Botswana
Local government entities, civil society organizations
Bachelor's degree in any business discipline.
OR
High school diploma or GED and four years of experience in business management.
All candidates who meet the required skills are encouraged to apply. Additional skills that may make you a more competitive candidate include:
Experience working with grassroots-level organizations that focus on economic empowerment and small business management; experience owning or managing a business; or working with cooperatives.
Experience in designing and delivering capacity-strengthening programs, workshops, or training sessions.
Experience in at least two of the following areas: business administration and management, project management, entrepreneurship, digital literacy, accounting, resource mobilization, marketing and market development, start-ups and small business development.
During training, Volunteers will have a private room within a host family’s house. After training, Volunteers will move to their assigned sites in Chobe, Central, North-West, North-East, Ghanzi, Southern, and Kweneng Districts, where they can expect to stay in a small, private house on the host family’s compound. The Volunteer should be prepared for limited or unreliable electricity and water in these rural areas. Public transportation via a mini-bus, bus, or taxi will allow the Volunteer to travel to larger towns if needed.
None
Community Economic Development
Yes
Botswana
24
Yes
PCV
No
Train and support small business owners on topics, including basic business management, entrepreneurship, financial literacy, and income-generating activities.
Support women and young entrepreneurs to create websites, conduct market research, and access new markets.
Provide digital literacy training that equipes youth and students at vocational institutes to connect with employers, industry networks, and career services.
Connect business owners and aspiring entrepreneurs with resources and learning opportunities.
Guide small business owners and entrepreneurs on grant writing and other strategies to secure financial services.
You may also work on additional projects that meet the community’s interests and priorities, such as community savings groups and entrepreneurship clubs.
As a Community Development Educator, you will be trained on basic business practices, entrepreneurship behaviors, and digital literacy. Peace Corps/Botswana will teach you Setswana to help you comfortably live in and connect with the community. You will also receive language resources and learn Ikalanga, Simbukushu, and Sekgalagari in case you are placed in those areas.
After 10 weeks of training, you will move to a rural community where you will collaborate with the local government and staff at civil society organizations to assess the needs and develop solutions based on sustainable business and community development practices.
Learn and apply innovative business approaches to drive economic development within rural communities.
Cultivate a global mindset that is valuable in government, nonprofit, business, entrepreneurship, and international development careers.
Experience the unique culture of Botswana as you live and work alongside Batswana.
Only heterosexual couples can be accepted for this program.
Each person must apply separately and must qualify for a position in either the same or a different sector than their partner.
Couples will live together during training but may separate occasionally for field-based activities.
Couples who are selected for the same sector will live together but work with different local partners, which may be in the same community or in neighboring communities (not more than 30 minutes apart)., Cohabitating couples are highly encouraged to present themselves as married throughout service due to cultural expectations.
Yes
As the preeminent international service organization of the United States, the Peace Corps sends Americans with a passion for service abroad to work with communities and create lasting change. Volunteers develop sustainable solutions to address challenges in Education, Health, Economic Development, Agriculture, Environment and Youth Development. Through their Peace Corps experiences, Volunteers gain a unique cultural understanding and a lifelong commitment to service that positions them to succeed in today's global economy. Since President John F. Kennedy established the Peace Corps in 1961, more than 240,000 Americans of all ages have served in 142 countries worldwide.
