PRESS RELEASE - Her Excellency Dame Pearlette Louisy hosted six volunteers and 3 members of staff of Japan International Cooperation Agency/Japan Overseas Cooperation Volunteers (JICA/JOCV) St. Lucia this Thursday, 4th December 2014.
The meeting was an auspicious event for the agency which is now responsible for JOCV volunteer activities in St. Lucia, Dominica and St. Vincent and the Grenadines.
Furthermore, this year is designated as Japan/CARICOM Friendship Year 2014. Next year 2015 will be the twentieth anniversary of the commencement of JOCV activities in St. Lucia.
Mr. IKETetsuhiro, Resident Representative of JICA/JOCV St. Lucia, informed Her Excellency of the Agency’s capacity of Grant Aid and co-operation with current priority areas of assistance for St. Lucia as well as volunteer activities.
All of the volunteers now serving are based in largely youth related activities.Although the majority arrived in October, at least two volunteers have been working for the past three months, doing Youth Activities in the Upton Gardens Girls Centre and at the St. Lucia Red Cross.
The remaining four volunteers are lending their expertise to the Ministry of Education in the districts of Gros Islet and Choiseul, where two volunteers teach Music to primary and secondary school students.
Two more volunteersare involved inCommunity Development activities at the request of the Ministry of Social Transformation and the Saint Lucia Blind Welfare Association.
Education and social welfare were evidently topics near to Her Excellency’s heart, and she questioned the volunteers and gave sound advice on how they could improve their programmes to have maximum impact.
The volunteers enjoyed chatting with Her Excellency who was a gracious and charming host.
The aim of the JICA/JOCV St. Lucia office is to provide Japanese bi-lateral assistance under Japan’s Official Development Assistance in the form of Technical Cooperation, Grant Aid and loan assistance to further the development goals of the host countries.
The year 2014 is designated Japan-CARICOM Friendship Year, in which Japan and CARICOM countries enhance their relationship in diverse fields such as culture, trade and tourism.
Throughout 2014, commemorative events have been held in Japan and CARICOM member states.
