PRESS RELEASES

President Mogae to Honor Departing Peace Corps Volunteers

March 3, 2007

Peace Corps and the U.S. Embassy is pleased to announce that His Excellency President Festus Mogae will pay tribute to departing Peace Corps volunteers who have served in over 20 towns in Botswana for the past two years by attending a lunch in their honor at the Big 5 Lodge in Gaborone at noon on March 3, 2007.

The departing Peace Corps volunteers have provided services in three critical areas.  Some of the volunteers helped local community based AIDS service organizations grow their organizational capacity, develop, and expand community understanding about HIV/AIDS and the value of Botswana's Vision 2016.  Other volunteers functioned as community development workers.  Lastly, volunteers facilitated district plans and responses for HIV/AIDS, monitored and evaluated district HIV/AIDS programming, and promoted strategic partnerships with traditional leaders, government and non-governmental organizations, and the private sector.  Their most recent success was developing the Zebras 4 Life, Test 4 Life Campaign, a partnership between the U.S. Embassy, BOTUSA, the Botswana Football Association, the Ministry of Sports, Youth, and Culture, players from the Zebras national football team, and many others to encourage young men to test to know their HIV/AIDS status.

Currently there are 60 volunteers serving in Botswana, 30 of whom will be ending their service between April and June, 2007.  Another 43 volunteers will arrive in Botswana to begin training on April 20, 2007.  Peace Corps originally came to Botswana in 1966 but withdrew in 1997 due to Botswana’s economic success.  At the request of President Mogae, Peace Corps returned in 2003 to help Botswana confront the HIV/AIDS pandemic.

For further detail about this lunch, please contact  Laona Segaetsho, Information Specialist, Public Affairs, U.S. Embassy, at Telephone: 395-3982 Ext: 5419, E-mail: SegaetshoLJ@state.gov.  For questions regarding Peace Corps activities in Botswana, please contact Peggy McClure, Peace Corps Country Director, at Telephone: 393-3639, E-mail: pmcclure@bw.peacecorps.gov.