NAIROBI, Kenya, Nov 14 – The United States Embassy in Nairobi has welcomed 31 new Peace Corps Volunteers to Kenya as they begin a two-year commitment serving communities across the country.
The volunteers were sworn in on Thursday in Kisumu after completing an intensive 11-week training programme covering technical skills, local languages, and cultural orientation.
They join 37 Peace Corps Volunteers already working in Kenyan communities.
The embassy will deploy the new cohort to Busia, Bungoma, Kisumu, Siaya, Kakamega, and Homa Bay counties, where they will collaborate with community leaders, teachers, health workers, and families.
Their work will focus on strengthening health systems, promoting education within the Deaf community, and supporting STEM learning in secondary schools.
“I congratulate the newest Volunteers for continuing more than six decades of Peace Corps’ efforts in Kenya to transform lives and improve communities. Their energy, enthusiasm, kindness, and willingness to serve has [been] a keystone of the strong U.S.–Kenya partnership,” said Susan Burns, Chargé d’Affaires of the US Embassy in Nairobi.
Over the past 60 years, more than 5,000 Americans have served as Peace Corps Volunteers in Kenya, including teachers, nurses, engineers, and other professionals who live and work directly within the communities they support.
Health and education
In the health sector, Volunteers help reduce HIV transmission, promote maternal and child health, and raise awareness on malaria and TB prevention.
They also work with community health workers and local facilities to improve referrals and access to care.
In education, Peace Corps Volunteers strengthen teaching methods, improve student performance in mathematics and science, and expand access to STEM resources to better prepare learners for a competitive global economy.
Volunteers supporting Deaf students help build literacy, life skills, and independence, ensuring they are fully supported academically and socially.
Speaking at the swearing-in ceremony, John Ndung’u, Director of Public Health at the Ministry of Health, applauded the long-standing partnership between Kenya and the Peace Corps.
He praised the Volunteers’ grassroots engagement, noting that their collaboration with local communities continues to strengthen the reach and impact of public health programmes.
He reaffirmed the Ministry’s support for the Peace Corps’ mission and expressed optimism about the contributions the new cohort will make.
During the ceremony, Education for the Deaf Volunteer Hans reflected on the group’s dedication to language learning and cultural integration.
“Language isn’t just a skill we carry; it’s a gift we give. Because every time we try to speak someone’s language, or sign their name, or share a laugh across cultures, we remind the world that understanding begins with effort,” he said.
