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Is this your first visit to Africa since your appointment, and what role does the Peace Corps currently play on the continent?
Yes, this is my first visit since I was appointed two months ago as director… As you know, the Peace Corps is all about trying to promote world peace and friendship. That’s our principal mission and it has continued to be that way for nearly 50 years. We’re about to celebrate our 50th anniversary in 2011 and right now we have 7,500 volunteers in 74 countries around the world and we’re in 23 countries in Africa.
Which countries have you already visited on this trip, and what issues have arisen which you believe to be the most important?
I’m only going to visit one country on this trip to Africa: South Africa. I’m here primarily to meet with the country directors of all our programs in Africa and from here I go on to Bangkok to meet with our directors in Asia and the Middle East.
One of the things that I do when I visit a country is of course go out and visit our Peace Corps volunteers. I went to visit volunteers in Mpumalanga [province] and the North West [province] to look at volunteers who are working in programs in health and education. Those are the two principal sectors in South Africa.
Source: Allafrica