Press Release
Dec 17, 2004

FOURTEEN PEACE CORPS VOLUNTEERS SWORN IN 

Fourteen new Peace Corps Volunteers took the “Volunteer Oath” on Thursday, December 9 at the “Swearing-in” ceremony at Magaliliu Village, Mr. Jean Pierre Nirua USP Center Director, giving the keynote address. The new Volunteers and their assigned sites are: 

Volunteers                  -           Assigned Sites

Melissa Gang              -       Orap, Malekula, Malampa Province

Karen Travis              -          Tasmalum, Santo, Sanma Province

Mischere Kawas          -      Ambaebulu, East Ambae, Penama Province

Constance Weinstein  -     Avunatari, Malo, Sanma Province

Tony Li                       -         Vaum, Paama, Malampa Province

Glenis Padilla               -      Sangalai, Masklynes, Malampa Province

Joseph Plunkett          -      Malapoa College, Efate, Shefa Province

Latham Wood              -      Teruja Sec. School, Aneityum, Tafea Province

Sven Brailey               -         Vatuliu, West Ambae, Penama Province

Kenneth Vogt             -        Tatuila, East Tanna, Tafea  Province

Erica Calderon             -       Londua, West Ambae, Penama Province

Timothy Dobson       -        Narea, North Maewo, Penama Province

Douglas Summe         -      Melwe, North Ambrym, Malampa Province

Robert Ferguson        -        Uluveu, Maskelynes, Malampa Province    

These fourteen American volunteers will be working under the Strengthening Human Resource through Education Project (SHREP), which is one of the two projects run by Peace Corps Vanuatu.  These Volunteers will work in Rural Training Centers (RTCs), Secondary and community  Schools, and Primary school Zones. The Volunteers were assigned to as follows:                                        

The Volunteers assigned to Rural Training Centers will work closely with VRDTCA to enhance the capacity of RTCs as stated in the MOU between Peace Corps and VRDTCA. RTC volunteers will be assigned to community RTCs where they will assist in increasing capacity of RTCs for self-sufficiency and to have a quality of instruction through enhanced management practices, improved delivery of instruction as well as an increasing ability to obtain resources.  

Secondary School volunteers are assigned mainly to Junior Secondary and Community schools to teach mainly Mathematics, Science and English as Foreign Language (TEFL). Additionally, they will provide support to local teachers through team teaching so that those teachers who team-teach, will be able to use enhanced teaching methods. Furthermore, these volunteers will assist in increasing the capacity of Secondary and Community High Schools by facilitating the development of the strategic plans and management systems that promote accountability, transparency and resources management and to build stronger school community linkages.  

Primary School volunteers are assigned to Primary schools as Primary Teacher Trainers so they will work mainly with Zone Curriculum Advisors (and will also be assigned to zones) and PEOs, to assist Primary teachers and their support staff to increase their professional support capacity to more effectively facilitate students learning. As Primary Teacher Trainers, they will be giving on-the-job training and workshops that cover subject content, assessment, classroom organization, and teaching skills. They will also provide teacher observation and offer regular professional and management guidance to all the teachers in their zones.  

Although, mentioned above are the Primary assignments of these volunteers, during the course of their service, all Volunteers are also encouraged to actively work on secondary projects with communities and local organizations to help them address their “development” needs.  

The fourteen volunteers went through ten weeks of intensive training at Magaliliu Village, North-East Efate, where volunteers were prepared to communicate effectively in Bislama, relate to Vanuatu's culture, and acquire additional technical skills.   

The fourteen Volunteers will join the over fifty Peace Corps Volunteers currently working in communities on nineteen different islands of Vanuatu and will bring to a total of 70, the number of Peace Volunteers in Vanuatu.   

The Peace Corps is a grassroots development organization founded 41 years ago by President John F. Kennedy to promote peace, development and cultural understanding through a people-to-people assistance program.  There are approximately 7,000 Peace Corps Volunteers currently serving in nearly 80 countries around the world. Since the Peace Corps' founding more than 165,000 men and women have joined the Peace Corps and served in 135 countries.

Peace Corps Volunteers have served in Vanuatu since 1989.  

The swearing-in event marked the start of the Volunteer’s two-year commitment to Vanuatu and Peace Corps. The Country Director for Peace Corps, Mr. Kevin George, in addressing the new volunteers acknowledged the continuous support of the Vanuatu government and the partner organizations of Peace Corps, and assured the organizations of a stronger partnership through the commitment of these new volunteers. The significant portion of Mr. George’s “toktok’ was devoted to briefing the new Volunteers on their special role in Vanuatu and the important role they play with development partners in facilitating development at the community level in Vanuatu.  In his closing remark, he told the volunteers that, “ you will have your own adventure and Peace Corps story to tell. You will have your share of frustrations, sadness, sheer excitement, highs and lows during your career and as a volunteer. At times, two years will seem forever, but the end of two years you may wonder why it went so quickly”.  

USP Center Director Mr. Jean Pierre Nirua delivered the keynote address. He congratulated the new volunteers on the completion of their training and commended the volunteers on their decision and commitment to live and work with Ni-Vanuatu people, to learn and share the local traditions and cultures, to transfer their skills and knowledge to the youth, women and members of the communities, and to contribute positively to the sustainable development of our nation, while taking full account of prevailing traditional environment.  Mr.Nirua challenged the new Volunteers to serve the communities well and strive to leave” a footprint “in the same way Captain James Cook did when he visited Tanna last century.  

The Peace Corps is a grassroots development organization founded 41 years ago by President John F. Kennedy to promote peace, development and cultural understanding through a people to people assistance program.  There are approximately 7,000 Peace Corps Volunteers currently serving in nearly 80 countries around the world.  Since the Peace Corps' founding, more than 165,000 men and women have joined the Peace Corps and served in 135 countries.  Peace Corps Volunteers have served in Vanuatu since 1989.