After two years without a volunteer presence in Costa Rica, the Peace Corps receives a group of 17 people who, once they complete their three-month training in San José, will begin their official work in different communities in the country at the end of September.
Due to the Covid-19 pandemic, there was a global evacuation of Peace Corps volunteers in March 2020. Unfortunately, all 117 Peace Corps volunteers stationed in Costa Rica had to leave the country.
Nonetheless, Peace Corps staff continued their tireless work in Costa Rica, leading activities to promote Covid-19 vaccination and prevention. Also, professional volunteers who provided a virtual technical support service to Costa Rican organizations from the United States.
U.S. Ambassador Cynthia Telles emphasized that welcoming this group has a special meaning because her father, U.S. Ambassador Raymond Telles, received the first volunteers in Costa Rica in 1963.
“It’s for me to welcome this new generation of volunteers, who will continue the work started by the volunteers my father received 59 years ago. For decades the Peace Corps has been one of the strongest links between the United States and Costa Rica,” said Ambassador Cynthia Telles.
Peace Corps offices have operated continuously in Costa Rica since 1963. It is expected that by the end of 2023, Costa Rica will have more than 100 volunteers in its territory.
“From Golfito to Guanacaste, communities throughout Costa Rica have welcomed volunteers whose dedication has contributed to the close ties between our countries,” added the Ambassador.
Throughout these years of presence in Costa Rica, the organization has had more than four thousand volunteers. They have served diligently and with great dedication in various community economic development projects, teaching English as a foreign language and youth development.
These projects organized by the United States reinforce the ties of friendship and collaboration that unite both countries. In addition, they allow the development of diverse Costa Rican communities.
