Hon. Samiu Vaipulu and HE Frankie Reed. Kanokupolu, Tongatapu. 9 November 2012.

A group of 15 new US Peace Corps volunteers for Tonga were sworn in today, November 9, by the US Ambassador to Tonga HE Frankie Reed, at the Vakaloa Beach Resort in Kanokupolu.

Peace Corps also announced that its country directors in Tonga, Samoa and Fiji are to be replaced by a  a Regional Director, Eddie Stice starting in December. He is based in Fiji, but was present at the ceremony in Tonga.

Ruth Larimer, the outgoing Country Director will soon leave Tonga, at the end of her service, and a new post of Country Representative for Peace Corps Tonga will be taken up by Paul Jurmo, the Director of Programing and Training.

Ruth said that one of the aims of the Peace Corps is to bring technical help to a country, and in this case teaching the English Language. The new volunteers of Group 77 would be teaching English in Primary Education and share elements of healthy living, for two years. She said they had initially undergone a 10-weeks pre-service training where they stayed with local host families, and learnt the Tongan language and culture. 

Ambassador Reed was also a peace corps volunteer 25-years ago teaching English in Senegal.

Benefits

Tonga's Acting Prime Minister Hon. Samiu Vaipulu, presented the volunteers with their pins and acknowledged the importance of Peace Corps volunteer service to Tonga.

He said today people in the US were celebrating the outcome of the Presidential Election. "We appreciate and would like to see the continued support of the US in building our future. I am confident our youths will benefit from your service that will help them have brighter futures," he said.

Eight of the volunteers will be assigned to Vava'u, five to Tongatapu and two to 'Eua, over the next two years

During the ceremony, some of the volunteers demonstrated a good command of the Tongan language when they took turns in reading hymns in Tongan, while others performed tau'olunga dances.

Present at the occasion were the Japanese Ambassador to Tonga HE Dr  Kazuchika Hamuro, the Minister for Health Lord Tu'i'afitu, with representatives from diplomatic missions of Australia, and New Zealand.

It is understood that the Peace Corps volunteers started working in Tonga, in 1967.