European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - April 27, 1965, Darmstadt, Hesse Ilab in action by Odice Mcdanil Sloff writer Many of the hungry and Pov j. Erty stricken Peoples of the world the Prosperity of the West has meant Only helpless envy. Following the lend of the United slates however other Western nations arc of Fering these people something to replace Hli feeling self help. This help will enable them to share in Western Prosperity. Germany is one of these assisting the West German Aid pro Gram for underdeveloped countries Isth German development service Deutscher of the american hence corps. Western Europe and the unite states Are islands of Prosperity in a sea of poverty said the late president John f. Kennedy As he witnessed the birth of West Germany s version of the peace corps in Bonn on june 24, 1993. We must demonstrate that we who have Prosperity care for these people. The formation of a German peace corps As organized by the develop ment Aid ministry and a private non profit organization called learn and help world belongs to those who dare to meet the Challenge says one of the German development service Bro Chures. And everyone who not Only dares but has something to give gains he has an Opportunity to use his knowledge and practical experience whether it be on the red sea. In the Himalayas in Santa Cruz or in the the German development service operates under the theory that German youths will not Only use their technical knowledge and practical experience to assist people in underdeveloped lands but will also gain experience useful to Germany upon their first group of 15 corpsmen went to Darr Salaam capital of Tarzan a on August ii. 1m4 and began build ing 8,000 apartment houses Ina rim clearance project. Some 30,000 people to that City entitled port of pvt ertl ated Cost of each building is a Utu Traore than two. Tools an machines including Cement mixers vehicles wheel Barrows and shove to have been provided by Germany. In addition England the scandinavian countries an Germany have provided credit for the building materials used in the project. Since the first group of Volunteer arrived in dares Salaam German has sent is other corpsmen to Tanzania 17 More to train technicians in a government operated automobile factory in Libya 37 to Afghanistan and 8 to India eleven of the volunteers sent to Tan Zapnla Are working to better the health social and educational Condi sons of the country. Included in this group Are nurses and school and kindergarten corpsmen Are teaching and giving practical training to people in Kabul Afghanistan and working with farm Titus far the German development service has accepted projects to Send 70 volunteers to Chile 9 to Peru Brozi us Zambia. Liberia. So and Nigeria. 70. Many of the volunteers needed for these projects Ore already in applications for the German peace corps have been pouring in by the thou Sands. And like the . Peace corps men the germans work hard for Little pay. Some sign up because of idealism and others for adventure. In addition there Are those who want experience i their jobs under a different atmosphere than that found in their Young teachers and recent col lege graduates dominate the . Pro Gram the germans Are primarily recruiting Farmers construction workers mechanics nurses and social workers especially those who have already had Job experience. The German goal is to Send 1,000 volunteers a German development service Al so dispatches equipment and tools forts corpsmen to Complete their projects. The service offers German Youthan outstanding Opportunity to put their ideals into action says development id minister Walter Scheel. Applicants must be at least 91 years of age a maximum age has not been established and older skilled candidates also have a Chance to be chosen. A two year tour in the German peace corps Deeson t exempt a Man from serv ice in the German army however. Volunteers receive eight weeks of in Tensive training. In addition to getting instruction in a foreign language the corpsmen learn some of the problems facing the land to which they Are to be assigned methods of accomplishing the project they Are to work on German geography and its politics tropical Dis eases and Hygiene general and special geography of the land assigned theories of labor sports and Musk. In addition to paying All living sex pc pcs and pocket Money for Small per Sonal needs the German government gives the volunteers 1150 to buy per Sonal equipment needed and Iso each month is set aside during their two year term of the end of their training the corps men receive a one week vacation before departing for overseas assignments. For every month of work in the develop ment service the volunteers get vhf Days vacation. In their first year of serv ice the volunteers must take their vacation in the land they Are working but their second year s leave May be used after returning to Germany. The world continues to com alive. New countries Are bursting with activity. In latin America and the Middle Africa and Asia there is an urgent desire to leap into the 20th Century. The German peace corps he it counterpart in the United Stales is part of the Western world s Effort to helpmate that leap Forward a Success. It is part of an International Effort to Aid 1�the global assault on poverty hunger. Ignorance and disease a grassroots Volunteer Effort of free men. But Germany and the . Are no the Only countries which have peace corps. Norway which claims it waste first to copy president Kennedy a peace corps idea has teams in Uganda. Similar programs have been initiated by Canada. Australia Denmark the Netherlands new zealand and Switzer land. The French Volonta res do Progress has dispatched 19 Farmers carpenters masons and doctors to France s former african colonies and within the year of Peets to have 400 in action. Though started in 1998 at a Small private organization Britain s Volun tary service overseas program went into High gear after the peace corps came along. It now gets Matching fund from the government and counts More than 700 workers in the Field mostly i Commonwealth countries and european refugee Camps. Three developing coun tries Al Salvador Kenya and Zam Bia have started Domestic peace corps to work within their own Borders. Some other countries planning Over seas or Domestic peace corps Are Argentina Austria Belgium Italy Japan the Philippines Sweden Thailand and even tiny foreign groups with an estimated 1,000 volunteers in service Are still far behind the United states almost 8,000. In addition an International secretariat for voluntary service has been established in Washington to encourage the formation of even More peace corp men. . A Germon Loit leaches a kindergarten Clou in Dor e Salaam. Farewell Frankfurt. Next Stop is Tanzania for these volunteers. Owner Preu ing considered Areto Kenya Libya. Nepal. Iran. Iraq and Syria. Tuesday april 27, 196s the stars and strikes 11
