Zim-Japan deepen bilateral ties through education exchanges

Herald Report

The Japanese government, through Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), has dispatched five more experts, with another batch of seven due to arrive next year to provide technical assistance in the country’s key sectors, including education.

Since the signing of the higher education partnership agreement in 1988 between the governments of Zimbabwe and Japan, the Japan Overseas Cooperation Volunteers (JOCVs) programme, has deployed at least 550 experts to Zimbabwe. 

Speaking on the sidelines of a clean-up campaign that was held yesterday in Harare’s Avondale suburb to mark International Volunteers Day, JICA Volunteer Coordinator, Ms Akiyo Yamauchi said five more volunteers were deployed to provide technical assistance in the field of tourism, sport and marketing.

“Currently, we have 12 volunteers offering technical support at various institutions after the arrival of five more this year in October and we are expecting seven more volunteers to arrive next year,” she said.

In solidarity with the volunteerism campaign and in line with this year’s theme, “If Everyone Did,” the Japanese volunteers seized the opportunity to join the cholera fight which has already claimed lives.

“To help in the fight of cholera, which advocates for practicing and maintaining good hygiene and disposal of waste in designated places, we decided to do a clean-up campaign to mark International Volunteers Day commemorated on the 5th of December,” Ms Yamauchi said.

Mutare-based JICA volunteer baseball coach, Yuya Yamaguchi said: “I am happy to be a part of this event today because cleaning up is something that I encourage, even to the youth that I teach baseball in Mutare.

“We cleaned the baseball field and surrounding areas, not just to uphold cleanliness in the area, but to foster a lifestyle of cleanliness on a personal level, in their households, and their communities.”

International Volunteer Day serves as an occasion for communities to acknowledge, celebrate, and express appreciation for the invaluable work of volunteers.