Happy Birthday Peace Corps

Twenty-nine Peace Corps Mozambique Trainees and their homestay families teamed up to give a helping hand to their training community on Sunday, June 12th by cleaning up the local hospital in Namaacha.


“We’re here … with our families to hopefully extend that sense of volunteerism that we already have by being involved with the Peace Corps. I’m here with my sister Anita and she’s teaching everyone how to use the tumba tumba,” a machete like tool used to cut grass, says Trainee Morgan Nevins, New Hampshire.

Several hospital staff expressed gratitude to the Trainees for their effort to keep the community safe and healthy. “It gives them an area to work and play without stepping on a snake or bottles. And also gets rid of tall grass, which nobody likes, and reduces the population of mosquitoes, “ explains Trainee Kelly Anderson, Florida.
That afternoon, Trainees and their Mozambican homestay families participated in sporting and cultural activities at the Namaacha Teacher Training Institute, including soccer,basketball, singing and coloring. Two local primary school cultural groups also performed, teaching the Trianees about traditional mozambican music and dance.

The event, organized by Peace Corps Mozambique’s 50th Anniversary committee in partnership with the Namaacha municipal government and hospital administrators, promoted volunteerism and facilitated mutual cultural exchanges between American Trainees and their Mozambican community.

The Moz 16 trainees arrived in country on June 2nd and will work as Community Health Promoters throughout the country upon their successful completion of a 10-week training on the Mozambican health system, cross-cultural integration and Portuguese language. There are currently 170 Peace Corps Volunteers in Mozambique working in Health and Education sectors.
“It seems pretty serendipitous that it’s also the year that we get to join Peace Corps on this 50th birthday celebration. It’s wonderful that we can celebrate the Peace Corps birthday with events like this, applying the Peace Corps goals and community service,” adds Nevins.

PCT Morgan Nevins with Host Sister

PCTs and Host Family Members

Chimchoanine Primary School Dance Group performing a traditional dance.