BDU WELCOMES NEW PEACE CORPS VOLUNTEER
BDU: Bahir 
Dar University formally welcomed a new Peace Corps volunteer at an installation ceremony.
The volunteer, Leah Ganj-Bakhsh, will be working as a health ICT advisor at BDU’s main campus for the next two years. Her work will be conducted in an effort to meet Peace Corps’ goals.
While welcoming the new volunteer, The University’s President Dr. Baylie Damtie said that Bahir Dar University was proud to host a Peace Corps volunteer for the first time, adding that it was his belief the partnership would be fruitful for both organizations.
On his part, the Vice President of Information and Strategic Communication under whose office Leah would be attached, Molla Ababu,said that Leah’s two years presence would help strengthen his department, as well as provide the needed assistance to health projects on campus. He pledged to extend his support to Leah and the rest of the Peace Corps to ensure that their stay was peaceful and a success both at Bahir Dar University and Ethiopia as a whole.
Volunteers are expected to help their host organization build capacity while integrating into Ethiopian culture. While Leah will be based at BDU, she will also be working within the broader Bahir Dar community. The projects to be handled will be community driven, with the volunteer sharing her technical skills and acting as advisor in the development of initiatives. Her projects are expected to include work on the university’s website and communication outlets as well as HIV/AIDS- and gender-related work on campus.
Though this is the first time for BDU to host a Peace Corps volunteer, the American organization has a rich history in Ethiopia, dating back to 1962 - shortly after the organization’s founding in 1961 by President John F. Kennedy -- and is one of the organization’s oldest programs. The first group arrived as education volunteers, teaching English in secondary schools. .
There are currently more than 120 volunteers serving throughout four regions in Ethiopia, namely; Amhara, Tigray, Oromia, and SNNPR, working in the fields of Health, Education, and the Environment.
Before being posted, volunteers receive a two and a half months training on language, cross-cultural and technical courses.
The meeting which was organized by Peace Corps staff to discuss the mission, background, the development role of the organization and review the roles of the host organization, was attended by several BDU staff members, community leaders and representatives from local non-governmental organizations and government.
For more information on the Peace Corps, please visit www.peacecorps.gov