New Environment Peace Corps Volunteers Start Service

Twenty new Peace Corps volunteers were sworn-in on Wednesday, April 23 after completing eight weeks of cultural and language orientation in Dedza district, 80 kilometers south of Lilongwe.  The official ceremony for the new PCVs, all of whom will work in Peace Corps' environment program, was held at the U.S. Ambassador's Residence in Lilongwe and attracted over 60 people, including senior government officials.  Speakers at the event included U.S. Ambassador Alan Eastham, Director of Forestry Dr. Dennis Kayambazinthu, Deputy Director of Parks and Wildlife Lamosi Jiya and Peace Corps Country Director Dale Mosier.
 
Speaking in Chichewa, Malawi’s local language, new PCV Sarah Pedersen expressed the group’s commitment to serving the local communities with dedication.  She said: “we come from different backgrounds and experiences, but we have a common goal - to serve the Malawi community with dedication and learn more.”

Addressing the gathering, Dr. Kayambazinthu lauded the U.S. Government for its continued assistance to the country’s environment sector, which he said greatly lacks skilled personnel.  He described the arrival of the 20 young and highly motivated volunteers as a timely intervention in the sector, which is implementing collaborative natural resource management, a new concept that involves communities in natural resource management, but requires skilled personnel -- like the Peace Corps volunteers -- to implement.
In their remarks, Ambassador Eastham and Country Director Mosier called on the volunteers to serve their respective communities with dedication.  They urged them to act as role models in the fight against HIV/AIDS and the struggle to reduce stigma and discrimination among the infected and affected.
Mosier said the more than 2,300 Peace Corps volunteers who served in Malawi since 1963 have contributed significantly to all spheres of life.  Addressing the volunteers, he added that it now was their turn to take up the challenge and make a difference in the lives of people in the local communities they will serve. 

The first Peace Corps Volunteers arrived in Malawi in 1963 and currently there are about 100 volunteers serving in the country’s health, education and environment sectors.