New Peace Corps volunteers inducted
PARAMARIBO–Peace Corps Suriname has welcomed 23 new volunteers to its ranks. The group, the 17th group of Peace Corps volunteers to Suriname since the program started in 1995, was sworn in by US Ambassador John R. Nay on Wednesday, July 15th, a press release from the embassy announced.
The group consists of eight youth workers and youth mentors, six general health educators, five general business educators, and four water and sanitation specialists. They arrived in Suriname on May 4th 2011; prior to their swearing-in, they participated in pre-service training that covered language, culture and sustainable development classes, as well as information, history, economy and development priorities of Suriname.
The release said that the group made a commitment to serve as Volunteers for two years and will be living and working in Paramaribo, Commewijne and Amerindian villages near Albina, Aucanisi speaking communities in Brokopondo area, along the Cottica and Tapanahony rivers, Sa’macca speaking communities in the Brokopondo area, and several villages along the Upper Suriname river.
The swearing-in ceremony that was held at the Peace Corps office at Franchepanestraat, was also attended by Mrs. Moejinga-Linga, Representative of the Ministry of Regional Development, as well as several current Peace Corps Volunteers and Peace Corps staff.
Peace Corps Suriname was established in 1995; since, there have been nearly 300 Volunteers rotating in the country. More than 200,000+ Americans that have joined the Peace Corps since this organization was established in 1961, with lofty goals of helping the people of interested countries in meeting their need for trained men and women, helping promote a better understanding of Americans on the part of the peoples served and helping promote a better understanding of other peoples on the part of Americans.
Today there are approximately 8,500 volunteers serving in 77 countries. Across the world Peace Corps Volunteers are involved in such activities as Education, Health & HIV/AIDS, Business Development, Environment, Agriculture and Youth Development.
