OMAHA, Neb. (KMTV) — An Omaha resident is returning to overseas service for the Peace Corps since a global evacuation took place in March 2020.
Jennifer Ecklund is among the first volunteers to do this. Ecklund is a graduate of Creighton University and will serve as a volunteer in Namibia in the community economic development sector.
See full press release below:
"Omaha resident Jennifer Ecklund is among the first Peace Corps volunteers to return to overseas service since the agency’s unprecedented global evacuation in March 2020. The Peace Corps suspended global operations and evacuated nearly 7,000 volunteers from more than 60 countries at the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic.
'I joined the Peace Corps to understand our world better and become a global citizen. I have long dreamed of working in the world of international development, and I believe the Peace Corps offers the necessary foundation to working in this field,' said Ecklund. 'I am excited to learn and experience a new culture and grow as a human.'
Ecklund is a graduate of Creighton University with a bachelor’s degree in political science and business administration. She will serve as a volunteer in Namibia in the community economic development sector.
'The world is at a critical juncture. The largest global vaccination effort in history is underway while other widespread health, social, political, and environmental issues continue to erode the foundation of our global society. Actions taken in the next few years have the potential to fundamentally impact development trajectories for decades to come,' said Peace Corps CEO Carol Spahn. 'Peace Corps volunteers returning to Namibia will work alongside community members to support urgent development efforts and build critical connections.'
The volunteer cohorts are made up of both first-time volunteers and volunteers who were evacuated in early 2020. Upon finishing a three-month training, volunteers will collaborate with their host communities on locally prioritized projects in one of Peace Corps’ six sectors – agriculture, community economic development, education, environment, health or youth in development – and all will engage in COVID-19 response and recovery work.
Currently, the agency is recruiting volunteers to serve in 48 countries around the world at the request of host country governments, to connect through the Peace Corps’ grassroots approach across communities and cultures. Volunteers have already returned to a total of 23 countries around the world. The Peace Corps continues to monitor COVID-19 trends in all of its host countries and will send volunteers to serve as conditions permit. Americans interested in transformative service and lifelong connections should apply to Peace Corps service at www.peacecorps.gov/apply."
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