JICA Volunteer Program

Since its inception in 1980, JICA Volunteer Program has been in operation in PNG over 40 + years.. Run and managed by the JICA PNG Office, The first batch of Volunteers to PNG were in the fields of 1 Automobile maintenance & 2 AIKIDO (Japanese Martial Arts) volunteers who were assigned to Port Moresby respectively, the Bomana Police College which was the first recipient agency.

JICA dispatched a total of 797 volunteers, over 100 work fields in 19 Provinces of the country upon requests from the PNG Government as part of Japan's Official Development Assistance (ODA). Eager Japanese citizens knowledgeable and skilled in various technical fields have lived and worked all across PNG serving their 2 years of respective assignment terms as teachers, health workers, technicians, agriculturalists, including volunteering in a range of other fields.

The Program has three objectives;

1．To cooperate in the economic and social development as well as the reconstruction of developing countries
2．To deepen the mutual understanding and coexistence in cross-cultural societies
3．To give back the Volunteer experience to society

There are two types of volunteers (Long term & Short term):

1．Japan Overseas Cooperation Volunteer
2．Senior Volunteer (more than 15years experience)

Volunteer Program (Citizen Participation) is one of Japan's Technical Cooperation Scheme

In PNG, the standing Motto is "STAP WANTAIMNA WOK WANTAIM"
Under assigned organizations, JICA volunteers live and work directly with counterparts (C/P) and local people to exchange ideas and convey Japanese skills and knowledge to encourage capacity development for counterpart and volunteer.

1. Economic
Under Palm 9, to promote Tourism and encourage capacity development of local farmers
Technical Fields: Tourism, Community Development, Business Administration, Food Crops & Rice Culture, Agricultural Machinery, Vegetable Growing, Fisheries Development, Refrigeration And Air Conditioning, Automotive Maintenance, Karate do, Judo

2-1. Social Service-Education
In Education, to improve basic academic services
Technical Fields: Primary School Education, Science Education,Mathematics Education, PC Instructor, ICT(Information Communication Technology), Japanese Language Education, Youth Activities

2-2. Social Service-Health
In Health, to promote Universal Health Care
Physical Therapy, Infection and HIV/AIDS Control, Public Health, Pharmacy, Assistive Products, Quality Management, Nurse

3. Environment
Cooperating with JICA's technical cooperation project, J-PRISM (The Project for Promotion of Regional Initiative Solid Waste Management), to improve awareness of protecting natural resources and 3R activity for local community
Technical Field: Environmental Education

All SDGs Goals (1-17), especially (3, 4, 5, 8, 9, 11, 12, 14) for PNG.

National Government Depts as well as Provincial Governments are recipient agencies for JICA Volunteers across all sectors, i.e. Education _ Primary & Secondary schools, Vocational Centers, Universities and other Training Centers. The Health Sector includes Hospitals and other Non-Government run Organizations. Sectors in Agriculture, Tourism, and others fall under the Provincial Government structures whereby JOCVs work under.

1980 - on going

Current target locations (Before COVID-19 pandemic) : the NGI regions, Alotau, Popondetta, Kuinga, Goroka and the Central Province.

1. Promoting Gender-Responsive Policies, Strategies and Institutions
2. Promoting Women's Empowerment
3. Promoting Gender Integration in Programs and Projects