PEACE Corps Guyana will, at 10:00 h today, swear in its 22nd group of volunteers at a ceremony in the Theatre Guild Playhouse, Kingston, Georgetown.
This 33 arrived in the country last February 7 and had been engaged in an intensive eight weeks training programme and a release said they have been assigned within the Health, Education and Information Technology (IT) sectors, joining 54 of their colleagues providing service in nine of the 10 Administrative Regions of Guyana.
The release said, during the period 1966 to 1971, 160 such volunteers served the Peace Corps in this country.
Subsequently, in 1993, the Peace Corps was invited to return here by then President Dr. Cheddi Jagan and, in 1995, the first group arrived.
Since then, more than 400 American volunteers have served the people of Guyana, the release said.
It added that, on accepting the invitation to serve as Peace Corps volunteers, they agree to stay for a two-year tour.
The late U.S. President John F. Kennedy created the Peace Corps in March 1961 to provide human resource and technical assistance to developing countries that have requested this kind of support and it is pleased to provide this development aid to the people of Guyana.
The Peace Corps extends its gratitude to the Government and People of Guyana for the hospitality and opportunity it offers the volunteers to assist in achieving the nation’s development aspirations, the release said.