New Peace Corps volunteers sworn in

The swearing-in ceremony of 14 Peace Corps volunteers took place at the Andreas Kukuri conference centre in Okahandja last week.
The Minister of Health and Social Services, Dr Kalumbi Shangula, delivered the keynote address to welcome them to Namibia, while US Chargé d’Affaires, Jessica Long, the Executive Director of the Ministry of Urban and Rural Development, Daniel Nghidinua, and representatives of Peace Corps partner organisations were also in attendance.
The volunteers arrived in Namibia on 31 August 2022 and underwent a rigorous 12 weeks of pre-service training in Okahandja before being sworn in. They will soon lead projects in economic development and community health in communities across Namibia.
Peace Corps’ eight economic empowerment volunteers will work alongside their Namibian counterparts to support the government’s sustainable economic development program. With assistance from these volunteers, Namibia’s aspiring entrepreneurs, particularly youth and women, will increase their capacity to help build a strong economy. Volunteers will also work with their partner organisations to promote income-generating activities and small business development in their communities.
Six community health and HIV/AIDS volunteers will contribute to national HIV mitigation through the United States’ President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR), the single largest effort in history by any nation to combat disease. In partnership with the Ministry of Health and Social Services, the Ministry of Education, Arts and Culture, and other implementing organisations, volunteer activities will promote behaviour change and build life skills to address barriers to HIV prevention and treatment.
“The US – Namibia partnership is strong and diverse, built upon a foundation of meaningful people-to-people relationships and forged in shared values including democracy, rule of law, and human rights,” Long said. “The Peace Corps is a special and unique part of this relationship, one in which Americans volunteer to work alongside Namibian communities to contribute to the development of this incredible country.”
Volunteers serve two-year assignments, during which they live and work in Namibian communities, learn local languages, and integrate into the culture as they work to advance priority development aims of communities.
Peace Corps volunteers began serving in Namibia in 1990. Since then, more than 1 900 American volunteers have worked in various sectors including education, health, and economic development.