Peace Corps Belize Celebrates 60th Anniversary in Belize

The United State Peace Corps is celebrating sixty years of service to Belize in the education and health sectors. Following two years without Peace Corps volunteers in Belize, due to the COVID 19 pandemic; nine new volunteers were recently sworn in to serve. For a period of two years, volunteers live and work alongside the people they serve, collaborating with local governments, schools, small businesses, and entrepreneurs, in an effort to create projects that outlast their time of service. Peace Corps Belize is one of the longest continuously running Peace Corps programs in the world. News Five spoke with Tracey Seck the Country Director at Peace Corps Belize, as well as one of the recently sworn in volunteers today in San Ignacio.

Tracey Hebert- Seck

Tracey Hebert- Seck, Country Director, Peace Corps Belize

“Volunteers come believing in the mission of Peace Corp, world, peace, and friendship, doing good, sharing the gifts and talents they have, serving communities, that is what they come with and then realizing they leave with so much more, understanding and then having relationships with Belizean communities and families. I marvel at it, I marvel that this country continues to welcome US citizens to partner with them. It is amazing to me how much change has happened, and as I said earlier, the stories that I hear, I don’t know too may Belizeans that haven’t been impacted by a Peace Corps volunteer. A Peace Corp volunteer was my teacher, or lived in my home, so I marvel at that. Learn the language, so what is amazing to me is that Belizean families open their homes and say yes, I don’t know you, but come and they get to know you and they become a part of a Belizean family.”

Martha

Martha, Peace Corps Belize Volunteer

“It has been amazing being in Belize and meeting the people. Everyone has been kind and welcoming. I haven’t seen much of the people yet, but hopefully I can remedy that. It is quite a legacy to live up to and to contribute to and to work in partnership with the people of Belize and to share culture. Being from the states, I am bringing my culture and hopefully I will be able to bring back some of the Belizean culture with me when I go back to the states. It is awe inspiring to be able to work with Belizeans and to be able to be invited here and to share our cultures. It is really exciting”