Thirty-Four Peace Corps Volunteers Sworn-In for 2 Years of Service in 17 districts in Tanzania

Thirty-four Peace Corps Volunteers are sworn in at a ceremony held at the United States Embassy in Dar es salaam on April 24, 2014. The volunteers will be stationed in seventeen districts, including Iringa, Mufindi, Kondoa, Mbinga, Masasi, Ludewa, Lushoto, Songea, Kiteto, Makete, Singida Rural, Same, Njombe, Kilolo, Hanang, Njombe, and Makambako. The new Peace Corps Volunteers will work with communities in the fields of health and environment for their two years of service in Tanzania. The ceremony was attended by the U.S. Chargé d’Affaires, a.i. Virginia M. Blaser; Permanent Secretary Jumanne Sagini from the Prime Minister’s Office, Regional Administration and Local Governments (PMORALG), Tanzania Peace Corps Country Director Dr. Elizabeth O’Malley, former Peace Corps Volunteers, and officials from partner volunteer agencies.

On April 24, 2014 at the United States Embassy in Dar es Salaam, the U. S. Chargé d’Affaires, a.i. Virginia M. Blaser, swore in thirty-four Peace Corps Volunteers to their two years of service in Tanzania. The volunteers will be stationed in seventeen districts, including Iringa, Mufindi, Kondoa, Mbinga, Masasi, Ludewa, Lushoto, Songea, Kiteto, Makete, Singida Rural, Same, Njombe, Kilolo, Hanang, Njombe, and Makambako. The new Peace Corps Volunteers will work with communities in the fields of health and environment.

The swearing-in ceremony was attended by Permanent Secretary Jumanne Sagini, from the Prime Minister’s Office, Regional Administration and Local Governments (PMORALG), Tanzania Peace Corps Country Director Dr. Elizabeth O’Malley, former Peace Corps Volunteers, and officials from partner volunteer agencies.

U.S. Chargé d’Affaires Blaser commended the new Volunteers on their achievement, saying, “These thirty-four trainees have chosen to dedicate two years of their lives in service to the people of Tanzania and to promote friendship between our two nations. They have worked very hard over the last ten weeks to meet the linguistic and technical requirements to become Volunteers in Tanzania. I congratulate you, and I thank you for your commitment.”

In addition, Chargé d’Affaires Blaser went on to thank the many Tanzanians that make the work of the Peace Corps possible: “I would also like to thank the language facilitators, technical trainers, Peace Corps staff, and Tanzanian host families of Muheza district. With patience and dedication, you prepared these trainees for their service and invited them into your homes.”

Founded in 1961 by President John F. Kennedy, the Peace Corps is a U.S. Government agency that supports about 8,000 volunteers in more than 75 countries.

For 48 years, Peace Corps has maintained apolitical and non-sectarian ideals of technical and cultural exchange. More than 189,000 volunteers have served in 138 countries. Peace Corps promotes world peace and friendship by fulfilling three fundamental goals such as to provide American volunteers who contribute to the social and economic development of interested countries; promote a better understanding of Americans among the people of nations in which volunteers serve; and strengthen Americans' understanding of the world and its peoples.

More than 2,000 Peace Corps Volunteers have served in Tanzania since 1962. The Peace Corps provides trained American volunteers who will offer assistance and training on environmental education, including land degradation, preserving water catchments, soil conservation and implementation of agro-forestry techniques and emphasize partnership with women and youth. Volunteers also offer bio-intensive gardens to promote household food security as well as a variety of income generating activities.

The volunteers also help strengthen public health by working with, youth, health service providers and community groups to promote healthy behaviors, including HIV/AIDS prevention, and care and support for people living with HIV/AIDS, orphans and vulnerable children.

volunteers work closely with village health committees to analyze community needs and priorities and promote behavior change in areas of maternal and child health, nutrition, malaria, waterborne diseases, sexual and reproductive health, and HIV/AIDS prevention.