzania Country Director Stephanie Joseph de Goes presided over the swearing in ceremony.

Continuing the legacy of Mwalimu Julius Nyerere and John F. Kennedy’s commitment to world peace and friendship, the twenty-one volunteers joined a cadre of over 3,200 men and women who have so far served in Tanzania since the programme’s debut in 1961.

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After 12 weeks of intensive Swahili language, intercultural competence, safety and security, health, and technical training to adapt and transfer skills to local communities, the new volunteers are ready to begin work in their sites in Dodoma, Kilimanjaro, and Tanga regions.

The volunteers will live and work in communities for two years in the areas of secondary education in Math and Science, Community Health, and sustainable agriculture, including the promotion of climate resilience.

In his address before administering the oath to the new volunteers, Ambassador Battle told them: “Remember that your presence and work in Tanzanian communities will provide a window into American society and values. I may be the US Ambassador to Tanzania, but each one of you are ambassadors in your own right.”

For her part, Peace Corps Tanzania Country Director Stephanie Joseph de Goes emphasised the power of volunteerism to promote collective action to help communities and the planet.

 She expressed gratitude to the government of Tanzania and the host families who partnered with and supported Peace Corps to successfully welcome the new volunteers.

She called for commitment of the Peace Corps to working with Tanzania to achieve improved development outcomes.

The peace corps is an international service network of volunteers, community members, host country partners and staff who are driven by the agency’s mission of world peace and friendship.

At the invitation of governments around the world, Peace Corps volunteers work alongside community members on locally prioritised projects in the areas of education, health, environment, agriculture, community economic development and youth development.

Through service, members of the Peace Corps network develop transferable skills and hone intercultural competencies that position them to be the next generation of global leaders.

 Since President John Kennedy established the Peace Corps in 1961, more than 240,000 Americans have served in 142 countries worldwide.

Over 3,200 Peace Corps volunteers have served in Tanzania since the programme was launched in 1961, working in education, agriculture and health sectors to address critical development priorities while promoting world peace and friendship.

 

 

 

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