President Mogae hails US peace corps
Mogae hails US peace corps
26 May, 2004
Gaborone - President Festus Mogae says Botswana has benefited from United States (US) Peace Corps since the the country attained independence in l966.
In l971, the relationship was formalised when "our first president the late Sir Seretse Khama signed a Project Agreement on the terms governing the operations and conditions of Peace Corps and volunteers were deployed throughout the country to provide a wide range of assistance," he said.
President Mogae was speaking at the swearing in ceremony of the second US group of HIV/AIDS volunteers in Botswana at Kgari Sechele II Secondary School in Molepolole yesterday.
The first group of 12 volunteers arrived last year and are working with distrct AIDS co-ordinators under the auspices of the Ministry of Local Government.
"Over the years 'Ma Peace Corps', as the volunteers were fondly referred to, endeared themselves to Batswana because of the ease with which they adapted and integrated into our society.
"Their contribution to the development of this country and its people has been, and continues to be, widely acknowledged," he said.
President Mogae thanked President George W. Bush and his administration for acceding to his request for the resumption of the Peace Corps programme in Botswana.
He said this welcome development attested to the excellent bilateral relations that have long existed between the United States and Botswana.
Mogae said the local US Peace Corp programme was phased out in l997 by mutual consent after agreeing that Botswana had reached a level of human development whereby it was appropriate for us to thank the Americans for support, while looking to her own people to build on the contributions of the Peace Corps." Unfortunately, at that time we underestimated the external assistance we would soon need to defeat the already emerging challenge of HIV/AIDS". BOPA
