Offices & Departments

Peace Corps Senegal

Peace Corps Volunteers are unique.

They reflect the diversity of the American people. They are the representatives of the various social, political and economic groups which exist in the United States of America. A volunteer can be a retired teacher, a businessman from New York, a recent university or college graduate or a farmer. Each volunteer can offer both his personal and professional talents. New volunteers follow a technical training course in the national languages at the Peace Corps Training Center located in Thiès. Volunteers are assigned based on their skills, their experience and needs expressed by the host country. In the preparatory phase, each candidate must follow a rigorous procedure of interviews and evaluations. On average, it takes 6 for 9 months before a candidate is selected. Only one candidate in 5 becomes a volunteer. The Peace Corps carefully selects candidates that are the most qualified and most flexible to become Volunteers.

Volunteers are not paid a salary - they receive an allowance for basic expenditures, for housing and food in the areas where they are serving. Volunteers residing in the rural zones perceive less than those based in the cities. At the end of two years of service, volunteers receive an allowance of readjustment to facilitate their return to life in America.

During their two years of service, volunteers work hand in hand with the local counterparts and are under the joint supervision of the host country nationals and the local Peace Corps Office.

Geographic Distribution

The program in Senegal ranges in size from 105 to 144 Volunteers who are based in all areas of the country except the Casamance.

Peace Corps Programs in Senegal

• Primary Care of Health Project
• Small Enterprise Development Project
• Agriculture Sector Project (AG)
• Natural Resource Management (NR)
• Agroforestry
• Education Environmental (EE)

Peace Corps Administration

Peace Corps/Senegal headquarters, located in Dakar, support Peace Corps programs and Volunteers.  The administrative team is made up of Senegalese and American and includes: Peace Corps National Director, Program Directors, a regional physician, Peace Corps nurses, an administrative assistant, bilingual secretaries, a cashier, a data processing specialist, drivers and mechanics.