By Omar Bah
Peace Corps Director Carol Spahn, who is currently in Banjul to officially open the agency’s new office in Bijilo, has hailed the relationship between The Gambia and her office.
The Banjul office marks a significant development in the Peace Corps’ ongoing efforts in the country, where volunteers have been active since 1967, contributing to sectors such as education, agriculture, environment, and health.
Director Spahn said she was intrigued by the different stories of the volunteers and the communities she visited. She emphasised a strengthened commitment to the organisation’s 57-year partnership with the country.
During the ceremony, she highlighted the transformative impact of Peace Corps volunteers on both communities and their own lives, stating that the Gambian spirit profoundly influences volunteers long after their service ends.
Spahn called for Americans to engage further in this legacy of service, reinforcing the importance of cultural connections and mutual respect in sustainable development efforts in The Gambia.
“I have a more generous heart because of my time in The Gambia, and I have learnt that giving and sharing is so much more powerful than receiving. I have also learnt that kindness and compassion are the only ways to solve challenges and conflicts that occur from time to time,” she said.
Peace Corps Country Director Siri Morley expressed her delight at the visit of Director Spahn.
“As I reflected on the many connections between the United States and The Gambia, it struck me that our countries and ancestries share similar wounds. Perhaps this is my optimistic idealism, or perhaps I am onto something, but as I look at the room and see my colleagues, I begin to think that perhaps we are healing something by being here altogether at this moment,” she said.
The charge d’affaire at the US Embassy, Eric Mehler, said the Peace Corps has facilitated “true understanding and friendship” between Americans and Gambians since 1967.
He said Director Spahn’s visit to The Gambia, the smallest African post, doesn’t go unnoticed.
Public Service minister Baboucarr Bouy expressed the government’s deep appreciation for the work Peace Corps volunteers are doing in the country.
“I want to assure you of the government’s continuous support and commitment to the partnership that we continue to share,” Minister Bouy averred.
Read more on Director Spahn’s visit on the Monday edition.
