Dar es Salaam, TANZANIA – At the U.S. Peace Corps Office today, U.S. Chargé d’Affaires, a.i. Virginia Blaser swore in 51 Peace Corps Volunteers for two years of service.  These American volunteers will work in the field of education.  In the past year, 110 Peace Corps Volunteers in the Education Program taught in 108 secondary schools across 22 regions in more than 30 districts in Tanzania, reaching approximately 36,000 students.  These 51 volunteers join 195 volunteers already in the country, working in secondary education (math, science, and English), health promotion, and environmental education. 

The Honorable Salum S. Salum, Principal Education Officer, represented the Ministry of Education at the Swearing-In Ceremony. Many current and former Peace Corps Volunteers, as well as officials from partner volunteer agencies, also attended the event.
In addition to teaching in classrooms across the country, Tanzania’s Peace Corps Volunteers participate in their communities through a variety of other activities.  These include helping to improve school libraries, organizing events such as spelling bees and science fairs, conducting HIV/AIDS awareness programs, and developing students’ life skills.  The most recent volunteers will be stationed in the following districts throughout Tanzania: Karatu, Kongwa, Chamwino, Mufindi, Iringa Rural, Hai, Rungwe, Lushoto, Wete, Nzega, Sumbawanga, Same, Ruangwa, Nachingwea, Hanang, Babati, Kiteto, Busokelo, Kyela, Chunya, Mbarali, Masasi, Newala, Mtwara rural, Mbinga, Morogoro Municipal, Shinyanga, Kishapu, Maswa, Wanging’ombe, Singida, Njombe, Nzega and Lushoto.
"This week marks the 55^th anniversary of the passage of the Peace Corps Act, which officially established the Peace Corps in 1961.  To swear in these volunteers on this special anniversary is a meaningful and concrete demonstration of the endurance of the people-to-people partnership that the Peace Corps inspires in Tanzania,” Chargé d’Affaires Virginia Blaser said. 
Since 1962, more than 2,500 Peace Corps Volunteers have served in Tanzania.  The Peace Corps provides trained American volunteers to work with communities in the fields of secondary education, health, and the environment, including land degradation, preserving water catchments, soil conservation and implementation of agro-forestry techniques.  Volunteers also offer bio-intensive gardens to promote household food security, as well as a variety of income generating activities.

Founded in 1961 by President John F. Kennedy, the Peace Corps is a U.S. Government agency that today supports over 7,000 volunteers in more than 70 countries.  For more than 50 years, Peace Corps has maintained apolitical and non-sectarian ideals of technical and cultural exchange.  Peace Corps promotes world peace and friendship by fulfilling three fundamental goals: (1) Providing American volunteers who contribute to social and economic development of interested countries; (2) Promoting a better understanding of Americans among the people who volunteers serve; and (3) Strengthening Americans’ understanding of the world and its peoples.