Peace Corps volunteer Elena Foshay showed Director Gaddi Vasquez the urban youth development project she started in Paraguay
Richards visted by Peace Corps director
Peace Corps Director Gaddi H. Vasquez arrived in Paraguay in mid July to visit volunteers and witness their dedication to service.
The director met with more than 40 volunteers and visited a variety of volunteer project sites.
Third year Peace Corps volunteer Elena Foshay showed Vasquez the urban youth development project she started, and new volunteer Anna Richards has continued in Barrio Puerto Bont‡nico, Asuncion. Richards works with the youth at the library, teaches English to teenagers and adults, and collaborates with a local women's group that conducts weekly workshops on parenting skills, nutrition and personal health.
Richards is the daughter of Steve and Lorraine Richards of Newton, is a former Newton resident and graduate of Bethel College.
During his stay, Vasquez also met with Vice President Luis Alberto Castiglioni Soria, the Minister of Foreign Relations Leila Rachid de Cowles, and U.S. Ambassador John F. Keane, who was a Peace Corps volunteer in Columbia from 1966 to 1969.
During their meeting, Vice President Castiglioni shared his father's admiration of former U.S. President John F. Kennedy, for which his secondary school was named. In this school, as a youth, Vice President Castiglioni was taught by a Peace Corps health sector volunteer.
"We have a solid program in Paraguay that is universally admired by government officials who shared with me their personal stories and positive experiences with Peace Corps volunteers. Everywhere I traveled, I witnessed the respect, past and present volunteers have earned through their dedication and hard work in Paraguay," Vasquez said.
There are 180 Peace Corps volunteers serving in Paraguay working in the areas of agriculture, environment, health and HIV/AIDS education and prevention, small enterprise development, education and youth development. Since 1967, more than 2,700 Peace Corps volunteers have served in Paraguay, making it one of the Peace Corps' largest success stories.
Since 1961, more than 171,000 volunteers have served in the Peace Corps, working in such diverse fields as education, health, HIV/AIDS education and prevention, information technology, business development, the environment, and agriculture. Peace Corps volunteers must be U.S. citizens and at least 18 years of age. Peace Corps service is a two-year commitment.
