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Twenty-three new United States Peace Corps Volunteers have been sworn in to support youth development and education programmes across Belize. The volunteers took their oath of service today in Belmopan after completing their pre-service training. The group includes fifteen Youth Development Volunteers and eight Education Volunteers who will be assigned to communities across six districts. The Youth Development Volunteers form the fourth group serving under the Youth Empowered by Sports, or YES Project. The initiative is implemented in partnership with the Ministry of Tourism, Youth, Sports and Diaspora Relations. It uses sports, mentorship and resilience-building activities to help young people lead healthy and productive lives. Before taking up their assignments, the volunteers completed technical training, studied either Kriol or Spanish and participated in cultural immersion. They also received preparation in community development and health and safety procedures. The eight Education Volunteers will serve as Peace Corps Response Volunteers. They will work alongside the Ministry of Education, Culture, Science and Technology and PathLight International on STEAM education, early childhood development and literacy support.
Peace Corps Belize Country Director Dr Nadine Rogers said the volunteers arrive with purpose, skills and a willingness to serve. She stressed, however, that the success of their work depends heavily on cooperation with government agencies, organisations and communities in the host country.
Dr. Nadine Rogers, Country Director: “One of the measured indicators of a strong Peace Corps program is the quality of partnership with the host country. That we have Senator Chanona, representative for NGOs, and a member of the Youth Development Project Advisory Committee as this morning’s keynote signals the depth of the friendship between our two countries. Senator Chanona has a unique point of view. She’s a nonpartisan senator and she leads the Belize Post of the largest international advocacy organization focused on ocean conservation, Oceana. And she’s had very meaningful contact with Peace Corps volunteers, so I know she has an important message for us. As we seek to connect our historic values of peace and friendship with the realities of today’s world, we thought it would be really valuable for you to hear from the communities that embrace serving Americans, working and living alongside them, exchanging culture with them and ultimately building bridges between our countries one community at a time. So Mrs. Magdalano Petzol, principal of Arms of Love Primary School, I’m going to thank you in advance for your willingness to share your experience of working alongside Peace Corps volunteers. And to our dear Embassy colleague and host family father, Marlon Tillett, we look forward to hearing you and your wife Carolyn share what it’s like to provide a home to an American volunteer and perhaps you might share your secret as to what keeps them so happy when they’re at your house.”
Senator Janelle Chanona delivered the keynote address. Her message centred on the importance of people coming together, combining their experiences and working toward the shared goal of improving communities.
Senator Janelle Chanona, Keynote Speaker: “I think it’s so important that we acknowledge, as has been said, that when we work together we change lives and we change the world. And I experienced that long before I heard her say this or have this attributed to her, but the words of Margaret Mead came to mind “Never doubt that a small group of committed people can change the world because they are the only ones who have.” And Peace Corps, again, because of this call to service, the words of what President Kennedy said when he inaugurated this program about not asking what the country can do for you, but what you can do for your country, and having that be something that we can all embrace no matter what part of the world that we are at, because I think more than ever, even with everything happening geopolitically, we embrace the fact that we are one world, one big village, and we’re all connected now by just a few hours we can be on the other side of the planet. And so I really give so much gratitude for this opportunity to be here and just to personally acknowledge how positive it’s been these 64 years of partnership and community and family. The fact that we can use that word a family between nations, between communities and just that connectivity through this program and through the myriad of other opportunities that we’ve had to collaborate to work together for the betterment of our citizens on both sides on all sides of the border.”
United States Embassy Chargé d’Affaires Rhonda Slusher administered the oath of service.
The ceremony coincides with the Peace Corps’ sixty-fifth anniversary. Belize and the organisation have maintained a partnership for sixty-four years, with volunteers working alongside government ministries, community leaders and local organisations to respond to locally identified needs./
English (US) ·