30 Peace Corps Economic Empowerment and Health Volunteers Sworn-in for Two-year Service
On November 14, 30 Peace Corps cadets were sworn in and began their tour across Namibia in the presence of Dr. Esther Utjiua Muinjangue, Honorable Undersecretary of the Ministry of Health and Social Services, U.S. Ambassador to Namibia Randy Berry and U.S. Peace Corps National Director Dr. Elizabeth Anderson. Community for two years of service as an Economic Empowerment and Community Health HIV/AIDS Volunteer. The 53rd batch of trainees who arrived in Namibia on August 28 have just completed 12 weeks of pre-service training at the Peace Corps Training Center in Okahandja.
Pre-service training focuses on engaging trainees in hands-on learning experiences, including working with members of the host community (Okahandja) to practice applying Participatory Analysis for Community Action (PACA) tools that help build effective partnerships among trainees relation. Interns and the community. Participants participated in intensive technical training and learned about Namibia’s health and economic sectors, current HIV/AIDS interventions, and cross-cultural sessions to enhance understanding of local culture as a basis for effective community integration. Each trainee also learned one of the following local languages: Afrikaans, Oshikwanyama, Oshindonga, Otjiherero, Rukwangali and Silozi.
Peace Corps volunteers began serving in 1990 at the invitation of the Namibian government. Since then, more than 1,800 American volunteers have worked in various fields including education, health and economic development. Volunteers live in Namibian communities, learn the local language, integrate into the local culture, and promote world peace and friendship. Peace Corps Volunteers work with community members on local priority projects to build relationships, facilitate knowledge exchange and create lasting and measurable impact.
“The U.S.-Namibia partnership is built on meaningful people-to-people relationships and is anchored by shared values of democracy, the rule of law, and human rights.
The Peace Corps is an important part of the overall U.S. presence in Namibia and an important cornerstone of our friendship,” said Ambassador Randy Berry.
At the outbreak of the global COVID-19 pandemic, 126 volunteers were serving in various regions across the country. All volunteers were evacuated as the country went into lockdown. With our newest volunteers, the Peace Corps will have 60 volunteers serving across the country, as far away as Lüderitz and Katima.
The arrival of this diverse group of Americans signals a renewed commitment by the United States to work with Namibians to address the challenges of economic empowerment and critical health care issues in rural and urban areas of Namibia.
Distributed by APO Group on behalf of the United States Embassy in Namibia.
