FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Tuesday, March 09, 2004
|
Peace Corps
Contact: Press Office
Phone: 202.692.2230
Fax: 202.692.2201
Email:
pressoffice@peacecorps.gov |
Volunteers Launch Crisis Corps’ First HIV/AIDS Education Initiative in Ghana |
|
For the first time, the West African nation of Ghana is partnering with the
Peace Corps’ Crisis Corps volunteers to tackle the critical issue of HIV/AIDS.
Six Crisis Corps volunteers, who recently arrived in Ghana, will work as
HIV/AIDS education trainers for the next six months. Since the criteria for
becoming a Crisis Corps volunteer includes prior service as a Peace Corps
volunteer, the volunteers will bring to Ghana a wealth of skills and experiences
obtained in countries such as Malawi, Madagascar, and Kenya. As Peace Corps
volunteers, their work included teaching health education to students, providing
nutrition education, and promoting HIV/AIDS prevention.
In their capacity as education trainers with the Crisis Corps, two volunteers
will be working with teacher training colleges across Ghana to implement
HIV/AIDS curriculums. Volunteers will provide feedback on the curriculum and
will supervise students training to be teachers. Another volunteer will provide
monitoring and training support for the HIV/AIDS curriculum being used at these
training colleges.
All six volunteers will be building upon Peace Corps’ long-term relationship
with Ghana, the first country ever to welcome Peace Corps volunteers. Since the
establishment of the program in 1961, over 3,500 volunteers have served in
Ghana. Currently, 196 Peace Corps volunteers are completing their two years of
service there, as they work in the areas of business development, health,
education, and environmental preservation. Although their primary projects vary,
all volunteers in Ghana are trained in and work to promote awareness of
HIV/AIDS.
Crisis Corps volunteers in Ghana will be partnering with World Education.
Founded in 1951 to meet the needs of the educationally disadvantaged, World
Education is a non-profit organization providing training and technical
assistance in non-formal education to governments, civil society organizations,
and community groups. World Education currently has programs in more than 15
African countries.
Since Crisis Corps’ inception in 1996, more than 540 returned Peace Corps
volunteers have taken the opportunity to use their invaluable skills and
experience to address ongoing community needs in over 30 different countries. To
find out more about the Peace Corps’ Crisis Corps program, check out
this link.
Since 1961, more than 170,000 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.
###
|