Kigali – U.S. Ambassador to Rwanda Donald W. Koran swore in 36 new Peace Corps Volunteers today at his residence in Kaciyru. These Volunteers, who will work in Rwanda’s secondary schools, join the over 400 others who have served in Rwanda since the Peace Corps returned to the country in 2008.
The Peace Corps is a U.S. government program that sends Americans abroad to tackle the most pressing needs of people and partners around the world. Peace Corps Volunteers work at the grassroots level toward sustainable change that lives on long after their service – at the same time becoming global citizens and serving their country. In Rwanda, Peace Corps Volunteers work in the health and education fields, serving closely with Rwandans on the ground level to ensure the goals of Rwanda’s health and education ministries are achieved while promoting mutual understand between the United States and Rwanda.
“Peace Corps adds a very special element to relations between the American and Rwandan people. By living with host families, dedicating themselves to helping Rwanda, and becoming proficient in Kinyarwanda, Peace Corps Volunteers strengthen trust and mutual understanding between our two societies. They learn a great deal about Rwanda when they are here and help their Rwandan friends and colleagues know Americans in open, informal settings. And then they will go back to the United States and share their knowledge of Rwanda with their fellow Americans,” Ambassador Koran said at the ceremony.
Following Friday’s ceremony, the Volunteers will travel outside of Kigali to the villages and schools in which they will work for the next two years and live with Rwandan families.
Since 2008, over 400 Peace Corps Volunteers have served in Rwanda. Peace Corps was invited to return to Rwanda for the first time since the 1994 genocide by President Paul Kagame, and the agreement between the governments of the United States and the Republic of Rwanda was signed on July 18, 2008. The first group of volunteers arrived in Rwanda on January 27, 2009.
