By Julia Ngo
Peace Corps matters because it operates where public health is most fragile: in communities where trust must be earned, resources are limited, and prevention depends on relationships, not just interventions. Through its partnership with the President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR), the Peace Corps has helped extend HIV prevention, education, and care into communities across more than 50 countries. PEPFAR’s success is often measured in lives saved and infections prevented. Peace Corps’ contribution is measured in something harder to quantify but no less vital: sustained presence, cultural understanding, and local empowerment. As we observe AIDS Awareness Month, this is an important moment to reflect on the human connections that make prevention possible.
That reflection feels especially personal to me. As I enter the final year of my Master’s degree in Public Health in Prevention Science, I’ve found myself reflecting not only on what I’ve learned, but on the moments that have shown me what public health truly looks like beyond the laboratory. For more than seven years, I have worked as a research specialist studying HIV vaccine candidates for the prevention and treatment of AIDS. Through my training, I’ve learned to work with rigor, precision, and a great deal of patience. What my internship with the National Peace Corps Association (NPCA) taught me was something equally essential: why people-centered global service still matters.
As an intern with NPCA’s communications team, I supported storytelling efforts that uplift Returned Peace Corps Volunteers (RPCVs) and the long-term impact of Peace Corps service. This experience placed me at a rare intersection, where I could see both the behind-the-scenes scientific work of HIV prevention and the real-world environments where prevention either succeeds or fails.
That intersection became tangible for me on November 19, 2025, when the Peace Corps announced plans to phase out its Country Program in South Africa by 2027. I was asked to help curate images honoring South Africa’s legacy of service. As I searched for visuals, I looked down at my own desk and noticed an AIDS ribbon pin my supervisor had brought back years ago after returning from South Africa. It had always been there, but I had never fully understood its story.
Among the images I reviewed was a photograph of a young girl named Sophia, proudly holding an AIDS ribbon pin she learned to make through the Palala Girls Club in Kgobagodimo, South Africa. The club, founded by Returned Peace Corps Volunteer Rachel Johnson, empowered girls in grades six and seven with practical skills while teaching important lessons about women’s health.
This is why Peace Corps matters.
In my laboratory work, HIV prevention is measured in immune responses and clinical endpoints. In communities like Kgobagodimo, prevention begins much earlier, with education, confidence, and agency. Programs like the Palala Girls Club do not replace biomedical science; they make it possible for that science to succeed. A future HIV vaccine will only be effective if communities trust health systems, understand prevention, and have the power to protect themselves.
As a public health student, this internship reshaped my understanding of impact. While I did not do fieldwork or provide care as an intern, I came to understand how storytelling keeps the heart of the work alive after programs conclude. Peace Corps’ value does not disappear when a country program phases out; it lives on through RPCVs, community initiatives, and the ripple effects of education and empowerment.
Public health is often framed as a race for innovation, but innovation without connection is insufficient. Peace Corps matters because it bridges the gap between policy and people, between scientific discovery and lived reality. It reminds us that global health is not just about preventing disease- it is about investing in human potential.
For me, public health will never again be confined to a lab bench. It is found in a ribbon pin, a young girl’s confidence, and a service model rooted in human connection. During HIV/AIDS Awareness Month, may we continue to support public health through Peace Corps programs and partnerships that make prevention both personal and enduring.
Banner Photo Caption: HIV Calendar — Sophia learned to make an AIDS Ribbon Pin as part of the Palala Girls Club, an initiative started by Rachel Johnson (RPCV) in Kgobagodimo, South Africa. Girls in Grades 6 and 7 were empowered with various skills while learning valuable lessons related to women and health.