On September 1, the JICA Volunteer Activity Presentation Program was held at the PCC Assembly Hall. This event is held twice a year to deepen the understanding of the Palauan government and the Palauan people about the activities of JICA volunteers. On the day of the event, seven volunteers in the fields of primary education and environmental education presented their activities to an audience of about 50 people, including His Excellency ORIKASA Hiroyuki, Ambassador of Japan to Palau, key Palauan government officials, and JICA volunteers’ host families. Questions and comments were actively raised by the audience, providing a good opportunity for both Palauan and Japanese in attendees to reaffirm the importance of JICA Volunteer Program.
At the beginning of the meeting, Ambassador Orikasa remarked that the activities of JICA volunteers have become the foundation of friendship between the local Palauan community and the Japanese people, and it is a very successful project admired by the Palauan people, including President Whipps. He also stressed that the success was not achieved overnight, but through the diligent work of JICA volunteers at the grassroots level, working in cooperation with the Palauan people, and the accumulation of small steps. Mr. Kobayashi Ryutaro, Chief Representative of JICA Palau Office, mentioned that JICA currently has 25 active volunteers and expects to have more than 30 volunteers next year. He said that he would like to continue his efforts to strengthen the cooperation and deepen mutual understanding between Japan and Palau through the JICA Volunteer Program.