Editor’s Note: To arrange an interview with Fatumata Kamara, please contact Public Affairs Specialist Erin Curran at or 202-993-7775. A photo of Kamara is available upon request.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
September 20, 2022
MEDIA CONTACT:
Erin Curran
202-993-7775
Gateway Community College Alum Among First Peace Corps Volunteers to Return to Service Overseas
Gateway Community College alum Fatumata Kamara is among the first Peace Corps volunteers to return to overseas service since the agency’s unprecedented global evacuation in March 2020. The Peace Corps suspended global operations and evacuated nearly 7,000 volunteers from more than 60 countries at the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic.
“I was attracted to apply for the Peace Corps because I am passionate about volunteering and supporting young women in culturally diverse communities,” said Kamara. “I’m also confident that I will learn a lot in the process.”
Kamara graduated in 2021 with an associate’s degree in criminology. She will serve as a health volunteer in Lesotho.
“The world is at a critical juncture. The largest global vaccination effort in history is underway while other widespread health, social, political, and environmental issues continue to erode the foundation of our global society. Actions taken in the next few years have the potential to fundamentally impact development trajectories for decades to come,” said Peace Corps CEO Carol Spahn. “Peace Corps volunteers returning to Lesotho will work alongside community members to support urgent development efforts and build critical connections.”
The volunteer cohorts are made up of both first-time volunteers and volunteers who were evacuated in early 2020. Upon finishing a three-month training, volunteers will collaborate with their host communities on locally prioritized projects in one of Peace Corps’ six sectors – agriculture, community economic development, education, environment, health or youth in development – and all will engage in COVID-19 response and recovery work.
The Peace Corps currently has a high need for applicants to fill volunteer programs departing by early 2023. Interested Americans can apply online by October 1 for hundreds of available openings in nearly 53 countries worldwide. Volunteers receive a living stipend, extensive language and technical training, and financial benefits including student loan deferment and graduate school fellowships after service. To learn more about how to get involved with the Peace Corps and the benefits of service, connect with a recruiter online or register to attend an event.
About the Peace Corps: The Peace Corps is an international service network of volunteers, community members, host country partners and staff who are driven by the agency’s mission of world peace and friendship. At the invitation of governments around the world, Peace Corps volunteers work alongside community members on locally prioritized projects in the areas of education, health, environment, agriculture, community economic development and youth development. Through service, members of the Peace Corps network develop transferable skills and hone intercultural competencies that position them to be the next generation of global leaders. Since President John F. Kennedy established the Peace Corps in 1961, more than 240,000 Americans have served in 142 countries worldwide. For more information, visit peacecorps.gov and follow us on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.