By Tupou Vaipulu Jr
Fourteen new US Peace Corps volunteers were sworn in to duty at the Tupou College Chapel in Toloa today, 29 August 2025.
Over the past ten weeks, the group of trainees studied in the Hahake District of Tongatapu, with Training Manager ‘Elanoa Kauvaka and other trainers.
The new volunteers arecategorised into two fields; Education Volunteers and Environment Volunteers.
Stephen, an education volunteer told Matangi Tonga that he is assigned to teach English in the island of ‘Eua.
He also said that the past ten weeks training had taught them a lot about Tonga and its people including the language and culture.
The volunteers were each assigned to different host families around the country. Stephen, lived with his host family, Vi and Setaita in Holonga during his training period.
Other volunteers underwent their trainings in the villages of their host families.
The ceremony was attended by the Minister for Trade and Economic Development, Hon. Kapelieli M. Lanumata, the US Embassy In-charge Mr. Jesse Potter and the Ambassador for Japan in Tonga HE Mr. Inagaki Hisao.
The Peace Corps does not release the family names of their volunteers, and refers to them by only their first names.
