Peace Corps Volunteers Return to Tbilisi
Ambassador John Tefft welcomed a new group of 30 enthusiastic Peace Corps Volunteers to Tbilisi on June 17. The Volunteers' arrival marked the official resumption of Peace Corps services in Georgia after a 10-month suspension resulting from the August 2008 conflict. "The Volunteers are wonderful representatives of our country...and will continue the tradition of helping Georgians at the grass-roots level," stated Ambassador Tefft as he met the newest Corps members at the arrival gate at Tbilisi International Airport. The recently-arrived Volunteers will share their skills by teaching English at secondary schools and working in NGOs or business support organizations in the regions of Kakheti and Kvemo Kartli. The Peace Corps Georgia program was established in 2001 and since that time more than 255 Volunteers have served in Georgia. Invited to serve at the request of the Georgian government, the Corps provides qualified men and women who contribute to social and economic development while promoting a better understanding between Americans and Georgians. This will be the ninth group of Volunteers to serve in Georgia.