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Connect with the Peace Corps
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Apply to the Peace Corps
The application process begins by selecting a service model and finding an open position.
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If you are flexible in where you serve for the two-year Peace Corps Volunteer program, our experts can match you with a position and country based on your experience and preferences.
Serve where you’re needed mostHealth Extension Promoter
Health
Job highlights
- Learn Sesotho from dedicated Language and Cross-Cultural Facilitators.
- Gain experience working alongside local counterparts to create solutions and inspire lasting change in the lives of Basotho.
- Experience the mountainous terrain and age-old Basotho traditions in person.
Lesotho • Africa
In partnership with: Health facilities, non-governmental organizations
Applications are now closed. View current openings.
Apply by
March 15, 2026Know by
May 1, 2026Depart on
September 26, 2026Duration
2 years, plus 3 months trainingAbout the project
Recent graduates and experienced health workers alike are needed to strengthen health services and programs in Lesotho.
Lesotho faces a high HIV prevalence (21.7% in 2020), particularly in rural communities. Despite local efforts by health workers, adolescents and their families remain at high risk for HIV and tuberculosis (TB) infections due to limited awareness, stigmas, and barriers to age-appropriate services. Poor dietary practices and food insecurity prove additional challenges for young people (ages 10-24), their parents, and their caregivers. These Basotho individuals make up a vital demographic for achieving health goals; however, they remain disproportionately affected by communicable and non-communicable diseases.
As a Health Extension Promoter, you will collaborate with village health workers, health facility staff, and community members to reduce TB/HIV transmission and promote healthy lifestyles through trainings and community-based outcomes and systems.
Learn more about what Volunteers do in country by visiting our Lesotho project page.
Required skills
Qualified candidates will have one or more of the following criteria:
Qualified candidates will have an expressed interest in working in the health sector and one or more of the following criteria:
• Bachelor of Arts/Bachelor of Science degree in any field
OR
• 5 years' professional work experience
Language: There are no pre-requisite language requirements for this position.
Required behavioral competencies
These competencies are essential for all service assignments and are assessed in the application and interview process:
Motivation for and commitment to service
Adaptability and open-mindedness
Problem solving and resourcefulness
Behavioral maturity and professionalism
Photos from Lesotho
How you and the community will make an impact together:
Design and facilitate health education sessions on a variety of topics, including TB/HIV prevention, nutrition, and healthy lifestyles.
Refer youth to available health services, encourage adherence to medications, maintain healthy lifestyles.
Assist nurses and health workers in providing support to pregnant and breast-feeding mothers, and their partners.
Support village health workers with data collection and monitoring during home visits.
Design, develop, and implement activities that prevent TB/HIV infections.
Develop, update, and promote health information using proven behavior change communication tools and materials.
Plan and conduct community and regional health events, such as health screenings.
Strengthen the supply chain management processes through order automation and tracking systems.
You may also work on additional projects that meet the community’s interests and priorities, such as youth camps and clubs.
Volunteers will be placed with health facilities in peri-urban and rural settings across the country. Priority is given to Mokhotlong, Botha-Bothe, Leribe, Berea, Mohale’s Hoek, Quthing, and Qacha’s Nek provinces.
Learn more about the living conditions, including detailed information on culture, communications, housing, and health/crime statistics on our Lesotho country page. You can also delve into stories about local communities by reading our blog or Volunteer stories.
Meet a Volunteer in Lesotho
Nadirah R.
Primary Education Volunteer
"Learning a variety of ways to cook food with my host family has been an easy way to connect, share stories, and learn more of the local language."
See full Volunteer profile
As a Health Extension Promoter, you will be trained on TB/HIV care and treatment for PLHIV/TB, nutrition, and systems strengthening. Peace Corps/Lesotho will teach you Sesotho to help you comfortably integrate with the community.
After 8 weeks of training, you will move to a rural or small-town community where you will collaborate with staff at health facilities and community structures to improve the livelihoods of Basotho. You will work with the community to assess the local needs and develop solutions based on the needs assessment and interventions within the Peace Corps implementation plan.
Only heterosexual couples can be accepted for this program. Each person must apply separately and qualify for a position in the same sector as their partner. Couples will live together during training but may separate occasionally for field-based activities. Couples who are selected for the same sector will live together but work with different local partners which may be in the same community or in neighboring communities (not more than 30 minutes apart).
To learn more about serving as a couple in Lesotho, visit the country page.
Application process
From application to departure takes around nine months. Learn about the application process for Volunteer opportunities.
Medical/legal clearance
You will need to be cleared medically and legally in order to serve in Lesotho. Review information on medical clearance and legal clearance to learn about the process.
