Country Welcome for Cameroon

Welcome to Peace Corps Cameroon!

If you have come to this page because you are considering Peace Corps service in Cameroon, either as a 15-month Volunteer, Peace Corps Response Volunteer, or through Virtual Service, I welcome you to apply to the most exciting, transformational experience you will likely ever have. I invite you to explore our website and social media channels to learn more about the incredible history of Peace Corps Cameroon and our current work.

The Peace Corps began operations in Cameroon in 1962, making it among a handful of countries with the longest uninterrupted Peace Corps presence. This history is rooted in a shared vision for what is possible by working with, living alongside, and tackling our host communities’ priority projects together.

Globally, the Peace Corps’ mission is to promote world peace and friendship, an audacious purpose that may at times feel further away than ever. It is the very same mission that motivated me to become a Peace Corps Volunteer many years ago in Benin and continues to motivate me to serve now as country director in Cameroon.

Peace Corps service in Cameroon is incredibly rich and will undoubtedly change you. Known as “Africa in miniature,” Cameroon possesses great cultural, ethnic, linguistic, and geographic diversity. With 250 ethnic groups speaking 250+ languages, there is much history, as well as art, dance, food, and cultural traditions, to learn about. Cameroon has varied landscapes including lakes and coastline, tropical forests, mountains, grasslands, and deserts. Each Volunteer will experience a slightly different Cameroon, while supporting their community’s priorities and development goals in the fields of Health, Education or Agriculture.

Peace Corps service in Cameroon will be incredibly rewarding, but it will not be easy. Most Volunteers serve in small villages without electricity or running water and must navigate cultural, religious and societal norms, and languages, different than their own. However, Volunteers quickly integrate into their communities, thanks to our world-class training program.

Peace Corps Cameroon Volunteers serve a 15-month term rather than the typical 27-month term for departures through 2027. Trainees undertake a rigorous 11.5-week program that provides intensive language training, technical instruction, and intercultural information that is critical for integration and adjustment. More experienced Response Volunteers receive three weeks of orientation.

Peace Corps Cameroon staff is composed of highly skilled, innovative, and empowered professionals who are dedicated to the development of their country and provide the best possible support to our communities, partners, and Volunteers. In all manner of work and life, Volunteers work in partnership with the people of Cameroon to support individuals and communities, strengthen capacity, and promote intercultural understanding.

Serving in Cameroon will both challenge and change you, but the reward will far surpass the discomforts. Peace Corps service is both an honor and a privilege. It is also a commitment that will offer challenges and frustrations, as well as personal growth, inspiration, and hopefully great joy. It has been said that successful Peace Corps Volunteers around the world possess uncommon grit, fortitude, agility, resiliency, grace, and humility fueled by a desire to learn and a yearning for change. Meaningful international service begins with a true desire by both the Volunteer and the community to bridge differences and make a concerted effort to grow, learn, and understand one another, fostering empathy and mutual respect.

Unity in our mission and goals drives the Peace Corps. On behalf of the Peace Corps Cameroon team, I welcome you to join the rich tradition of Peace Corps service in Cameroon, “the toughest job you will ever love.”

Nickie Séne
Country Director
Peace Corps Cameroon