45 New Peace Corps Volunteers sworn in

New Peace Corps volunteers pose for a photo with Peace Corps Country Director Ted Mooney and Mr. Owingi Vincent from Ministry of Health

On October 21, 2010, 45 new Peace Corps volunteers were sworn in by the U.S. Ambassador to Uganda Jerry P. Lanier. Twenty Volunteers will work with organizations supporting economic development, and twenty-five Volunteers will work with community health centres to prevent the transmission of HIV/AIDS and improve maternal and child health across Uganda. The new group brings the total number of Peace Corps Volunteers in Uganda to 150.

Speaking at the swearing-in ceremony, Ambassador Lanier said: “We very much appreciate the warm welcome extended to our Peace Corps Volunteers in Uganda – by the communities where they work and live, and by the government and people of Uganda.  You are doing much to make our Volunteers’ experiences in your beautiful country productive and life-changing.”

The Volunteers arrived in Uganda in August 2010 and completed a ten-week, pre-service training program in Wakiso building technical skills, studying cross-cultural adaptation, and learning local languages.  The 45 new Volunteers will be assigned to work in towns and villages throughout Uganda for the next two years.

The Peace Corps program in Uganda was established in 1964.  Past Volunteers have worked in the fields of secondary, primary, and vocational education; fisheries and agricultural development; community health; small business development; and environmental protection; among other areas.