Peace Corps in South Africa is centered on the idea of Ubuntu, an isiZulu word that means “I am, because we are”. Volunteers become family, community becomes home, and projects are born out of a desire to grow and live in Ubuntu. South Africa volunteers work in the areas of Health and Education, working alongside community-based organizations and schools to support students, youth, orphans and vulnerable children, young adults, and their families to lead healthy and productive lives.

Contributions to the South Africa Country Fund help Volunteers to maximize what the communities are able to achieve during their service, through grant-funded projects. These are projects such as GLOW (Girls Leading Our World) Camps, where young women have the opportunity to get away and spend time with their peers to learn about staying in school, staying healthy, forming and keeping healthy friendships, and making dreams for their future into their reality. Some Volunteers have created similar camps for boys and young men, empowering them to be the best they can be. Other country fund grants have funded projects like Community Libraries, where students, for the first time, have the opportunity to access reading materials and other learning tools to improve literacy and overall scholastic success. And some grants have gone to fund community-focused buildings, water sources, clean bathrooms, community centers, and other critical infrastructure needed to support the next generation of South African youth.

These projects in South Africa are more important now than ever. The education system, social support system, and community-based organizations have been devastated by the global COVID19 pandemic, and Volunteers will play a critical role in the revitalization of programming and initiatives to support South Africa’s future.