Over past years, the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) has played an important role in strengthening and furthering relations between Japan and Laos thanks to the services provided by Japanese volunteers.

Japanese volunteers bid farewell to the Deputy Director General of the Department of International Cooperation, Mrs Saymonekham Mangnomek.

Five of these volunteers recently bid a fond farewell to their hosts at their respective line ministries on the completion of two-year postings and assignments in Laos.

According to the JICA Laos Office, the five volunteers, comprising four Japan Overseas Cooperation Volunteers (JOCVs) and a senior volunteer, returned to Japan on March 19.

The volunteers, led by JICA Laos Office senior representative Mr Noriyuki Ito, were warmly wel-comed on March 14 by the Deputy Director General of the Department of International Cooperation at the Ministry of Planning and Investment, Mrs Saymonekham Mangnomek.

Mrs Saymonekham said the JICA Volunteers had played an important role in the national and socio-economic development of Laos.

“Japan’s volunteers and their counterparts in Laos have strengthened and further developed the re-lations and cooperation between our two countries,” she said.

The volunteers thanked all of their counterparts, colleagues and the Lao government for their sup-port and cooperation, which had enabled the successful completion of their assignments. 

The volunteers took turns introducing themselves and gave a short briefing on their contributions to their respective sectors.

One was hosted by the Ministry of Education and Sports, assigned to the Faculty of Education, while another was based at the National University of Laos in the field of Environmental Education, in the School of Health.

A third volunteer was engaged in science education at Pakxe Teacher Training College in Champassak province, while another worked with the Vocational School for the Disabled in Sikeud village, Nax-aithong district, Vientiane, developing welfare and education for persons with disabilities.

In addition, a senior volunteer was assigned to the Lao National Museum, under the Ministry of In-formation, Culture and Tourism, in the field of museology.

The five volunteers briefly reported on their activities over the past two years, saying that together with their Lao counterparts at the grassroots level they had experienced various conditions and the daily lifestyle of their host communities.

Following the return of the group to Japan, 19 volunteers including two senior volunteers remain in Laos, collaborating with their counterparts on a face-to-face basis in Vientiane and the provinces of Luang Prabang, Savannakhet and Vientiane.

Source: VientianeTimes