Namibia

Less than two decades into its independence, Namibia has emerged as a model by establishing political and economic frameworks that give it one of the freest and most open economies in Africa. Namibians are encouraged to participate fully in shaping laws and government policies. Namibia has set a model for advancing the rule of law and encouraging the growth of civil society.

Peace Corps entered Namibia soon after it gained independence. Since the inception of Peace Corps/Namibia, education has been the focus.

Education

Immediately after Namibia's independence in 1990, the Ministry of Basic Education, Sport and Culture (MBESC) began to reform the country's educational system. The first group of Peace Corps Volunteers arrived in Namibia less than six months after independence and made substantial contributions to that reform. Currently, all Peace Corps/Namibia projects operate in collaboration with the education ministry, and the education sector is likely to continue to be a major platform from which the Peace Corps launches broader contributions to Namibia's development.

Volunteers assist with teacher training, classroom teaching, and subject matter support for teachers, especially in English, mathematics, information and communication technology (ICT), and science. Many education Volunteers initiate community activities for their students, such as establishing libraries and computer labs, boys' and girls' clubs, HIV/AIDS clubs, and computer classes for students, teachers, and the community.

Health and HIV/AIDS

All Volunteers, regardless of sector, are trained to promote HIV/AIDS awareness.

In this project, Volunteers focus on capacity building at regional and school levels. They assist with establishing HIV/AIDS clubs, organizing HIV/AIDS drama programs and conducting HIV/AIDS workshops using local and Volunteer-developed resources.

Volunteers are working with the Ministry of Health and Social Services (MOHSS) to promote awareness about a new antiretroviral HIV treatment program. The project directly supports the MOHSS by providing community-level training in sexual reproductive health, positive living, and home-based care.

Last updated Sep 28 2008