KATHMANDU, Aug 23: JICA-Nepal has announced the arrival of nine new volunteers who are joining their team in Nepal. This fresh cohort of dedicated individuals brings a wealth of diverse expertise and vibrant energy, poised to make a significant impact across various communities.

JICA-Nepal in a statement said their arrival heralds the launch of innovative projects designed to promote sustainable development and enrich local lives through collaboration and dedicated service.

To celebrate this milestone, JICA-Nepal hosted a special introduction ceremony titled “Embracing New Partnerships: Welcoming JICA Volunteers in Nepal 2024” on Friday. The event was attended by more than 50 participants comprising key government representatives, partners from other international volunteer organizations, and media friends. This gathering underscored the collaborative spirit of the program and highlighted the commitment of all stakeholders involved.

The new volunteers will be deployed across a range of sectors, including agriculture, traffic safety, health advisory and education. Each volunteer brings unique skills and perspectives that will contribute to addressing local needs and fostering sustainable development. Their efforts are expected to drive positive change and strengthen partnerships with Nepalese counterparts.

Commemorating the occasion, the newly appointed Chief Representative of JICA Nepal Matsuzaki Mizuki stated, “Amongst the 17 goals of SDGs, each JICA volunteer is working in Nepal to achieve one or few of its targets. As per the SDG motto ‘No One Left behind’, our volunteers work at the grassroot level with local people, which is the most significant advantage of this program. Simultaneously, the programs biggest achievement so far is facilitating the friendship and partnership between Japan and Nepal. By introducing our new volunteers today, we hope to contribute more for the development of Nepal”.

“I am incredibly excited and honored to join the JICA Volunteer Program in Nepal. Over the next two years, I am committed to applying my skills and making a meaningful contribution. I also look forward to learning extensively from this experience, which I hope to bring back to Japan and share with others,” expressed one of the enthusiastic Japanese volunteers,” he further said.

JICA volunteer program founded in 1965 allows Japanese volunteers to work with the local people to contribute to the country’s socioeconomic development, making effective use of their abilities and experiences. The volunteers live among the local people of the country to which they are dispatched to and pursue their activities enabling them to ascertain development needs from the viewpoint of those living there as well as promote mutual understanding and friendship between Nepal and Japan.  

The first JICA volunteers came to Nepal in September 1970. Since then, their activities have diversified in various sectors and sub-sectors which includes agriculture, health, education, forestry and fisheries, repair operations, civil engineering, sanitation, sports, and culture, as well as planning and administration. JICA volunteer program in Nepal is dedicated to the sharing of resources and technology at the grass-root level for Nepal’s nation building endeavor through the ‘Learning by Doing’ approach. 

JICA's JOCV program was temporarily halted in 2020 due to COVID-19 but resumed after a gap of 3 years in July 2023 last year.  Altogether 1,449 Volunteers (JOCV and SV) have contributed to Nepal's development in the last 53 years, according to JICA-Nepal.