Don't see villagers as fools - US Ambassador

Kukurantumi (E/R), Dec. 12, GNA - The US Ambassador to Ghana, Mr Donald Teitelbaum, had advised latest batch of US Peace Corp Volunteers in the country not to mistake illiterate villagers in the communities they would be serving as fools.

He said some of those people were very influential and intelligent, who could positively affect their lives. Mr Teitelbaum was speaking at the swearing-in ceremony of 40 new Peace Corp Volunteers at Kukurantumi on Friday after 10-week training in Ghanaian languages, eating of local dishes, wearing of Ghanaian cloths, dance and learning how to adapt into the Ghanaian society. He told the volunteers that by their work, they would have the opportunity to affect the lives of people they come into contact with. Mr Teitelbaum told the volunteers that very few people would have the opportunity given to them and urged them to take maximum advantage of it.

He said Ghana was the first country to receive the American Peace Corp Volunteers when it was established in 1961 and since then, 4,000 American Peace Corp Volunteers had come to Ghana to offer their services.

The Eastern Regional Minister, Mr Kwadwo Affram Asiedu, urged Ghanaians who would be working with the volunteers to receive them wholeheartedly to enable them feel at home.

He advised the volunteers to be mindful of the cultural differences and urged them to try as much as possible to understand the people they would be living with and to respect their culture. Mr Affram-Asiedu again told them to see themselves as role models in the communities and urged them to lead decent lives. The Peace Corp Volunteers, who are specialists in health, environment, sanitation, water and small enterprise development, would be working in nine regions of the country apart from Greater Accra. After the training the volunteers demonstrated their knowledge of the Ghanaian languages where they would be working and participated in Ghanaian dances. 12 Dec. 08