On July 12, representatives of JICA’s Japan Overseas Cooperation Volunteers (JOCV and NOCV) received Their Majesties the Emperor and Empress at the Imperial Palace to report on their activities in their home countries. The meeting between the JOCV and Their Majesties the Emperor and Empress has continued since the Japan Overseas Cooperation Volunteers (JOCV) was established in 1965.
The JICA Overseas Cooperation Volunteers who returned to Japan this time were affected by the global spread of the new coronavirus infection and were forced to return to Japan temporarily, but during the waiting period in Japan, they engaged in online support activities and capacity building in the field and applied these activities when they returned to the field. The team overcame the corona disaster to engage in activities in the countries to which they were dispatched.
Their Majesties were met this time by two Overseas Cooperation Volunteers who had been dispatched to countries in Asia, Europe, and Latin America, and one member of the Japanese American Community Overseas Cooperation Volunteers. Prior to the meeting, the two met with JICA President Akihiko Tanaka at JICA Headquarters (Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo).
Front row, from left: Mr. Matsumura, Chairman Tanaka, Mr. Nishinaka
Back row, from left: Mr. Otsuka, Director General, Mr. Miyazaki, Mr. Onishi, and Ms. Tachibana, Secretary General, Japan Overseas Cooperation Volunteers (JOCV)
Japanese teaching experience in Malaysian education
Mr. Hiroshi Onishi (dispatched to Malaysia, occupation: science education, age 63, from Hyogo Prefecture) was assigned to the Science and Mathematics Education Center on the island of Penang, located about two hours by plane and car from the capital Kuala Lumpur. His main activities include: (1) introducing Japanese science education to foreign teachers and other instructors, (2) conducting class research with other teachers and conducting workshops for trainees, and (3) providing advice on the training curriculum, developing teaching materials, and producing videos. During his temporary return to Japan, he provided remote support from Japan and produced 41 science experiment videos by the end of his tenure, contributing to the improvement of science teachers’ skills in a form that can be used by others after he leaves his post.
Trying an experiment to check atmospheric pressure with students.
Working to promote understanding of employment for people with disabilities in Serbia
Ms. Junko Nishinaka (dispatched to Serbia, occupation: support for children and persons with disabilities, age 70, from Fukuoka Prefecture) was assigned to the NGO Association for Developmental Disabilities in the capital Belgrade / Nasa Kucha (My Home), where she worked to support the independence of adult mentally disabled persons. The main activities were (1) employment support for the intellectually disabled, (2) proposing and providing work that would improve their income, and (3) understanding and raising awareness of people with disabilities. Due to the spread of corona infection, she herself had to return to Japan temporarily for a long period of time, but she continued to learn Serbian in Japan to prepare for her reassignment. After her reassignment, she expanded her activities to include lectures in Japanese on understanding people with disabilities for students majoring in Japanese at the National University of Belgrade, which were highly praised by her employer and other concerned parties.
Confirming ingredients and amounts for baking cookies using picture cards at the company’s assignment site.
Working to Pass on Japanese Language Education and Build a Bridge between Paraguay and Japan
Ms. Taeko Matsumura (dispatched to Paraguay, occupation: Japanese language education, age 71, from Gunma Prefecture) was assigned to the Encarnacion Japanese Association in Encarnacion, located 6 hours southeast of the capital by car, and worked to improve the school management system at the Japanese language school run by the Association. My main activities included (1) understanding the Japanese language ability of the students, (2) managing the non-Japanese language class, and (3) preparing for the Japanese Language Proficiency Test. We raised issues regarding local problems and the future role of the Japanese language in the Nikkei community, and through a process of trial and error, promoted activities in the local community. In particular, we contributed to the development and expansion of Japanese language classes for non-Japanese Paraguayans. When I temporarily returned to Japan due to the spread of coronavirus infection, I continued my activities by actively participating in online classes with the local community.
Japanese language classes for non-Japanese Paraguayans
After the discussion, one participant commented, “Their Majesties listened to my report with nodding and smiling from beginning to end. I was moved by Their Majesties’ thoughtfulness. All of the participants were asked about what they liked about being a member of the Japan Overseas Cooperation Volunteers. They were deeply interested in the activities of the cooperative corps and asked a wide range of questions. We received such comments as “I was deeply interested in the activities of the cooperative corps and asked them a wide range of questions.
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