Tuesday, August 19, 2014, 30 new Peace Corps Volunteers were sworn-in at the Embassy of the United States of America in Ouagadougou. These 30 Volunteers come from different parts of the United States of America and will be working in the education field in 11 regions of Burkina Faso. These volunteers will be serving side-by-side with their Burkinabe counterparts for 2 years of service. They follow in the footsteps of volunteers since 1961 when President John F. Kennedy established the Peace Corps. The volunteers received three months of on-the-ground training where they strengthened their technical skills and cross-cultural understanding, including local languages. Throughout their training, they lived with host families who helped to facilitate their progress and understanding. Four volunteers demonstrated their newly acquired knowledge and skills through “Thank You” speeches in four different languages: French, Jula, Moore and Gourmantché. Peace Corps now has a total of 110 Volunteers serving in Burkina Faso, joining the more than 2100 volunteers who have served in Burkina Faso since 1966.
Peace Corps Burkina Faso has three main programs: Education, Community Health and Community Economic Development. Through the Peace Corps, the United States and Burkina Faso are working together to sustain equitable economic growth and development.
