Peace Corps Volunteers Return to Rwanda



Thirty-five Peace Corps Volunteer trainees depart the United States next Wednesday for Rwanda, officially reopening the Peace Corps/Rwanda program after a 15-year absence. The Volunteers will work in this East African nation in the areas of health and community development, and will collaborate with other United States government partners to support the Government of Rwanda's strategy to combat the HIV/AIDS pandemic. Many of the Volunteers who will work on HIV/AIDS prevention and care will receive support from the U.S. President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) program.

Peace Corps Volunteers Return to Rwanda

Peace Corps Volunteers Return to Rwanda

Historic Reopening Marks End of 15-year Absence

WASHINGTON, D.C., January 26, 2009 - Thirty-five Peace Corps Volunteer trainees depart the United States next Wednesday for Rwanda, officially reopening the Peace Corps/Rwanda program after a 15-year absence.

The Volunteer trainees will arrive today in Washington, D.C. for two days or training and orientation sessions prior to their departure for Kigali, the capital of Rwanda, on January 28. They represent a diverse cross-section of America and hail from every region of the United States."

"Since the return of Peace Corps staff in 2008, we have been collaborating with Rwandan government officials to get the agency's newest program up and running. It's exciting for us to be able to return to Rwanda, and to renew our relationship with the Rwandan people," said Peace Corps Acting Director Jody Olsen.

The Volunteers will work in this East African nation in the areas of health and community development, and will collaborate with other United States government partners to support the Government of Rwanda's strategy to combat the HIV/AIDS pandemic. Many of the Volunteers who will work on HIV/AIDS prevention and care will receive support from the U.S. President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) program.

In 1994, political instability forced Peace Corps to close its program in Rwanda, where 114 Volunteers had served over the course of 20 years.

In 2008, U.S. Ambassador W. Stuart Symington, an avid supporter of the Peace Corps, accompanied Peace Corps officials to meet with Rwandan President Paul Kagame. Said President Kagame, "The relationship between the U.S. and Rwanda is decades old and has never been as good. Peace Corps' presence will enhance that relationship. We have been working on the return of the Peace Corps for a number of years and I'm happy to see it happen."

While visiting Rwanda in February 2008, President Bush announced plans for the return of Peace Corps Volunteers to the country. Said Ambassador Symington, "There has never been a better time for Peace Corps to return to Rwanda. Volunteers serve as the face of America and will have great impact on the bright future of Rwanda."

Links to Related Topics (Tags):

Headlines: January, 2009; Peace Corps Rwanda; Directory of Rwanda RPCVs; Messages and Announcements for Rwanda RPCVs; Expansion

When this story was posted in March 2009, this was on the front page of PCOL:




Peace Corps Online The Independent News Forum serving Returned Peace Corps Volunteers

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Some PCVs return to Bolivia on their own Peace Corps has withdrawn all volunteers from Bolivia because of "growing instability" and the expulsion of US Ambassador Philip Goldberg after Bolivian President Evo Morales accused the American government of inciting violence in the country. This is not the first controversy surrounding Goldberg's tenure as US ambassador to Bolivia. Latest: Some volunteers have returned to Bolivia on their own to complete their projects.

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