April 28, 2008

Peace Corps Seeks Senior Citizens to Fight AIDS

After making headlines last week for discharging one of its volunteers when he tested HIV positive, the Peace Corps is now seeking experienced volunteers over the age of 50 to help combat HIV in such developing countries as AIDS-ravaged Ethiopia, the Christian Science Monitor reports (csmonitor.com, 4/25).

The article notes that the agency is loosening its medical criteria and reducing its 27-month service commitment to accommodate older volunteers. The Peace Corps, which has received over $50 million in funding through the President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) over the last five years, is shifting strategies in its AIDS relief efforts and hopes to attract experienced volunteers to enhance its current crop of recent college graduates.

“You can’t replace that experience,” Peace Corps Director Ronald Tschetter told the Monitor. “The same kind of passion that these young people have, these people have…but they have 30 years of experience to bring along with it.”

Scroll down to comment on this story.

Previous Comments:

Romell Ayo, Phildelphia, 2008-04-29 22:17:38
Peace corp has it backward, unless you report is little off.

teri alzoubi, allentown pa, 2008-04-29 10:20:16
i am a 56 year old female, i am HIV poz have been for 6 years my husband gave me this and i get so tried of people that think we are lepers and its about time for this to stop and if i could i would love to help any way. i have been let go from jobs for being hiv and stupid things like can you can get it from a phone that i used. i would love to hear from other people like me. thank you teri

Jonathan, Apache Junction AZ, 2008-04-29 10:09:51
they are supposed to be educating about HIV and they cant even fight discrimination in their own organization. sure shows directly why most people dont want to get tested and know!