The Japan Overseas Cooperation Volunteers (JOCV)program was founded in 1965. That it is now able tocommemorate its fortieth anniversary owes in largepart to the efforts of the volunteers themselves, localofficials and residents in developing countries whoworked with them, and people in Japan who gave theprogram their support. We would like to take thisopportunity to express our heartfelt gratitude to allpeople who have cooperated with us.

The JOCV and other volunteer programs of theJapan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) ex-pect volunteers to live among the people of the coun-try to which they are dispatched and to pursue theiractivities with local people, enabling them to ascer-tain development needs from the viewpoint of thoseliving there. They work with the local people to con-tribute to the country’s socioeconomic development,making effective use of their abilities and experiences.This has always been the JOCV ideal since the pro-gram’s inception.

For many years JICA has been evaluating its vol-unteer programs, and this has resulted in a reconfir-mation of the following goals: (1) to contribute tothe socioeconomic development or reconstruction ofdeveloping countries and regions, (2) to strengthenfriendship and mutual understanding between devel-oping countries and regions and Japan, and (3) togive back to society the fruits of volunteer-activity ex-perience.

This publication introduces case studies illustrat-ing the first of the above goals as being the founda-tion of all three objectives.

When the activities undertaken by the volunteersare examined, it is clear that the most effective formsof cooperation have been those that were imbuedwith a strategic character from the outset and that ef-fectively incorporated the viewpoint of human secu-rity. The goal of human security, which JICA intro-duced as one of its pillars of reform in 2004, is toensure that assistance reaches the poor in developing

countries, strengthens their societies, draws out andallows people’s latent abilities to blossom, and pro-tects human life and dignity.

Working as a volunteer means, of course, thatactivities are undertaken on a voluntary and self-initi-ated basis. Ensuring that such activity is responsibleand effective and pays due heed to the principle ofhuman security, though, requires a planned ap-proach. Conscious of this, JICA conducts its volun-teer activities in accordance with its implementationstrategy covering all development projects in respec-tive countries. Furthermore, collaboration is beingstrengthened with other aspects of Japan’s official de-velopment assistance (ODA) program as well as withother countries’ aid organizations, international or-ganizations, and NGOs.

This fortieth anniversary of the JOCV programis an ideal opportunity to look back on and examineprojects undertaken in the past so that they can serveas reference points for more strategic and effectiveendeavors in the future. There is no single “correct”path to success in volunteer activities. Past experienceshows, though, that steady results can be achieved bybuilding up cooperative relations with local peoplethrough various activities. Misunderstandings havesometimes cropped up during this process, for we areall humans made of flesh and blood. But such experi-ence has often helped to deepen understanding,founded on mutual recognition of differences be-tween respective value systems and cultures. Whileindividual volunteers are dispatched for two-year pe-riods, their cumulative contributions can lead, in thelong run, to success in cooperation activities.

It is our sincere hope that this publication willbe a source of ideas for volunteers grappling withchallenging tasks in the field and will also benefitthe local people working with them. At the sametime, we hope it will promote the understanding ofall those who have shown their support for our en-deavors.

Introduction

Masaaki Otsuka

Director GeneralSecretariat of the Japan Overseas Cooperation Volunteers

Japan International Cooperation Agency

Contents

Introduction

Poverty ReductionBangladesh For People Who Till the Golden Earth 2Philippines Establishing Sustainable Activities 3

The EnvironmentSenegal From Afforestation to Rural Development 4

Community DevelopmentSri Lanka A Bridge Between Slum Residents and the Government 6Panama Working to Improve the Lives of Indigenous Peoples 7

EducationHonduras and the Micronesian Region Endeavoring to Provide Basic Education 8Tanzania, Ghana, and Kenya Fruits of Science and Mathematics Education in Africa 9Giving Every Child a Chance to Receive an All-Around Education 10Maldives and Malaysia Years of Japanese Language Instruction Yield Successes 11

HealthTackling Threats That Know No Borders 12Laos and Kenya Coordinated Approach to Medical Cooperation 13

Architecture and Civil EngineeringMongolia and Morocco Preserving Public Facilities 14

Cultural Properties ProtectionHonduras, Micronesia, and Bhutan Conservation of Historical Heritage 15

Independence of People with DisabilitiesExpanding Support for Rehabilitation 16

Vocational TrainingSharing Japan’s Technical Expertise 17

Mutual UnderstandingStrengthening Friendship Ties 18

Giving Back to SocietyDrawing on the JOCV Experience 19

Reference 20JICA Volunteer Activities 21

Encouraging the hopes of farmers battling water

The Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA)dispatched its first volunteers to Bangladesh in Au-gust 1973. One year later, a large flood devastatedthe countryside. Farmers who lost everything wereforced to consume jute leaves. Many were compelledto leave their villages and go to towns, where theycould get relief packages from foreign countries. Thismeant becoming refugees.

Japan Overseas Cooperation Volunteers did notwish to see flood victims becoming refugees, and theyadvised farmers to stay in their villages, promising togive them help. They then began providing supportin cooperation with local staff members. Volunteersdistributed seedlings and helped farmers plant rice.The villagers were able to harvest this rice and securefood by their own efforts.

In addition to flood damage, another major issuewas drought. For farmers who had to haul water fortheir farms using water jugs, the volunteers focusedtheir efforts on hand pumps, which required no fuelto run. Volunteers in the job categories of rice cul-ture, horticulture, vegetable growing, and agriculturalmachinery cooperated with local agricultural exten-sion workers to increase the number of hand pumpsin various areas, and successive volunteers have con-tinued these efforts. Local farmers have started culti-vating watermelons, cucumbers, radishes, and othercrops as a result, and their hopes have improvedalong with the growth in their cash earnings.

Women become active in the 1980s

JICA dispatched female volunteers to Bangladesh, acountry where almost 90% of the population is Is-lamic and where women were said to face difficulty

advancing in society, for the first time in 1981. Manyof these volunteers, who worked out of a local officeof the Bangladesh Rural Development Board(BRDB), were in the vegetable growing job category.

Because they were able to converse with the localwomen directly in Bengali, the volunteers were ableto understand what local women wanted and whatthey were concerned about. Though these JOCVswere people from a variety of occupations, initially allof them worked with local women in an endeavor torevive and spread the cultivation of vegetables. Intime this effort improved local nutrition, whichbroke down the stereotype among men that “vegeta-bles are what poor people eat.”

Popularizing the production and consumption ofvegetables was also a success in that it got men in-volved in what had been a women’s activity. Once itbecame clear that selling vegetables could result in ahigh income, men took over the bulk of the activity.Consequently, the volunteers needed to search for anew source of income for women. The idea theycame up with was to help the women create and sellhand-made embroidery, a traditional handicraft witha long history in the region. An embroidery programtargeting women’s cooperatives was thus prepared,and it was launched in 1983 with funding from theBRDB.

Women who had never left their village rose tothe task of delivering their products to the capital,even becoming capable of negotiating with theBRDB. Initially begun by 16 local women, this pro-gram grew over four years to involve 500 women by1987. Responsibility for the program was then trans-ferred to the local staff, and similar programs werestarted up in other districts. Then, in 1989, JOCVvolunteers assisted in the creation of a sales outlet,the BRDB Handicraft Exhibition and Shop, in thecapital of Dhaka. This sales system was further devel-oped and expanded in the 1990s.

Creating an organization necessary to managetheir earnings has given these women confidence andhope and fostered their independence. At the sametime, efforts have been directed at raising the con-sciousness of men. Eliminating prejudice againstwomen is, in fact, a requirement for their full partici-pation in society.

We may say that the volunteers played the roleof a catalyst in drawing out the latent strengths thelocal women possessed. Over a period of over 10years, almost 50 JOCVs took part in these activitiesin the areas of handicrafts, dress making, and market-ing research, with their sights set on promoting socialparticipation by women. And even today the shopbuilt with their help is still being used as a sales chan-nel for the handicraft products of rural women.

22

Bangladesh For People Who Till the Golden Earth

Volunteers have sought to blend into village life and speak the local language in Bangladesh, the land loved by Asia’s firstNobel laureate, poet Rabindranath Tagore. This approach supports local residents’ capabilities, and it has also fostered socialparticipation by women. We offer an example from Bangladesh.

Poverty Reduction

A handicrafts volunteer explains embroidery techniques tovillage women. (Photo by Katsuhiko Fujii)

Children use handpumps to irrigate

a rice field. (Photoby Hiroo Sasou)

A volunteer explains aspects

of rice cultivation.(Photo by

Hiroo Sasou)

First steps toward trust

In 1966 JICA sent its first 12 volunteers to thePhilippines. The dispatch of JOCVs for work in thearea of livestock raising began two years later. Be-cause Japan had occupied the country in World WarII, building personal trust with local residents was thefirst order of business.

During the 1970s many volunteers were postedto the Philippine government’s Bureau of Animal In-dustry, and they sought to build cooperative relation-ships in the regions to which they were assigned. Atfirst they focused on small-scale operations, such asfarmers who were raising just several head of live-stock in a pasture. Through the repetition of effortsdirected at helping such farmers increase their earn-ings, they gradually established relations of trustwithin their communities.

Even today volunteers meet people in variousareas who remember vividly and speak fondly ofJOCVs they met many years ago. “I know Ken,” onehears. “He’s the guy who treated my goats.” “Hiroand I worked together planting hay.” This is evidenceof the close relationships volunteers built with peoplein the Philippines and demonstrates how their coop-eration activities still survive in local people’s hearts.

Local organizations fostered by JOCV projects

Volunteers have been continually active since 1976 atthe National Artificial Breeding Center (NABC),where they have pursued such activities as improvingproductivity and quality in semen freezing and ex-panding training for inseminators. They have alsoworked to consolidate a network linking the breedingcenter with the practitioners of artificial inseminationin various regions.

Based on the results and information gainedfrom these cooperation efforts, JOCV volunteers ini-tiated the Strengthening of National Artificial Insem-ination Project in 1989. The goal was to providehigh-quality calves of the cattle and water buffalo sovaluable to poor farmers. Cooperating in the activi-

ties of the NABC, animal husbandry and veterinarymedicine volunteers worked closely with local col-leagues, and together they were able to secure fund-ing from local governments for the independent op-eration of artificial insemination activities. In thisway a system came into being in the Philippines forstrengthening artificial insemination operations andimproving breeding techniques.

The JOCV volunteers in the field were workingside by side with inseminators, administrative staffmembers, and others in the district offices of thePhilippine Department of Agriculture, “the civil serv-ants closest to the village.” In 1987 some of these col-leagues began to take part in study meetings theJOCVs were holding. At their suggestion, a joint or-ganization called the JOCV-PASA (Philippine Ani-mal Science Association) was brought into being.This organization was strengthened during the yearswhen volunteers were still being dispatched to it, andin 1992 it was formally registered as a nongovern-mental organization in the Philippines. At firstJOCV members occupied the post of JOCV-PASAchair, but Philippine nationals have filled this posi-tion ever since the sixth chair, making it a truly inde-pendent NGO capable of operating on its own evenwithout the participation of the JOCVs.

Today the organization has 170 members, is ac-tive throughout the Philippines, and holds a nationalmeeting every year in May. These meetings offermembers an opportunity to report on domestic artifi-cial insemination conditions, introduce new tech-niques, and exchange information. The JOCV-PASA’s newsletter has also become a valuableresource for individuals involved in livestock breed-ing in the Philippines.

In addition to these volunteers’ activities, train-ing for inseminators is offered in Japan. The tech-niques these trainees have taken back to the Philip-pines have made artificial insemination a widelyaccepted practice in rural areas.

3

Philippines Establishing Sustainable Activities

To gain trust in the Philippines, one of the major battlefields during World War II, the JOCV first had todevelop relations of good faith with local residents on a personal basis. Steady activities by animal husbandry

and veterinary medicine volunteers eventually led to the bigger projects that are being implemented today.

An artificial insemi-nation summithosted by JOCV-PASA in 2005.

An animal husbandry volunteer looks after a water buffaloand calf.

A sense of crisis concerning desertification

JOCV activities in Senegal commenced in October1980. During the 1980s, a sense of crisis concerningdesertification reached new heights with the awarenessthat deserts, which account for 30% of the earth’sland area, are relentlessly expanding, with an area ofgreen land equal to 15% of Japan’s total land areadisappearing each year. Following the Bonn G7 dec-laration on strengthening the fight against desertifica-tion, the Japanese government advocated a “Green-ing Revolution” in Africa, and JICA dispatched ateam of JOCVs to Senegal in December 1986. Vol-unteers in the categories of afforestation, fruit andvegetable growing, agricultural civil engineering, andautomobile maintenance were posted to the Inspec-tion Bureau of Water and Forestry. This was the startof the Green Cooperation Projects, under whichJapan’s “green volunteers” were dispatched toEthiopia, Niger, Tanzania, and other countries.

At the time, roughly 60,000 saplings per yearwere being grown in Senegal at a public nursery.With the cooperation of the volunteers, this numberwas expanded quickly, enabling Senegal to supply200,000 to 250,000 saplings annually. In parallelwith this effort, the project sought to elevate aware-ness of the need for afforestation. Volunteers in thecategories of audiovisual education and rural com-munity development organized seminars in variouslocations to inform people of specific technologies,and their presentations proved to be highly effective.

Project volunteers also made the rounds of vil-lages. The local people, looking on them as virtual“jacks of all trades,” would ask for their advice aboutall sorts of matters. The Senegalese media let it beknown that they were serious about blending in andworking together with local residents, and as a result,word of their coming would reach villages beforethey did, making them all the more useful. The di-rector of the Inspection Bureau of Water andForestry praised the project with the words, “Japan’said has brought us specialists who seek to work di-rectly with ordinary local people. This is unprece-dented. It has had an educational effect on the ruralpopulation, and that has been very significant.”

Getting local residents involved in forestry

In the 1990s the project came to be targeted at se-lected villages, which became sites for a broader rangeof activities. In a bid to elevate local living standards,the focus was shifted from agricultural infrastructureimprovements to increasing cash earnings and pro-tecting the environment. The volunteers were mainlyin the job categories of afforestation, fruit and veg-etable growing, and sociology. As the cash earnings of

farming families gradually improved, it was possibleto get farmers in broader areas involved in jointfunds and cooperative investments.

One of the features of the project was the con-cept of agro-forestry, which brings farming togetherwith forestry to improve the quality of life. Local resi-dents working on both field crops and tree cropswould plant trees around their fields to shelter them.Within this space, they would cultivate vegetables aswell as grow trees for fruits and wood. Trees werealso planted for soil conservation and to serve aswindbreaks for strawberries and other crops. In addi-tion, the volunteers gave attention to seedling pro-duction, and public supplies came to be supple-mented with private ones. Farmers began operatingtheir own nurseries and supplying young trees for lo-cally managed forests.

After a 12-year effort, the Green CooperationProjects were concluded in December 1998. Overthe years, a total of 47 volunteers and two JICA ex-perts took part in the Senegal part of the initiative.

Impact of the Green Cooperation Projects

The desertification prevention projects in Senegalhad a number of results. For one thing, the tech-niques developed were disseminated throughout thecountry. For another, the Senegalese government’spromotion of afforestation was profoundly affected.This influence extended to the management and con-solidation of public seedling supplies and the devel-opment of policies for private participation in af-forestation. In the end, the planting andmanagement of trees by local people became an inte-gral element of Senegal’s rural development strategy.

In addition, the impact on the lives of the peoplewas extensive. The sale of wood, fruits, and vegeta-

44

Senegal From Afforestation to Rural Development

Against the backdrop of the 1985 pledge by the Group of Seven leaders to “strengthen our cooperation with African countries in fighting against desertification,” the Green Cooperation Projects were launched in Senegal in 1986. JOCVs delivered saplings and provided information to Senegal and did all they could to improve local living conditions.

The Environment

A volunteer explains graftingtechniques on a

mango tree.(Photo by Kanji

Kunihiro)

bles increased income levels and invigorated commu-nity activities, and the introduction of new tech-niques, including microcredit (small-scale financing),generated jobs and lifted community spirit. The proj-ects also served to empower women’s groups, whichwere at the center of the activities.

The projects were operated to boost the overallefficiency of development cooperation. This was ac-complished by sharing technologies with other aidagencies, including the UN Food and AgricultureOrganization, the US Agency for International De-velopment, and the Osaka International HouseFoundation. Efforts were also made to run the proj-ects harmoniously with other parts of Japan’s ODAprogram, such as the grant-funded Forestry NurseryManagement Project and JICA’s Integrated Commu-nity Forestry Development Project in Senegal. Thiscoordination of efforts strengthened the ripple effectsof the JOCV projects on the afforestation policies ofSenegal’s government.

Assistance for oyster cultivation

Another aspect of the JOCVs’ environmental activi-ties in Senegal was the cooperation provided by envi-ronmental “green volunteers” to preserve mangrovesand assist in oyster cultivation.

In the course of the activities by eight JOCVsdispatched alternately from 1983 to 2004, the JOCVscooperated on a regular basis with other volunteersworking nearby in other project categories. The re-sults of the cooperation in oyster cultivation were (1)stable shipments of raw oysters, (2) assurance of wildoyster seed supplies, (3) cultivation of seeds for oys-ters of a size suitable for marketing, and (4) preserva-tion of the natural environment for oyster cultivation.

For many years local people had been drying andeating the wild oysters that cling to the submergedroots of mangrove trees. In 1984, with the help of anaquaculture volunteer, an oyster cooperative was estab-lished to attempt to harvest and sell oysters, andeventually also to cultivate them, thereby moving be-yond the stage of oyster use just for home consump-tion. With the cooperation of the vegetable growing

volunteers in the vicinity, a channel for the shipmentand sale of raw oysters was established. In the 1990s,using the proceeds from the sales outlets, the cooper-ative was able to purchase outboard motors.

The quantity of the harvest fell abruptly, how-ever, owing to a decline in the number of mangrovetrees and indiscriminate harvesting by transient fish-ers. The villagers at that point initiated oyster cultiva-tion instead of relying only on simple harvesting. Inorder to introduce advanced cultivation techniques,the villagers needed to make capital investments andbring in expertise. This proved to be more than theycould handle unaided.

Conservation of the mangrove ecosystem

With assistance from the volunteers, representativesof the cooperative and the Inspection Bureau ofWater and Forestry learned how to plant and growthe mangroves needed for oyster cultivation. Projectmembers then organized seminars and created educa-tional posters to guide local efforts at mangroveplanting and management. Volunteers working insuch areas as public health nursing, primary schooleducation, youth activities, and rural community development helped out in this campaign, which of-fered tree-planting guidance and environmental edu-cation even to schoolchildren. Indeed, this environ-mental conservation campaign was one that got thewhole community involved.

Through a process of trial and error, the volun-teers learned that oysters could be effectively cultivatedthrough small-scale operations relying only on locallyavailable materials and equipment. By disseminatingthe techniques involved, local residents continued thecultivation operations even after the volunteer dispatchperiod ended, taking into their own hands small-scaleoyster cultivation and shipments, the environmentalconservation needed for this cultivation, and themanagement and operation of the oyster cooperative.

5

Participants in aseminar hosted by Senegal’s Inspection Bureauof Water andForestry.

Checks are made of small-scale oyster farms that use“hanging” cultivation techniques.

Gaining trust and accumulating information

Many different categories of volunteers have been ac-tive in metropolitan Colombo’s slums, includinghome arts, vegetable growing, rural community de-velopment, kindergarten education, public healthnursing, and handicrafts. These volunteers begantheir involvement by going into the streets every day.They used the local language and sought to blendinto the local communities, and they graduallyearned the residents’ trust.

The volunteers who were dispatched in lateryears built their activities on the mutual trust the ini-tial JOCVs fostered with the residents. The first ruralcommunity development volunteers prepared lists oflocal residents, and these proved to be useful to thosewho followed them. The first public health nursingvolunteers also compiled records, which were laterused to create a system of healthcare volunteersamong local residents. In handicraft classrooms, vol-unteers targeted their initial efforts at training localinstructors so that they could run the classrooms bythemselves. This handicraft guidance also sought toincrease residents’ income, and it later led to theopening of community shops. In kindergarten man-agement, similarly, heavy emphasis was placed onjoint activities from the start, and collaborative tiesamong the volunteers formed as a result.

From Colombo to regional cities

The volunteers made it a habit to share informationand give each other a hand. This put them in a posi-tion to prepare finely tuned responses to issues theyneeded to tackle.

In 1997 JOCVs began cooperating with theGreater Colombo Flood Control and EnvironmentalImprovement Project, which was supported byJapan’s ODA loans extended through the Japan Bank

for International Cooperation. When urban residentswho lived alongside rivers were moved to reclaimedland, they faced shortages of electricity, water service,and toilet facilities. Seeking to improve the livingconditions of these relocated urban dwellers, volun-teers provided guidance on the disposal of rubbishand the cultivation of home gardens, and they helpedto establish a system of small-scale financing and or-ganize group activities for children.

With these activities in and around Colombounderway, 1997 also saw the start of similar programsfor low-income neighborhoods in six regional cities.

Linking communities to the government

Using grassroots approaches, the volunteers provedto be adept at getting bottom-up initiatives going. Tocombine these activities with top-down guidance,volunteers with extensive skills and experience wereteamed up with counterparts on the Sri Lankan sidestarting in 1998 to work out of government min-istries and agencies, thereby providing a mechanismfor overseeing various projects. As a result, coopera-tive ties between the ad-ministrative level and ac-tivities in the field werestrengthened. Volunteersposted to regional citieshave also cooperatedclosely with local munici-pal officials, and theseties have worked tostrengthen the ambitionsand capabilities of bothresidents and officials.

During the three-year period starting from2001, volunteers were in-volved in as many as 167 programs with 170,000beneficiaries. The programs covered a wide range ofareas, such as community development, environmen-tal improvement, healthcare, education, andwomen’s organization. Future strengthening of thecooperative setup was also given thought, and a long-term plan was drawn up.

The program in Sri Lanka today seeks to forgelinks between community residents and domestic re-sources, including knowledge, technology, capital,and human talent. The center of the action are ruralcommunity development volunteers, who, by playingan organizing role, promote participatory approachesby which residents formulate their own solutions.With their sights set on improving the everyday envi-ronment of poor urban residents, all the volunteersare pursuing approaches that can link residents withthe local and central governments.

66

Sri Lanka A Bridge Between Slum Residents and the Government

The Sri Lankan government requested the dispatch of a JOCV team in 1986, on the eve of the International Year of Shelter for the Homeless. Today, JOCVs are still active in Sri Lankan slums, and their cumulative numbers havegrown to 70. What approaches have they used to get residents involved in their activities?

Community Development

Rural communitydevelopment

volunteers tour aregional city,

where programswere launched in2000 to improveresidents’ lives.

A volunteer visits urban residents who were relocated to re-claimed land. Homes were subsequently rebuilt in ways in-corporating residents’ opinions. (Photo by Koji Sato)

Cooperation with indigenous peoples

Ever since the first volunteers arrived in Panama in1991, JOCVs have cooperated to improve the livingconditions of the Kuna, Guaymi, and other indige-nous peoples. Activities in the Ngobe-Bugle districtwere initiated in 1996. Some 30 volunteers havebeen involved, of whom 16 were in the category ofrural community development. Other volunteershave been in such categories as program officers, foodcrops, rice culture, farmers’ cooperatives, afforesta-tion, vegetable growing, and handicrafts.

The volunteers have faced difficulties workingtogether. Even those posted to the same district areapt to live far from each other and lack access tomeans of transport to move around. Each volunteerhas therefore had to act independently, feeling theway forward. But all have been united in the commonobjective of helping the people in their region leadbetter lives. Let us look at the cases of two villages.

Coffee distribution in Soloy

The volunteers sent to the village of Soloy have en-gaged in a number of projects, such as gettingwomen involved in running a restaurant and produc-ing handicrafts. But what has won them the mostpraise was the local marketing of the coffee the vil-lagers love to drink.

The people of Soloy are themselves involved inharvesting coffee beans, but the wholesalers they dealwith beat down the price, and when coffee pricesplummet worldwide, they may get little for their ef-forts. Not only that, the villagers were buying coffeefor their own consumption from outside sources,since they lacked the means to process the local har-vest. In this situation, the second rural communitydevelopment volunteer posted to the village proposedthe creation of a coffee distribution system. The pro-ducers formed groups to handle the respective tasksof processing, packaging, and sales, thereby trans-forming the harvest into a value-added product. Thisendeavor was so successful that as of 2004, purchasesof coffee from sources outside the village had come toa stop.

Today the fourth volunteer to be dispatched ismaking the rounds of 10 producer groups. The cur-rent goal is to strengthen the local setup so that farm-ers can, on their own, set targets for coffee commer-cialization, formulate activity plans, and even handlenegotiations with agents outside the village.

Rice cultivation in Panama’s Buenos Aires

Through ongoing cooperation with rural communitydevelopment volunteers, rice cultivation with organicfertilizer in paddies has taken root in the village of

Buenos Aires, whose residents had been relying onslash-and-burn agriculture. Initially rice cultivationwas started up using funds provided by JICA, and itspread to 10 settlements. Then other tasks were takenon in an overall endeavor extending to vegetablefarming, chicken raising, animal husbandry, nutri-tion improvement, and afforestation. Volunteers inthe categories of rice culture and vegetable growinghave also taken part in the endeavor, which is a com-prehensive program to reduce poverty and improvevillagers’ lives.

Farming is not easy in the regions wherePanama’s indigenous peoples live. In the dry seasonthe clay soil around Buenos Aires becomes almost toohard to harrow without resorting to tools like pick-axes. Agricultural development is, accordingly, atime-consuming task. With the cooperation of sixvolunteers, however, the lives of the villagers have

improved step by step. Currently, the introduction ofhydraulic ram pumps is being considered.

While working with residents at the site, thefirst JOCVs discovered that some of the local needswere far beyond the capacity of any single volunteerto address. An assortment of technologies and exten-sive knowledge were required. The project has there-fore gone forward by soliciting cooperation frommany people, including JOCVs in other occupa-tional categories, Senior Volunteers (SVs, or JICAvolunteers aged 40 to 69), JICA experts, andPanama’s own specialists. Yields for farm productsare rising gradually, and the quality of life in BuenosAires is moving up.

7

Panama Working to Improve the Lives of Indigenous Peoples

The gap between rich and poor in Panama’s urban and rural regions is stark. The plight of Panama’s indigenous peoples,who have difficulty receiving the benefits of economic development, is particularly serious. Here we introduce some of the

activities of volunteers who have risen to the challenge of improving lives in regions with low agricultural productivity.

A nutrition improvement volunteer leads a seminar on meth-ods to upgrade cooking stoves. A cooking class using thenew stoves was also held.

A course on theuse of a hydraulicram pump forpaddy rice cultiva-tion at an agricul-tural school inPanama.

Honduras: JOCV Arithmetic Project

In a bid to avoid problems of children dropping outof elementary school, which hinder efforts to achieveuniversal primary education, volunteers have been in-volved in the teaching of arithmetic in Hondurassince 1989, and the JOCV Arithmetic Project wasinitiated in 1991. A number of primary school edu-cation volunteers were dispatched to help improvearithmetic instruction.

The project had two objectives: (1) improvingthe arithmetic instruction abilities of teachers by pro-viding them with necessary knowledge and teachingskills and (2) creating a system by which local teach-ers could endeavor on their own to upgrade theirskills.

To reach these objectives, the JOCVs made useof short study courses and demonstration classes totrain teachers’ leaders. At the same time, they alsosought to improve the quality of teaching aids bypreparing texts for the study courses and drills forstudents. The total number of participants in all thestudy courses reached 11,072. It was found that as aresult of the project, the pupils of the teachers whoattended the courses gave the correct replies to ques-tions at a rate about 10% higher each year than thepupils of teachers who did not.

While taking part in this JOCV Arithmetic Proj-ect, the volunteers participated in a parallel JICAtechnical cooperation project called the Improvementof Teaching Method in Mathematics. They served asinstructors in teacher training programs at Honduranuniversities, using the teaching aids they had pre-pared. The JOCVs also gave instruction at schools ofthe teachers they were training, and they made use ofthe information they picked up in the field to im-prove their teaching materials and study methods.

The teaching skills of local teachers were upgraded inthis fashion. At present, support programs forstrengthening arithmetic education have expanded tocover eight Central American countries.

Micronesian region: Joint teaching of arithmetic

A training course on arithmetic teaching was con-ducted in Palau in 2004 with the participation of aJOCV technical advisor. With an experienced volun-teer from Palau taking the lead, the course wasplanned and implemented by JOCVs working in pri-mary school education, mathematics education, andscience and mathematics education, along with localteachers. Primary school education volunteers andlocal teachers from the Marshall Islands and the Fed-erated States of Micronesia also attended. The impe-tus for the training course came from the interestshown in the teaching methods that the JOCVsworking in these countries devised.

During the training course, the participants dis-cussed the current status of and approaches to arith-metic instruction, as well as tasks to be tackled. Theycame to appreciate more deeply the importance ofteaching arithmetic starting from the lower grades,and they gained awareness of some of the local prob-lems compared with the situation in other countries.These were reflected in action plans that were put to-gether for arithmetic workshops in each country, aswell as in the formulation of common goals for allthree participating countries.

In addition to putting what they learned to usein the schools to which they had been posted, thevolunteers from Micronesia met with the principalsof their schools and local education authorities fordiscussions on how to improve arithmetic teachingskills. They also made plans for a training course intheir country, and this project won approval from theDepartment of Education of the State of Yap, whichsecured state funding for it. Principals and teachersfrom a number of the federated states came to attendthis training course. These states are island groupscentered on main islands, and they have differentlanguages, cultures, and education systems. Tradi-tionally it has been rare for teachers to go to otherstates even just to observe classes there. In this light,the gathering of participants from around Micronesiawas an epochal event.

The teachers who underwent this workshop-styletraining course were able to improve their skills inarithmetic teaching. At the end of the course, they re-ceived certificates jointly signed by the Micronesianeducation minister and the resident representative ofthe JICA Micronesia office. And because the coursereceived much favorable comment in local newspa-pers, the teachers also got a visible boost in morale.

88

Honduras and the Micronesian Region Endeavoring to Provide Basic Education

One of the Millennium Development Goals of the United Nations is to “achieve universal primary education,” that is, to ensure that all boys and girls complete a full course of primary schooling. In a bid to reach this goal, efforts are being directed at the teaching of arithmetic.

Education

Views are exchanged at a teacher training workshop at-tended by volunteers and local instructors from Palau, theMarshall Islands, and Micronesia.

A primary schooleducation volun-teer leads a lec-

ture for Honduranarithmetic

teachers. (Photoby Hiroyuki

Ikarashi)

Tanzania: Sparking enthusiasm in teachers andstudents

Science and mathematics education volunteers beganbeing dispatched to Tanzania in 1968. Thus far morethan 160 volunteers in science and mathematics edu-cation as well as in mathematics education haveworked in Tanzania.

The Tanzanian government, which has made in-creasing school attendance a top priority, has lookedto the JOCVs to address the chronic shortage ofteachers and to improve the quality of the teachingstaff. The volunteers have devised and improvedteaching aids and drills, which have helped to im-prove students’ comprehension. These educationalmaterials are used throughout the schools the volun-teers have been assigned to and have also spread toother schools via training seminars and open classes.

In 1995 a questionnaire survey was conducted tolearn what Tanzanian students think about the teach-ers from Japan. The students gave the teachers highmarks for transcending the language barrier anddemonstrating sincerity and enthusiasm in the class-room and also in the community. The zest of theseJOCVs has sparked enthusiasm among local teachersand infused eagerness among the students as well.

Ghana: Passing on teaching experiences

Science and mathematics education volunteers havebeen sent to Ghana since 1977. Rather than havingeach volunteer work independently, a means of inte-grating and coordinating their activities has been de-vised, and this has become well established.

For over 15 years, volunteers in Ghana have beenconducting a training program to improve their ownteaching abilities. Immediately upon arrival, they aregiven opportunities to observe the classes of theJOCVs already there and to conduct rehearsal classes.Evaluation sheets and other such means are used togive them feedback. The summer school session isused as the venue for these training activities.

The summer training provides a great opportu-

nity for the experienced JOCVs to show the new-comers the classroom tools and techniques they haveacquired in the course of their everyday work. Fur-thermore, volunteers posted to Ghana in other cate-gories also conduct classes, drawing on their specialistknowledge and expertise. These courses span an arrayof practical subjects like organic farming (taught byvegetable growing volunteers) and Internet use(taught by computer technology volunteers). Suchcollaboration ensures that experience is passed on tothe new arrivals. Skills and techniques that are of usein cooperation are accumulating as a result.

Kenya: Adopting a more strategic approach

Science and mathematics education volunteers havebeen dispatched to Kenya since 1974 and havehelped to gradually alleviate a shortage of teachers.

In 1996 a system of targeting certain communi-ties for concentrated activities to strengthen scienceand mathematics education was introduced, and 15volunteers were dispatched to take part. The goal was

to elevate the educational standards of science andmathematics throughout the community, not just inindividual schools. In addition to holding classesdaily, the JOCVs have been exchanging informationwith each other and strengthening collaborative ties.

In 1998 the volunteers set up a training organi-zation for mathematics teachers. With the involve-ment of local math teachers, this organization isreaching out to local educational offices, school prin-cipals, and teachers at other schools. It has also cre-ated Kenyan-centered standardized tests and seminarsin the hope of promoting greater self-sustainmentamong local teachers.

JICA’s Strengthening of Mathematics and Sci-ence in Secondary Education Project was initiated in1998 to draw on the experience of these JOCVs. It isaimed at elevating the quality of education not just inKenya but also in Malawi, Zambia, and other neigh-boring countries.

9

Tanzania, Ghana, and Kenya Fruits of Science and Mathematics Education in Africa

Because the increase in the number of teachers is not keeping pace with growth in the rate of school attendance, volunteers in Tanzania, Ghana, and Kenya sometimes serve as teachers as well as assisting in improving

the teaching skills of local instructors. Below are the JOCVs’ educational activities in these three countries.

A volunteer conducts a physics experiment at a regionalpublic school in Kenya. (Photo by Kazuhito Hattori)

Ghanaian stu-dents listen atten-tively to an expla-nation by ascience andmathematicseducation volun-teer. (Photo byKenshiro Ima-mura)

Niger: Preschool education tailored to children’sdevelopment

Preschool education has been strengthened in manycountries since 1990, when the United Nations Edu-cational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UN-ESCO) issued its World Declaration on Educationfor All. Nonetheless, there has not been a sufficientdegree of understanding of the importance of educa-tion tailored to the child’s stage of development. InNiger, where nearly 20 JOCVs have been posted inthe category of kindergarten education since 1991,preschool children were being taught French, the of-ficial language, by rote learning.

The JOCVs pointed out the importance of threeelements: (1) education suited to the child’s stage ofdevelopment, (2) the use of play and everyday life sit-uations themselves as learning settings, and (3) guid-ance in such daily habits as hand washing and toiletuse. They introduced such tools as games and pic-ture-card storytelling, and these made an impressioneven on Education Ministry officials. Today theJOCVs have been designated to serve as educationalinstructors participating in the planning at the In-spection Bureau of Kindergarten and Nursery, andthey are making the rounds of local kindergartens.

Early schooling encompassing prenatal care

JOCVs involved in early childhood education havebeen working in many countries, with nearly 500volunteers being dispatched in this area since 1967.Their activities span not only kindergartens, nurseryschools, and childcare centers but also educational fa-cilities for orphans, abused children, and disabledchildren, as well as for teacher training.

Mainly during the 1980s, JOCVs worked in thecategories of nursery care and kindergarten educationin remote settlements in Malaysia. Vegetable growingand handicraft volunteers were also assigned to theseregions, where they worked alongside other JOCVsto improve living standards and the educational envi-ronment. A kindergarten education volunteer sent toNepal in the 1990s in a rural development projecttraveled to various sites to offer guidance to parentson hygiene, healthcare, housework, and child rearing;and she also developed educational materials.

In recent years it has become apparent thatpoverty reduction and universal primary educationrequire measures that begin before the child is born.The volunteers have gained a first-hand appreciationof this at their work sites. For example, nursing vol-unteers at an orphans’ hospital in Colombia havecome into contact with children infected by HIVthrough mother-child transmission. Comprehensivecare and parental education are obviously required.

Again, in Nepal, in conjunction with a United Na-tions Children’s Fund (UNICEF) program forwomen and children, volunteers in rural communitydevelopment and nutrition are working with weigh-ing facilities, nursery schools, health posts, women’scooperatives, and other organizations. In these ways,comprehensive strategies for early healthcare educa-tion have been launched.

Zimbabwe: Music education helps children develop their potential

While music, art, and physical education are impor-tant means of promoting character development inthe school curriculum, they have tended to be ne-glected in the classrooms of many developing coun-tries.

In Zimbabwe, music education has a low posi-tion, and many schools had no music teachers orclasses. Many students had never before taken amusic class, and the first JOCVs sent to give instruc-tion in music were a bit perplexed as to how to pro-ceed. But ultimately the students became motivatedto learn on their own and experienced the joy ofsinging and playing instruments with their peers.

Thus far more than 100 volunteers have beendispatched to elementary, middle, and high schoolsin Zimbabwe as music teachers. Their activities donot end in the classroom but have expanded to includeoffering guidance to choirs and holding concerts atthe regional level. Because the schools where JOCVs

1010

Giving Every Child a Chance to Receive an All-Around Education

The cultivation of human resources requires education that promotes physical, emotional, intellectual, and social develop-ment. Music, physical education, and art, though they are crucial to healthy human development, tend to get short shrift inschooling. A number of volunteers have sounded the alarm, and they are attempting to improve the situation.

Education

A volunteer inNiger shows local

kindergartenteachers how ani-mal figures can be

made from colorpaper. (Photo byKazuhito Hattori)

Leading a choir ina Zimbabwe

school. (Photo byMasahiro Soma)

were teaching consistently performed well in musicalcompetitions throughout the country, many Zim-babweans became aware of the importance of musiceducation. Through such experiences as concerts, thestudents have found out for themselves how movingit is to achieve success through hard practice. Someof the students have realized they have the talent topursue a musical career, and thus the music classeshave opened a new world for these youngsters.

Building on these successes, the volunteers sentto Zimbabwe as music teachers are now attemptingto take their efforts to the next level by training localmusic instructors and by providing music educationto disabled children.

Eastern Europe: Developing character throughkendo

Sports education contributes to the development ofpeople who are well rounded in terms of intellect,morals, and physical fitness and also cultivates sports-manship and fosters discipline and a sense of dignity.

The dispatching of volunteers to Eastern Europebegan in 1992 in Hungary. At that time, one volun-teer was sent to work with the Hungarian Kendo

Federation. Since then, a total of 20 kendo volun-teers have been dispatched to Poland since 1993,Bulgaria since 1994, and Romania since 1997. Byplaying a cooperative role in tournaments as well asin training in these countries, the volunteers havehelped to promote kendo throughout Eastern Eu-rope. In recent years, Hungarian kendo students haveperformed well in East European and internationaltournaments, and this has worked to raise the level ofkendo in the region.

The kendo volunteers in Eastern Europe use thelocal languages in their work and provide informa-tion when people express interest in Japan. Theyhave thus played a role in deepening mutual under-standing between Japan and these countries.Through the kendo classes, students learn not onlyabout the technical aspects of kendo but also aboutits ethics, history, and cultural background. And in abroader sense, the volunteers bring their studentsinto contact with Japanese culture and currentevents. The mastery of manners and the physical andmental conditioning of these East European kendostudents have made a favorable impression even onpeople from the Japanese kendo world.

Japanese language instructors havebeen sent overseas since 1965, thesame year the JOCV program waslaunched. Starting with the dispatchof two instructors to Laos, over 1,300JOCVs have now been dispatchedthroughout the world to provideJapanese language instruction.

Since 1987, 10 Japanese lan-guage instructors have been sent tothe Republic of Maldives. The num-

ber of Japanese tourists visiting the islands has grownwith each passing year. Many travel operators there-fore consider Japanese language proficiency an essen-tial skill. The 10 volunteers have been sent in succes-sion to the Maldive College of Higher Education, theonly institution in the Maldives that offers Japaneselanguage instruction.

At one time, nearly all the people working intourism in the country who could speak Japanesewere foreign nationals. In recent years, however, localresidents have been replacing them, and many ofthem are students of the JOCVs. This long-standingcooperative endeavor has created new job opportuni-ties for the students in resort hotels, shops, travelagencies, and other tourism-related businesses.

Japanese language instructors have been dis-

patched to Malaysia since 1984. The Malaysian gov-ernment had a Look East policy of learning fromJapan’s industrial and economic success, and itsought to increase the number of Japanese speakers.It was then that Japanese language instruction wasintroduced at public boarding middle schools andhigh schools attended by outstanding students.

The volunteers started by creating curriculums,formulating lesson plans, and creating and adminis-tering standardized tests. Their efforts resulted in thecompletion of a textbook in 1989 and of supplemen-tal teaching aids in 1990, and these tools are still inuse. At around the same time, the Malaysian govern-ment embarked on a program to develop local Japa-nese language teachers. Malaysians began going toJapan for instruction in language teaching.

Between 1984 and 2001, about 100 volunteerJapanese language instructors worked at over 20 pub-lic schools in Malaysia. Their activities can be said tohave laid the foundation for the country’s efforts topromote Japanese language education. Malaysianswho have completed their studies have been workingas Japanese language instructors since 1995. Themanagement of Japanese language instruction wasgradually handed over to local teachers, and in 2001,the shift was completed as the dispatch of these vol-unteers came to an end. 11

Japanese lan-guage educationin the Maldiveshas created jobopportunities.(Photo byTakeyoshiTanuma)

Hungarians of allages have ex-pressed interest inkendo. (Photo byTakeyoshiTanuma)

Maldives and Malaysia: Years of Japanese Language Instruction Yield Successes

Laos: Enhancing nursing techniques through coordination among volunteers

JOCV nursing volunteers were first sent to Laos in1968, but a change in Laotian government policy ledto a suspension of dispatches to that country. Theywere resumed in 1992, and from that year through2005 nearly 70 JOCVs have worked in Laos in theareas of nursing, midwifery, and public health nurs-ing. Senior Volunteers (SVs) are also active in thisfield.

Many volunteers in the field observed that im-provements at provincial hospitals would not havethe desired effect unless the policies of the healthministry also changed. Consequently, a decision wasmade to send JICA experts to central governmentagencies; experienced SVs to national and other hos-pitals in the capital; and JOCVs to work at the grass-roots level in provincial nursing and healthcareschools and at regional hospitals. They cooperatedwith one another in identifying aspects needing im-provement, and volunteers were subsequently dis-patched under a program to enhance the technicallevel of nursing.

Specifically, the JOCVs at schools worked to im-prove nursing education, while those at the nursingdepartments of provincial hospitals supervised stu-dents sent there for practical experience. They also

helped improve the training of school graduates atthe hospitals. SVs, meanwhile, were involved in nurs-ing education at medical technical colleges and in thenursing departments of hospitals in the capital, liais-ing and working with the JOCVs.

Several national-level nursing seminars have beenheld with the cooperation of JICA experts, SVs, andJOCVs. These have resulted in heightened con-sciousness on the part of Laotian nursing personnel,particularly in the provinces.

Kenya: Upgrading the quality of provincial hospitals

In a city some 450 kilometers from Kenya’s capital ofNairobi is a hospital founded by an NGO where fivepublic health and nursing volunteers have beenworking since 1996.

They first created a hospital management andadministration system to enable the hospital staff tomaintain equipment, manage records, and undertakebookkeeping on their own. The kind and sinceretreatment of the patients by the volunteers was emu-lated by the staff, and this became very popular withthe patients. This further enhanced staff motivationand led to improvements in the quality of their work.

Volunteers also built up cooperative relationswith health workers in the local community andother partners, including NGOs. As a result, thenumber of people receiving vaccines and healthchecks increased, and people’s awareness of theirhealth was heightened. A revolving procurement sys-tem for essential medicines, moreover, improved thequality of medical treatment provided by visitingphysicians. This system enabled workers at localhealth posts to manage the sale and restocking ofmedicines, thus ensuring that essential medical itemswere always on hand.

Healthcare volunteers have also formed groupsto teach schoolchildren about HIV/AIDS preventionand offered health education in secondary schools incooperation with science and mathematics educationvolunteers. In addition, they have broadly under-taken activities addressing people’s daily concerns,such as hygiene education and nutrition improve-ment, to enhance health and medical services forlocal communities.

13

Laos and Kenya Coordinated Approach to Medical Cooperation

A carefully planned approach is an important element in enhancing the effectiveness of volunteer activities, the crux being to accurately grasp local needs. The efforts of nursing

volunteers are detailed below.

A nursing volun-teer and col-leagues at a pub-lic hospital innorthern Laos.(Photo by KatsumiYoshida)

Preparing for a demonstration to raise public health stand-ards at a Kenyan primary school. (Photo by Kazuhito Hattori)

Mongolia: Improving the educational environ-ment through citizen participation

Provincial school facilities in Mongolia were in a verybad state of repair, and in some cases they were dan-gerous to use. To rectify this situation, a school repairinitiative was begun in 2002 to be executed by Mon-golians together with a number of architecture volun-teers under the supervision of an experienced volun-teer, and work commenced in various parts of thecountry.

In 2004 a school repair and renovation projectwas implemented some 300 kilometers west of thecapital of Ulaanbaatar. Before the project began, aworkshop was held at the suggestion of volunteers inthe field to decide how the work should proceed withthe participation of local residents. First the localpeople prepared a broad outline of an educational ac-tion plan containing measures to improve the educa-tional environment. Decisions on which educationalactivities to improve and what to repair and renovatewere made on the basis of this action plan.

The project was funded not only with assistancefrom Japan but also with contributions from thelocal government and school budgets, as well as do-nations from the local people. It was a true “do ityourself” undertaking, as the work itself was donemainly by local residents. The volunteers providedguidance on how best to complete the work withlimited funds, such as through the use of recycledparts and materials.

Because residents were involved in all aspects ofthe project, they gained a very strong sense of owner-ship. The volunteers contributed in many differentways, such as by offering advice on maintenance, ar-ranging meetings for residents, and liaising with vari-ous relevant parties.

Technical improvements through local initiativewill encourage residents to maintain and improve theeducational environment on their own. JOCV coop-eration will continue to be offered to enable local cit-izens to achieve the sustainable maintenance of edu-cational facilities.

Morocco: Maintenance and repair of traditionalbuildings

JOCV architecture volunteers have been active inMorocco since 1970 in such areas as the construc-tion of parks, bridges, and other public facilities and the maintenance and repair of traditional buildings.

The small city of Ouarzazate in southern Mo-rocco has an outdoor theater accommodating some200 spectators. It is used for music and dance per-formances and other events in the varied cultural life of the community. The idea of building an outdoor theater initially came from an architecturevolunteer.

Morocco still has many buildings in the tradi-tional architectural style, among them being theearthen buildings within the walled kasbahs (oldquarters). However, the majority of buildings in theKasbah Taorirt in Ouarzazate were in a state of col-lapse requiring “recovery” and “resuscitation.” Recov-ery does not entail simply putting up new buildings;the key issue was how to achieve a spatial designbased on the remains of the original structures andutilize original building methods.

An idea developed by a volunteer was to use partof the site for an outdoor theater, making as muchuse of the undulating terrain as possible. Local offi-cials praised the plan, and work soon began. This ishow an outdoor theater for the citizens of Ouarzazatewas born.

1414

Mongolia and Morocco Preserving Public Facilities

The dispatch of civil engineering and architecture volunteers began some 40 years ago, and they have even helped build a road in Africa stretching for over 300 kilometers linking a national capital to an outlying district. Examples of JOCV involvement in architecture activities in Mongolia and Morocco are detailed below.

Architecture and Civil Engineering

Villagers in Mongolia held meetings and participated inworkshops to formulate a school maintenance and man-agement program.

An outdoor the-ater designed by

an architecturevolunteer. (Photo

by Kenichi Suzuki)

Honduras: Archaeological site turned into a parkafter excavation

Due to a shortage of funds and human resources,Honduras’s archaeological heritage—including thatof the Maya civilization—was in danger of disappear-ing. An archaeological project was thus initiated inthe district of La Entrada in 1984, and a team of vol-unteers was established under the leadership of an ex-perienced volunteer with an archaeological back-ground. Among the team members were specialists inarchaeology (including physical anthropology andecological anthropology), geology, botany, landscapearchitecture, afforestation, systems engineering, andaudiovisual education.

The project spanned some 10 years. El Puente—one of the many ancient relics in the region—wasdesignated a national historical site by the Honduranpresident. Intensive excavation and restoration workwas carried out during the latter half of the project,and the site was developed into the second archaeo-logical park in the country.

Archaeological surveys in Honduras have usuallybeen carried out by foreign researchers who wrote upthe survey results in English after returning home.The JOCVs, meanwhile, adopted an approach thatensured that the results would remain in the country;through a collaborative effort between the volunteersand their Honduran counterparts, analysis of the ex-cavation findings was carried out locally, and the re-sults were published in Spanish, the country’s officiallanguage. Know-how relating to survey techniques,such as site measurement and production of draw-ings, was transferred to Hondurans working in thisfield.

In addition to carrying out survey activities, theJOCVs also addressed the need to raise local aware-ness of the relics. Residents had not really thought ofthem as “cultural properties,” and the sites were oftendestroyed by land development, farming, or theft.Volunteers thus organized lectures and archaeologicalexhibitions to promote the concept of cultural prop-erty protection.

Gradually, people’s interest in the cultural her-itage of their ancestors grew stronger, and they beganactively donating stone tools, pots, stone sculptures,and other artifacts they had found to the archaeologi-cal museum in La Entrada, set up with JOCV help.People now also consult with the archaeological proj-ect team before carrying out construction work in thevicinity of the historical remains to prevent the re-mains from becoming damaged. The perception hasspread that the country’s cultural heritage belongs tothe people in common.

Micronesia: Recording and transmitting folkloricheritage

Since 1991 three archaeology volunteers have beensent to the Federated States of Micronesia. A mu-seum set up by JOCVs in cooperation with local resi-

dents served as the base for their cultural educationactivities.

They carried out surveys of fast-disappearing tra-ditional cultures, recording them in both video andwritten form. They also helped spread knowledge oflocal legends and history among the younger genera-tion by creating picture-card storytelling and book-lets based on these legends.

Traditional culture in Micronesia has mainlybeen transmitted orally—only rarely were writtenrecords made. In this light, it can be said that the vol-unteers’ work was significant in giving a strong impe-tus to the handing down of the region’s culture to fu-ture generations.

15

Honduras, Micronesia, and Bhutan Conservation of Historical Heritage

JOCV activities aimed at preserving cultural properties have aroused local people’s interest in cultural artifacts and raised awareness that the relics they live near to are part of the common cultural heritage of

humankind. JOCV projects in Honduras, Micronesia, and Bhutan are detailed below.

Cultural Properties Protection

The PunakhaDzong that JOCVshelped restore. Topreserve traditionalfeatures, theirrestoration and re-building activitiesincluded produc-ing a record of theproject and givingguidance on build-ing methods thatleave the originalstructure intact.(Photo byKazuyoshiNomachi)

Restoring aMayan relic inHonduras.

Conducting a survey of local residents in Micronesia.

Bhutan: Protecting historical buildings

There are many traditional buildings in Bhutan, in-cluding fortresses called dzong. Architecture andbuilding construction volunteers have been helpingrepair and rebuild these structures for over a decade.

Costa Rica: Extending cooperation throughoutLatin America

The first two physical therapy JOCVs to Costa Ricawere dispatched in 1979. Since then, nearly 40 vol-unteers have been working in the fields of occupa-tional therapy, bamboo craft, nursing of people withdisabilities, and social work to promote the socialwelfare of disabled and elderly people in that coun-try. Initially they worked in the cities, but after sev-eral years they began working mainly at provincialhospitals, expanding their activities to include nurs-

ing schools, rehabilitation centers, and homes for eld-erly people.

In 2001 the results of an evaluation study con-ducted by a JOCV technical advisor showed clearlythat 20 years of steady efforts by the volunteers hadmade the Costa Rican government aware of the im-portance of rehabilitation. Also, the chairman of alocal association of nursing homes gave the JOCVshigh marks for their kindness to elderly people andreported that local workers were following their ex-ample. The study also revealed a weakness in team-work and coordination among various Costa Ricansectors and organizations.

The following year, in response to these findings,JOCVs helped prepare a seminar on teamwork as arehabilitation strategy. The seminar drew over 90participants, including rehabilitation doctors, physi-cal therapists, occupational therapists, and socialworkers. Japanese participants included not only lec-turers but also three former volunteers stationed inCosta Rica. Also among the participants were physi-cal therapy and occupational therapy volunteersalong with their counterparts from the DominicanRepublic. This brief seminar made a strong impact,and it is now held annually.

The number of participating countries has growneach year, elevating rehabilitation standards in CostaRica and many other Latin American countries.

El Salvador and Syria: Using wheelchair sports toenhance the standing of people with disabilities

A volunteer was assigned to a wheelchair sports asso-ciation in El Salvador in 1996. Efforts to improvecompetitiveness and to establish awareness of thevalue of wheelchair athletics as lifetime sports haveresulted in the development of players capable ofcompeting in international tournaments. Sports forpeople with disabilities help them maintain theirhealth, foster social ties, and improve their standingin society. The activities of physical education volun-teers led to the formation of a female team, in turnincreasing the population of competitors. The num-ber of wheelchair sports for which JOCVs are offer-ing guidance has increased, and volunteers have alsobegun coaching the visually impaired. The volunteersare currently working on improvements in trainingmethods and nutrition.

JOCVs have been at the forefront of efforts topromote wheelchair sports in the Middle East as well.Five volunteers have been working in Jordan since1987, and nine have been working in Syria since1990. Physical education volunteers have been dis-patched to the Sports Association for the Disabled inSyria for 10 years with the objective of expandingparticipation among the disabled and increasing pub-lic awareness of people with disabilities.

The volunteers initially focused their efforts onbasketball, which is popular in Syria. Their effortshave paid off over time, as teams were formed in vari-ous parts of the country, and local coaches have de-

veloped. The volunteers extended this success toother sports, including volleyball, hockey, physicaleducation, and swimming. In 1995 six Syrian ath-letes and a JOCV member participated in a tourna-ment in the United States for people with cognitivedisabilities. This tournament was televised in Syria,and the appearance of the athletes and the volunteersparked an increase in the number of competitors,coaches, Syrian volunteers, and spectators.

1616

Expanding Support for Rehabilitation

Rehabilitation seeks to restore the right to quality of life among people with disabilities, but establishing support takes many years. Seeds sown 25 years ago in Costa Rica have now spread throughout Latin America.

Independence of People with Disabilities

A volunteer speaks with a resident of a Costa Rican nursinghome. (Photo by Tsunemitsu Kato)

El Salvador athletes have

competed at inter-national wheel-

chair track events.(Photo by Yoshi-

hisa Yamada)

Supporting vehicle maintenance efforts in various ways

Since 1966 over a thousand automobile maintenancevolunteers have been dispatched around the world,and they have helped transfer maintenance and oper-ation technologies to developing countries in varioussettings.

The first two such volunteers were dispatched tothe Indian Ministry of Surface Transport. In Tanza-nia and Nepal they worked with employees of a pub-lic bus company, and in Malawi they provided sup-port to the vehicle maintenance department of a cityoffice. Their concerns were to ensure the safety ofbuses, which are the most popular forms of publictransportation in many developing countries. The

volunteers worked withlocal mechanics to con-duct repairs, a processthrough which they wereable to pass on their skillsand knowledge.

In 1970 volunteerswere sent to a technicalcollege in Malaysia, andsince then they have pri-marily been dispatched toteach at vocationalschools. Many are still ac-tive in different coun-tries, where they havehelped to enhance theemployment opportuni-

ties of the students that have acquired auto mainte-nance skills. Conditions and maintenance skills varywidely from one country to another, though, and atmany public facilities, shop tools and textbooks tendto be quite old. Volunteers and their colleagues havetherefore had a challenging task teaching students thelatest automotive technology. In recent years, effortshave been made to address pollution problems, suchas the emission of noxious gases from poorly mainte-nanced vehicles and disposal of waste oils.

In addition to public transportation facilities andvocational schools, automobile maintenance volun-teers have been sent to work at national parks andwildlife services in Tanzania, Zambia, and Kenya. InKenya, whose national parks are particularly vast,close to 30 volunteers have been active in these parksand in the Kenya Wildlife Service, servicing vehiclesfor surveying and patrolling the parks and traininglocal mechanics.

Dominican Republic: Improving quality control

Many volunteers are active in vocational training

centers. In countries with few job opportunities evenfor skilled applicants, some volunteers have workedtirelessly to help students find employment. Today,small-scale financing is available for students whowish to start their own businesses using the skills theyhave acquired, and activities have been undertaken tostrengthen coordination with the industries in whichthe students will be working.

In the Dominican Republic, 18 volunteers havebeen involved in vocational training since 1986.These volunteers were initially involved in automo-bile maintenance and later provided guidance inbasic industrial fields, helping to not only developtext materials but also establish vocational trainingmethods with an emphasis on hands-on training.From 1997, moreover, 21 Senior Volunteers (SVs) inlabor safety and health, electronic engineering, andquality control have been dispatched to provide co-operation that makes use of their expert skills.Thanks to many years of such activity, the nationalinstitute for technical and professional training ob-tained ISO 9001:2000 certification for quality man-agement. Promoting orderliness and neatness in thetraining room has heightened awareness of qualityimprovement.

In the areas of vocational training and technicaleducation, there are plans to strategically coordinatethe dispatch of JOCVs and SVs to the DominicanRepublic and Zambia.

In step with evolving computer technology

The first group of computer technology volunteerswas dispatched to Ethiopia in 1973. Since the late1980s, these volunteers have been sent to many othercountries around the world, and their total to datenow exceeds 1,000. Most of the early volunteers wereeither dispatched to government ministries for systemdevelopment or taught at the university level. Fromaround the latter half of the 1990s volunteers alsocame to be assigned to vocational training schools.Today, due to the spread of personal computers,their activities vary widely from teaching secondaryschool students and providing vocational training forpeople with disabilities to building systems for cen-tral government offices.

Information technology is progressing remark-ably in countries where the volunteers are at work,and many countries have developed software for theirnative languages. Due partly to a shortage of techni-cians, however, people in many countries are not ableto take full advantage of these technological ad-vances. As the digital divide widens, computer tech-nology volunteers are increasingly being looked uponas pivotal figures in helping these countries close thegap.

17

Sharing Japan’s Technical Expertise

The various skills honed by Japanese workers were a key factor behind the country’s postwar growth, and those skills have been shared with many developing countries through vocational-training and technical-education

programs. The following are case studies involving automobile maintenance and other volunteers.

Vocational Training

An automobilemaintenance vol-unteer works at arehabilitation cen-ter in Kenya. Asuspended courseon auto mechan-ics was revived bythe volunteer, ex-panding opportu-nities for the boys’social reintegra-tion. (Photo byKatsumi Yoshida)

1818

Strengthening Friendship Ties

Just as JOCVs gain an understanding of people living in their assigned regions, local people’s understanding of what life is like in Japan is deepened through the volunteers. Such grassroots exchange fosters friendship and mutual understanding between developing countries and Japan.

Mutual Understanding

NPOs and NGOs established byformer JOCVs

Many JOCVs continue their activitiesto broaden friendship and promotemutual understanding with people in developing countries even after the conclusion of their assignments.The following are just a few exam-ples.

Development Education ActionGroupIn the 1980s the group produced OurGlobal Friends, a groundbreaking workin the field of development education.This series of teaching materials focuseson children from around the world andtheir lifestyles; it has been revised andis still in widespread use. (Representa-tive: Kaori Usui, fine arts volunteer dis-patched to El Salvador in 1975)

AJA FoundationThis foundation awards scholarships toelementary and secondary school stu-dents in Ghana. It is also working topromote literacy education for childrenwho do not have the opportunity to at-tend school and to promote fair tradeof traditional handicrafts. (Representa-tive: Yuko Asahina, science and mathe-

matics education volunteer dispatchedto Ghana in 1987 and representative ofthe Toyama International EducationStudy Group; Secretary-General:Makoto Jomura, science and mathe-matics education volunteer dispatchedto Ghana in 1987)

Japan Bangladesh Cultural ExchangeAssociationThis organization is engaged in humanresources development in Japan andBangladesh and supports the self-helpefforts of people in Bangladesh to im-prove their lives. (Representative:Shinji Magami, animal husbandry vol-unteer dispatched to Bangladesh in1984; Director of Head Office: MiekoMagami, home arts volunteer dis-patched to Bangladesh in 1983)

Asia Pacific Sustainable DevelopmentThis organization was founded to sup-port post-conflict recovery efforts inthe Solomon Islands. It carries outprojects to promote recycling-intensiveorganic farming in Papua New Guineaand the Solomon Islands and conductsenvironmental education in Japan.(Representative: Kenji Ito, audiovisualeducation volunteer dispatched to theSolomon Islands in 1993)

Japan Overseas Cooperative Asso-ciation (JOCA)Founded in 1983 under the leadershipof volunteers returning to Japan, JOCAseeks to return to society the interna-tional cooperation experience thatJOCVs accumulate in developing coun-tries. It supports the activities of itsmembers, which include local JOCValumni associations and other organiza-tions for returnees grouped accordingto host country or dispatch category.

JOCV-supported scholarship pro-grams

Many volunteers and former volunteershave established scholarship programsfor students in their host countries whowould have been forced to leave schoolwithout financial assistance. One ex-ample is the Kenya Students’ Educa-tional Scholarship (KESTES), launchedin 1983 by volunteers who had beenassisting with school expenses on an in-dividual basis. KESTES offers scholar-ships, engages in fund raising, and is-sues public relations bulletins. Over400 Kenyan students have thus far re-ceived KESTES scholarships.

There are many other similar organ-izations established by former JOCVsthat provide scholarships to students.

Colleagues and trainees who have become leaders in their respective fields

Alfredo CristianiFormer president, El Salvador“When I was young, I learned vol-leyball and sportsmanship fromJOCV volunteers. It’s because ofMr. Omine* that I am where I amtoday.” (Photo shows Cristiani,right, with the chairman of thewheelchair sports association) (*Ya-suhiro Omine, volleyball volunteerdispatched to El Salvador in 1971)

Lucky MhangoProfessor, Kamuzu College of Nurs-ing, University of Malawi“When I was a nurse and midwife at a hos-pital in the provinces, I learned a lot from avolunteer named Midori Nishioka.* Andwith her recommendation, I was able to gettraining in Japan, and I’m now teaching inMalawi the things I learned there.” (*MidoriNishioka, midwifery volunteer dispatchedto Malawi in 1988)

Khashbaatar TsagaanbaatarJudo athlete, Mongolia“Thanks to Mr. Hotta,* I was able towin a bronze medal (Mongolia’sonly medal) at the Athens Olympics.This medal is steeped in the sweatand effort of my teacher.” (*AtsushiHotta, judo volunteer dispatched toMongolia in 2002)

Panganayi MlamboLecturer, Rio Tinto AgriculturalCollege, Zimbabwe“I use the teaching methods of Mr. No-naka,* who was my teacher, to guideme in preparing lectures that are easyfor students to understand.” (*HiroyukiNonaka, agricultural machinery volunteerdispatched to Zimbabwe in 1997)

19

Drawing on the JOCV Experience

JOCV volunteers have a saying: “It’s after returning to Japan that you really start being a volunteer.” True to this saying, JOCV volunteers feel it is important to share their field experiences with Japanese

society and with the international community. Following are just a sampling of such efforts.

Giving Back to Society

Making a difference in the classroom

Many teachers who become JOCVssend information and photos of chil-dren in their host countries to theirstudents in Japan, along with artworkdone by those children. By so doing,the volunteers are sowing seeds of in-ternational understanding in Japan.Teachers who have experienced the di-versity of developing countries have ahigh impact in Japan after they comeback, and the school boards of manycities regard such experience as a meansof elevating the caliber of the teachers.

Over 1,600 volunteers have en-tered or reentered the education profes-sion after returning to Japan.

A multifaceted approach to development education

Returnees play an active role in JICA’sdevelopment education activities inorder to foster understanding of inter-national cooperation. Some returneesare involved in conducting nationalmeetings on development educationheld annually by the Supporting Orga-nization of JOCV. Many returnees arealso working through the nonprofitDevelopment Education Association

and Resource Center (DEAR) to con-duct research, develop educational ma-terials, and create information-sharingnetworks and study forums for devel-opment education. One is YoshihitoKinoshita, a computer engineering vol-unteer sent to Sri Lanka in 1988, whohas established the Kanagawa Develop-ment Education Center to carry outdevelopment education on the locallevel.

Starting a farming career

Toru Onodera, an automotive mainte-nance volunteer dispatched to Kenya in1994, currently operates an organicfarm. After coming into contact withthe wildlife and nature of Kenya, Ono-dera realized that agriculture was thefoundation of life and decided to start

farming when he returned to Japan. Hestudied agriculture and is now also sup-porting people who want to becomeJOCV agriculture volunteers.

Launch pad for creative activities

Hiroshi Fuji, who served as a fine artsvolunteer in Papua New Guinea from1986, now takes everyday articles thathave fallen into disuse or been dis-carded and turns them into avant-gardeart objects. He is also known for hisplanning and production endeavorsthat transcend categories, including en-vironmental education events in vari-ous parts of Japan. The starting pointfor his creative pursuits was his experi-ence as a volunteer. “Things that ap-pear commonplace at first glance,” saysFuji, “can take on an unexpectedlywonderful quality.”

Offering medical services wherethere are no doctors

After serving as an animal husbandryvolunteer in the Philippines from1979, Kenichiro Ogura decided to helppeople by becoming a doctor, and heenrolled in a national medical college.He was working at a hospital in HyogoPrefecture when the Kobe earthquakestruck in 1995; this experience broughthim into contact with an NGO calledthe Association of Medical Doctors ofAsia (AMDA). He works overseas as an

AMDA doctor and a member of aJapan Disaster Relief Team and is alsoserving as a physician on isolated is-lands south of Tokyo.

Addressing literacy in Japan byteaching night school

For the past 17 years, since the year afterreturning to Japan from Nepal (wherehe was dispatched in 1984 as a scienceand mathematics education volunteer),Jiro Kobi has been working at publicnight schools for secondary school stu-dents. His students range in age fromtheir teens through their eighties, andcountries of origin and academic back-grounds vary widely. In addition to thesubjects covered by the curriculum,they are also studying the Japanese lan-guage. Kobi plans to compile and pub-lish an account of this experience.

Ongoing cooperation for peoplewith disabilities

Aki Hirano, dispatched to Paraguay in1993, had been involved in educatingchildren with disabilities before she leftfor her overseas assignment. In Para-guay she encountered many childrenwith disabilities who were living athome. This gave her a keen awarenessof the need for a medical approach. Sheentered night school to study occupa-tional therapy, and is now working inthis profession at a hospital. She treatsmental-health patients who range inage from adolescents to the elderly.

Working as an international cooperation professional

After returning to Japan, many volun-teers continue their involvement in in-ternational cooperation by going towork for JICA or other internationalorganizations, NGOs, and consultingfirms. Harumi Sakaguchi, dispatchedto Malaysia in 1972 as a Japanese lan-guage instructor, was one of the firstreturnees to become an internationalcivil servant, joining the UN Develop-ment Programme (UNDP) in 1978. Inaddition to working at the head officeof the UN Volunteer (UNV) program,he has also served in developing coun-tries like Afghanistan.

Our Global Friends textbooks developed byformer volunteers.

Working on an organic farm.

2020

Reference

0

300

600

900

1,200

1,500

Total number

486(incl. 66 women)

Total number

2,650(incl. 1,500 women)

5 17 32 55 76

1965 1970 1975 1980 1985 1990 1995 2000 2004 (Fiscal year)

Number of JOCVs Dispatched by Year

Categories of Active JOCVs

(Number)

Eastern Europe

Middle East

Oceania

Latin America/Caribbean

Africa

Asia

Agriculture, forestry and fishery16.0%

Manufacturing 1.4%

Maintenance and operation 3.3%

Civil engineering and architecture2.2%

Health and welfare18.5%

Education and information services

44.9%

Sports6.5%

Other 7.2%

Manufacturing2.7%

Maintenance and operation23.2%

Civil engineeringand architecture

11.1%

Health and welfare

7.2%

Education and information

services9.1%

Sports8.8%

Other 3.7%

Agriculture, forestry and fishery34.2%

Cumulative total(as of August 1, 2005)

1. Vegetable growing2. Automobile maintenance3. Surveying4. Nursing5. Rice culture

August 1975 August 2005

Top 5 Dispatch Categories

1. Rural community development2. Science and mathematics education3. Primary school education4. Computer technology5. Japanese language instructor

Top 5 Dispatch Categories

27,521 (incl. 10,916 women)

(No. of countries dispatched)

Note: JOCVs include regular and short-term volunteers and coordinators.

30 yearslater

21

Year JICA Volunteer Activities Major World Events / Events in Japan

1954 Japan joins the Colombo Plan (initiates techni-cal cooperation)

1955 Asian-African Conference (Bandung Confer-ence) held

1956 Japan joins the United Nations

1961 Peace Corps established in the US

1962 Overseas Technical Cooperation Agency (OTCA) established

1964 Japan formally joins the Organization for Eco-nomic Cooperation and Development (OECD)

1965 Japan Overseas Cooperation Volunteers (JOCV) program launched (Apr. 20); first JOCVs dispatched to Laos (Dec. 24)

1968 JOCV Secretariat transferred to Hiroo; Hiroo Training Center opened

1969 JOCV dispatch agreement signed with 10th country

1971 JOCV alumni posted to Yemen as first UNV UN Volunteers (UNV) launched

1973 Acceptance of JOCV counterparts for training in Japan begins

1974 Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) founded; JOCV dispatch agreement signed with 20th country

1976 Supporting Organization of JOCV established

1979 Komagane Training Center opened

1980 JOCV dispatch agreement signed with 30th country

1982 JICA participates in Ex-Volunteers International (EVI) conference for first time

1983 Japan Overseas Cooperative Association established

1985 JICA hosts EVI conference

1986 JOCV dispatch agreement signed with 40th country

1989 JOCV dispatch agreement signed with 50th country Malta Summit (Cold War ends)

1990 JICA begins Senior Volunteers dispatch activities UN Development Programme (UNDP) issues first Human Development Report; Japan com-pletes repayment of World Bank loans

1992 JOCV dispatch agreement signed with 60th country UN Conference on Environment and Develop-ment (“Earth Summit”) held; ODA Charter is an-nounced

1994 Nihonmatsu Training Center opened

1995 Hanshin-Awaji (Kobe) Earthquake

1996 Japan Overseas Development Youth Volunteers and Senior Conference of International Volunteer Sending Volunteers for Overseas Japanese Communities begin activities Organizations (IVSO) held in the U