Friday, 28 April 2023: Peace Corps Samoa swore into service its first group of Volunteers since Peace Corps’ 2020 global evacuation due to COVID-19.
The seven trainees, who arrived in Samoa in February and just completed an 11-week pre-service training, work at the invitation of the Ministry of Education, Sports, and Culture (MESC) to support English literacy in primary schools throughout the country. Their 11-week community-based training focused on literacy; culture; intercultural diversity, equity, and inclusion; and the Samoan language.
Peace Corps’ Country Director Gini Wilderson said “We are proud and pleased to announce our new Volunteers’ readiness for service following the successful completion of Peace Corps’ rigorous 11-week training program, which included more than 100 hours of Samoan language instruction. They are now fully prepared to assist Samoa’s primary school students with gaining important English reading and writing abilities while becoming contributing members of the communities where they will serve. We would also like to thank the community of Mulifanua for hosting our Trainees during their training program.” The swearing-in ceremony was attended by the U.S. Charge d’Affaires, Noriko Horiuchi, who led the trainees in the Oath of Service to become Volunteers.
The seven Peace Corps trainees will now begin their two-year service in their assigned communities, bringing with them the Peace Corps values of respect for other cultures, collaboration, and acceptance while celebrating diversity and nurturing equity and inclusion.
U.S. President John F. Kennedy established the Peace Corps on March 1, 1961 to promote world peace and friendship around the world, build relationships and opportunity, and strengthen bonds among nations. Since that day, over 240,000 Americans have served in 142 countries around the world. The Samoan government invited Peace Corps Volunteers to Samoa in October of 1967, nearly 56 years ago. Since then, more than 2,000 Volunteers have served in Samoa, living and working alongside their partners to create positive change.