Nine Americans have been sworn in as Peace Corps volunteers in Indonesia, joining nearly 600 others who have served since the program was re-established in the country in 2010. The ceremony took place at the U.S. Consulate General in Surabaya and was led by Heather Merritt, Deputy Chief of Mission to Indonesia.
“Peace Corps volunteers are citizen diplomats – living and working side-by-side in their host communities, building trust and understanding,” said Merritt. “Their service reflects the spirit of the U.S.-Indonesia Comprehensive Strategic Partnership, which is grounded in our people-to-people connections.”
The new group completed an 11-week training period in Leminggir and Seduri villages, East Java. The training included lessons in Bahasa Indonesia, cultural immersion activities, and instruction on teaching English as a foreign language. These volunteers will spend two years working with local teachers and students to support English education and community development projects across East Java, West Java, and East Nusa Tenggara.
Brian Gleeson, Country Director of Peace Corps Indonesia, expressed appreciation for the local communities that hosted the trainees: “We are deeply grateful to the Leminggir and Seduri communities for welcoming our volunteers with such warmth and generosity during their training. Their support not only helped prepare our volunteers for service – it provided an authentic introduction to the values and spirit of Indonesia that will guide their work in the years ahead.”
Each volunteer is expected to teach at least 20 hours per week while also supporting teacher training at both school and district levels. They will organize extracurricular activities including English clubs, leadership camps, literacy programs, and workshops aimed at teacher development.
Rosalina Macon from South Carolina said: “I couldn’t be more excited to officially be a Peace Corps volunteer! We’ve been welcomed with incredible generosity by our training community in Leminggir and already learned so much about Indonesian language and culture. We’re ready to get to our sites to start teaching English and working directly with our Indonesian counterparts.”
Peace Corps volunteers live with host families during their assignments as part of efforts to integrate into local communities. Volunteers do not receive a salary for their service.
The Peace Corps was founded by the United States government in 1961 with a mission focused on promoting world peace through friendship. Since its inception, more than 240,000 Americans have served worldwide across over 140 countries through initiatives that aim to build mutual understanding and support sustainable development.