The United States Peace Corps has spent the last 12 years rebuilding a broken relationship with the Guyanese government and its people. After expulsion in 1971, during the time Guyana was undergoing a socialist transformation, the Peace Corps remained absent from Guyana until they were invited back to these beautiful shores in 1995.
Peace Corps volunteer Jillian Johnson teaching sign language to an Amerindian boy
For the last two years, Peace Corps (Guyana) has been in close contact with a variety of nongovernmental organisations (NGOs), local charities and other institutions, providing vital assistance in areas such as renewable energy, primary education and health services.
The Peace Corps is expecting a new batch of volunteers in Guyana in the next few weeks to add to the existing 57 serving in the country already.
On average, according to the Peace Corps, there are approximately 80 volunteers who work on a cyclical basis.
United States Peace Corps (Guyana) Country Director, Brannon Brewer told Guyana Times International that their mission is about “building human capacity and organisational capacity”. Brewer added that the Peace Corps, through partnership with various Guyanese institutions, has been contributing in a number of areas, including health, education and renewable energy.
The Peace Corps director said that “working with a counterpart, whether at a school or health facility, volunteers break down barriers”. Brewer did also state that for the past 50 years, the Peace Corps has actively been a part of the “softer side of development”. Some of the Peace Corps efforts include the introduction of solar energy to the Region Three White Water Health Centre, the Karanambu Lodge was equipped with solar panels, and students in the local communities were trained to monitor the power system. Education and health care are the two other venues in which the Peace Corps works strenuously with their Guyanese counterparts.
In partnership with the Mararumba Regional Hospital, the volunteers were able to conduct a rehabilitation workshop. They also worked with the Region One education and health departments to conduct training on special needs education.
