11 new Peace Corps Volunteers take their oath in the Dominican Republic

Santo Domingo .- The Chargé d’Affaires of the Embassy of the United States in the Dominican Republic, Robert Thomas, swore in 11 new Peace Corps volunteer technicians, the first new group to start their work after the pause caused by the pandemic of the COVID-19.

The volunteers will be sent to different communities in Azua, Monte Plata and Peravia, to work on community development and education projects, respectively. Thomas commended the volunteers for their dedication, level of commitment, and willingness to share their knowledge and American culture with the Dominican people. In addition, he recognized the hospitality of the Dominicans who receive the volunteers.

“On behalf of the United States, I extend my gratitude and appreciation to the Dominican people who have opened their arms to receive our volunteers and have allowed our collective friendship to grow through exchange, placed in strategic places.”

The first PCVs went to the DR in 1962 and over 4 thousand have served there since.

Historical Note

In December of 1988, a PCV in the Dominican Republic began the World Map Project, painting a world map on a large wall at a school. Other Volunteers were taught and maps first spread across 100 public place in that country. Over the next decade, this example would be repeated across the globe. Peace Corps Chronology 1961-2010 by Lawrence F. Lihosit  (Honduras 1975-77.)