Peace Corps Teachers Are Back
A newly minted batch of PCVs include teachers who will teach and mentor teachers.
In August on the grounds of the American Embassy in Addis Ababa, 69 new PCVs were sworn in by U.S. Ambassador Donald Booth. Thirty-five of those PCVs will be working in education, a return to the task Peace Corps took up when it first came to Ethiopia in 1962. These new teachers will not be working in Ethiopia’s primary or secondary schools, says Nwando Diallo, Peace Corps Country Director in Ethiopia. They will be “part of a broader effort between USAID, Peace Corps and the Ministry of Education to strengthen the English language learning/speaking/reading culture in Ethiopia via the strengthening of English Language teachers. Essentially, they will be Teacher Trainers/Mentors.” These new Volunteers will work in Ethiopia’s Colleges of Teacher Education and as advisors to teachers working in primary and secondary schools.
SAYING IT IN OROMIFA: a new PCV speaks; Ambassador Booth and Minister of Foreign Affairs Hailemariam listen at swearing in ceremony
The remaining 34 Volunteers sworn in at the ceremony will be working in projects to combat HIV/AIDS. Since Peace Corps returned to Ethiopia in 2007 most of the PCVs have worked in health projects funded in part by USAID. They worked in projects designed to fight the spread of HIV/AIDS, care and support of victims and services to help orphans and vulnerable children. In December 2010 31 PVCs were sworn in to work in environmental projects.
