The United States Peace Corps said another 33 community health and education volunteers will arrive in the country by May 31.
According to a press release, the group, which has 41 volunteers working in eight regions, celebrated 46 years as an institution yesterday. The group works in collaboration with government ministries and non-governmental organisations to address citizens’ needs and to provide health, education and youth development outreach exercises. The volunteers facilitate community involvement, train service provides and introduce new training and teaching methodologies.
The Peace Corps volunteers are also part of the wider President’s Emer-gency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) response in Guyana. The group and supporting agencies develop materials and fund small community projects related to abstinence and being faithful, orphans and vulnerable children and palliative care.
The release said Crisis Corps, a special programme the Peace Corps initiated, was started as a way to use the valuable language, cultural and technical skills of former Peace Corps volunteers to respond to natural disasters or other crises. These volunteer assignments usually last from three to six months and are used to carry out specific duties. The project also falls under the purview of the Peace Corps Guyana PEPFAR initiative.
The release said since 1966 more than 400 Peace Corps volunteers have served in Guyana. The group has 7,810 American volunteers serving in 77 countries and, since its inauguration in 1961, 187,000 volunteers have served in 139 countries. Sometimes, the release said, Peace Corps service continues long after volunteers leave their posts.
