Six decades of Peace Corps in Nepal

The US and Nepal have been steadfast friends not only as countries but also on the individual level.

Each year at this time, the Peace Corps notes the anniversary of the start of the programme in Nepal in 1962. On August 24 of that year—soon after President John F Kennedy created the Peace Corps—the governments of Nepal and the United States signed a bilateral agreement to authorise the Peace Corps’ operation in Nepal. Just a few weeks later, in September 1962, the first group of 77 volunteers consisting of teachers and agriculture specialists arrived in Kathmandu to live in and partner with Nepali communities. Since 1962, nearly 4,000 US citizens have arrived in Nepal to serve as volunteers for two years. These volunteers have lived in communities across the country and worked in multiple sectors.