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Eleventh Group of U.S. Peace Corps Volunteers begin service in Azerbaijan

14 June 2013 12:13 (UTC +04:00)

Baku-APA. On Friday, June 14, 2013, Peace Corps Azerbaijan held the Swearing-in Ceremony for its eleventh group of Volunteers and the 10th anniversary of Peace Corps Azerbaijan. The US embassy told APA that the ceremony took place at the Grand Hotel Europe, located at Tbilisi Avenue 1025/30 in Baku City. At the Swearing-in Ceremony, 27 Peace Corps Azerbaijan Trainees were sworn in as Peace Corps Volunteers. Beginning June 21, Peace Corps Volunteers will start to work in schools and organizations in 21 Azerbaijani regions, applying their knowledge, skills and experience to the development of Azerbaijani communities and organizations.

Peace Corps is a U.S. government organization established in 1961 by U.S. President John F. Kennedy. Since then, over 210,000 Peace Corps Volunteers have served in 139 countries around the world.

The Peace Corps promotes peace and friendship by remaining true to its mission, established in 1961:

1. To help the people of interested countries in meeting their need for trained men and women.

2. To help promote a better understanding of Americans on the part of the peoples served.

3. To help promote a better understanding of other peoples on the part of Americans.

The Peace Corps Azerbaijan Program was established in 2003. Today the Peace Corps has three programs in Azerbaijan:

1. Community Economic Development (CED);

2. Teaching English as a Foreign Language (TEFL);

3. Youth Development (YD).

Since the first group arrived into the country, 471 Volunteers have served.

The eleventh group of Peace Corps Volunteers arrived in Azerbaijan on April 6, 2013. Upon their arrival in Azerbaijan, they began an 11-week long Pre-service Training program. Azerbaijani families hosted Trainees in Sumgait: Kotej, Jorat, and Micro-district #21. Since then they have successfully met all the competencies set forth for all the components of training; language, work preparation, cross-cultural and community development, safety and security, and personal health during the past 10 weeks of Pre-Service Training. When these 27 Peace Corps Trainees swore in, they made a two-year commitment to be Peace Corps Volunteers in Azerbaijan. Seven will serve as a Community Economic Development Volunteers Eight will serve as Youth Development Volunteers. 12 will serve as TEFL Volunteers.

Peace Corps Azerbaijan would like to thank its partners in implementing this training, including the Sumgait Executive Power Administrations, the Sumgait City Municipality, the Head of Education Department of Sumgait city and the many practicum organizations, host families and school directors who supported and participated in preparing these new Peace Corps Volunteers for their two years of service in Azerbaijan.