Together, let us move forward!

MATSUMOTO Hitoshi, Chief Representative, JICA Mexico
YAMAGUCHI Naotaka, Chief Representative, JICA Guatemala

The COVID-19 is giving us a very hard time, not only in Japan, but throughout the world.

The Latin American countries are not an exception, some countries were forced to close down the borders for months or had to make everyone strictly stay-at-home, nonetheless the spread of the infection is not stopping.

For example, Mexico, having the similar number of population as Japan, recently has been confirming approximately 20,000 new infected persons daily. The total of the infection in Mexico is 5 times that of Japan, and more than 30 times of number of deaths are reported compared to Japan. In fact, more deaths are caused by diseases other than the COVID-19 but it is apparent that this new disease is effecting all of the other medical settings tightening the whole situation.

Throughout Latin America, everybody is making effort, every day, seeking for a new lifestyle in order to survive, while trying to prevent infection, under the situation, no matter the scale, of restricted economical activities.

In such situation when we feel very stressed and frustrated with the coronavirus pandemic, or rather because of being in such situation, it is important that we, the Latin American countries and Japan unite and cooperate even more, and thus the staff of JICA local members working in Latin America have decided to give out a message together.

Here, we are presenting a video of messages collected from members of local JICA offices in several Latin American countries. It was made under the initiative of the staff themselves (not by the orders from us, the management side) with the aim of encouraging everyone, such as government officials who are counterparts of our cooperation; ex-trainees who participated in training in Japan and neighboring countries; residents who are beneficiaries of our cooperation; and host families of Japan Overseas Cooperation Volunteers, also including the makers of the video themselves, to face the hardships together.

JICA has been putting great effort in improving the health care around the world, but with the situation, will be cooperating even more.

Of course not only to the people in Latin America, but also to the people in Japan and everyone else throughout the world;

GAMBARIMASHO! - meaning, "Let's move forward together"!