Peace Corps

About Peace Corps

Peace Corps Volunteers respond to various needs that impact Africa’s development. These include the importance of HIV/AIDS prevention and education, girls’ education, the increasing pressures of environmental degradation, advances in information technology, and the democratization process that some countries are committed to supporting.

Peace Corps has continued to develop a strong partnership with the people of Africa. Volunteers currently work in the areas of education, health and HIV/AIDS, business development, agriculture, and the environment.

What Do Volunteers Do?

The type of work a Volunteer does is ultimately determined by the needs of a host country and the potential of a Volunteer to contribute to those needs and to the Peace Corps’ mission. There are a wide variety of Volunteer positions to fill throughout the world; however, nearly all Volunteers fall under one of the following general categories.

Education
Education Volunteers introduce innovative teaching methodologies, encourage critical thinking in the classroom, and integrate issues like health education and environmental awareness into English, math, science, and other subjects.

Youth & Community Development
Youth and community development Volunteers engage in a wide variety of outreach projects concerning at-risk children or youth, adult literacy, health or HIV/AIDS education, environmental awareness, development of libraries and resource centers, and information technology.

Health
Health Volunteers educate and promote awareness issues such as malnutrition and safe drinking water.

Business and Information & Communication Technology
Business development Volunteers work in education, private businesses, public organizations, government offices, cooperatives, women’s and youth groups, and more.

Information and communications technology (ICT)
Volunteers help communities capitalize on technologies by teaching computer and multimedia skills, developing regional databases, and implementing networks for non-governmental organizations, businesses and government offices.

Agriculture
Agriculture Volunteers work with small farmers to increase food production while promoting environmental conservation practices.

Environment
Environment Volunteers work on a wide variety of activities, from teaching environmental awareness to planting trees within a community.

HIV/AIDS
Many Volunteers will contribute to HIV/AIDS initiatives during their service, regardless of their area of expertise.

Food Security
40 percent of Volunteers are involved in some capacity to support food security through projects in health and nutrition, agriculture, and the environment.

Find more information on www.peacecorps.gov