By James Amoh Junior, GNA
Accra, Sept. 5, GNA – The United States Peace Corps has commemorated 65 years of service in Ghana, marking its enduring contribution to education, health, agriculture, and community development.
The anniversary reaffirmed the importance of people-to-people relations between Ghana and the United States.
Government officials, Peace Corps representatives, former and current volunteers, host families, community leaders, and other partners attended the celebration to mark more than six decades of collaboration and service.
Rolf Olson, Chargé d’Affairs of the United States Embassy in Ghana, speaking at a ceremony in Accra, said Ghana held a special place in the history of the Peace Corps.
The country became the first to welcome volunteers after the organisation was established by then US President John F. Kennedy in 1961.
The first group of 52 volunteers arrived in Ghana in August 1961, beginning a partnership that has since become one of the Peace Corps’ longest-running programmes globally.
Since then, nearly 5,000 Peace Corps volunteers have served in Ghana’s 16 regions, working in agriculture, education and health and supporting communities through training, technical assistance and community-led initiatives.
In agriculture, volunteers have worked with the Ministry of Agriculture and farmers to improve food production, introduce improved farming methods, promote crop diversification, optimise resource use, and increase household incomes.
In education, their work has covered junior high schools and schools for the deaf, with emphasis on English, mathematics, science, STEM skills, and creative arts.
In health, volunteers have partnered with the Ministry of Health on immunisation, nutrition, disease prevention, water and sanitation, and other community-based interventions.
Since 2022, the programme has supported 102 water and sanitation projects and contributed to upgrades of more than 20 health facilities, including Community-based Health Planning and Services (CHPS) compounds, maternity wards, and health laboratories.
Mr Olson said the achievements demonstrated the value of a partnership built on mutual respect and shared responsibility.
“Ghana was the birthplace of an extraordinary partnership built of mutual respect and shared success,” he said.
Minister of Education, Haruna Iddrisu, commended the volunteers for their sacrifice and service, saying their work had helped connect Ghana and the United States while contributing to human capital development.
He said the government and people of Ghana did not take the sacrifices of the volunteers for granted, particularly those who served in deprived communities at a time when access to basic amenities such as electricity, water and internet connectivity was limited.
Mr Iddrisu said the partnership had contributed to advancing education, strengthening public health, and enhancing food security across the country.
He particularly acknowledged the contribution of Peace Corps volunteers to STEM education, foundational literacy and inclusive learning in mainstream schools and schools for the deaf.
According to him, the learner-centred approach and play-based pedagogy adopted by volunteers had been among the notable interventions in education, while the use of local languages and sign language had further promoted inclusive learning.
The Minister said the contribution of Peace Corps volunteers to education had helped nurture generations of professionals, including teachers, engineers, nurses, and doctors.
Dr Grace Ayensu-Danquah, Deputy Minister of Health, said Peace Corps volunteers had made significant contributions to community health education, disease prevention, and public health mobilisation.
She cited their involvement in Ghana’s campaign against Guinea worm disease, particularly in surveillance, case detection, and public education.
Ghana recorded its last case of Guinea worm disease in 2010 and was certified free of the disease in 2015.
Dr Ayensu-Danquah said Peace Corps volunteers continued to support water, sanitation, and hygiene programmes, maternal, newborn and child health, nutrition, adolescent health, and community health education.
She said the Ministry of Health was also seeking to promote a culture of volunteerism through a proposed arrangement under the free primary healthcare programme, under which qualified nurses awaiting formal posting could serve in underserved communities while receiving allowances.
She said the initiative would enable health professionals to gain practical experience while contributing to preventive and primary healthcare.
Glenda Green, Chief of Operations of the Peace Corps in Washington, expressed gratitude to more than 800 Ghanaian communities that had hosted volunteers over the years.
She said the success of the programme had been rooted in partnership, with communities opening their homes, schools, farms and health centres to volunteers and helping them understand Ghanaian languages, cultures, and traditions.
Ms Green said the Peace Corps service was based on listening, building trust and working alongside communities to pursue locally identified priorities.
She said the experience benefited both countries, as volunteers returned to the United States with language skills, cross-cultural understanding and a deeper appreciation of Ghana and its people.
Tamu Daniel, Country Director of Peace Corps Ghana, said the 65th anniversary provided an opportunity to reflect not only on the programme’s measurable achievements but also on the human relationships developed over the years.
She said more than 5,000 volunteers had served in Ghana and more than $50 million in human and financial resources had been invested in rural communities, supporting education, health, agriculture, food security, youth development, and community-led initiatives.
Ms Daniel said while statistics were important, the most enduring legacy of Peace Corps was the human connection created between volunteers and Ghanaians.
She said the programme’s future would depend on sustaining the spirit of mutual respect, generosity, dedication, and resilience that had characterised the partnership since 1961.
GNA
Edited by Linda Asante Agyei
Reporter: James Amoh Junior
Email: [email protected]