2026.08.11
Four JICA Volunteers working in different parts of Papua New Guinea recently shared their progress, achievements and lessons learned during the first half of their assignments.
Working in ICT, health, education and civil engineering, the four Volunteers are based in PNG organizations and work alongside local colleagues every day. Although their fields are different, their activities share a common approach: understanding local needs, exchanging knowledge and finding practical solutions together.
At Goroka Technical College, PC Instructor Mr. Tajima Kazuaki works with the college's IT staff to maintain and improve its ICT environment.
The college has around 1,000 students and approximately 200 computers. When Tajima began his assignment, the team faced challenges including outdated operating systems, limited internet connectivity and insufficient network and troubleshooting records.
Working with his colleagues, Tajima developed a network map, introduced offline methods for updating computers, and reused working parts from old computers when replacement parts were difficult to obtain. These efforts helped resolve 35 of 41 software and configuration problems and nine of 12 hardware cases.
For the second half of his assignment, Tajima will focus on sharing technical knowledge and troubleshooting records so that they remain useful to the IT team in the future.
At St. Mary’s Vunapope Hospital in East New Britain Province, Nurse Mr. Okada Kotaro works alongside PNG nurses and other health professionals. Rather than beginning with changes, his first priority was to understand how health care is delivered in PNG by joining daily nursing activities. Through this experience, he has also learned from the skills, independence and adaptability of PNG health workers.
At the same time, he has shared ideas from his nursing experience in Japan. One example was helping hospital staff introduce a practical labelling system for linen and other items—an improvement that staff had already identified as necessary.
During the remainder of his assignment, Okada will continue learning from his PNG colleagues while sharing his experience through daily work and staff learning opportunities.
At Sogeri Primary School, JICA Volunteer Mr. Kanamoto Junta, who has teaching experience in Japan, is working with students and teachers to make mathematics lessons more interactive and engaging. Kanamoto observed that while many students could perform calculations, some found it difficult to understand word problems, explain their thinking or use the correct units.
Lessons have therefore introduced a step-by-step approach: "I do", where the teacher demonstrates; "We do", where teachers and students work together; and "You do", where students solve problems independently. Songs, flashcards and other activities are also used to make learning enjoyable. Teacher development is another important part of the activity. Workshops have been held to exchange ideas about classroom practice, and Kanamoto hopes to further encourage teachers to observe and discuss lessons together.
The school has also used Facebook to share its activities and needs with the wider community. After the shortage of desks and chairs received wider attention, 50 sets were provided by the government and another 20 sets by supporters.
Civil Engineer Mr. Nakanishi Koji works with the Milne Bay Provincial Government, sharing his experience in roads, bridges and infrastructure management. Heavy rain, flowing water and coastal conditions can cause serious damage to infrastructure in Milne Bay. Together with provincial engineers, Nakanishi visits sites to examine damage and discuss practical responses. A key focus is moving from repairing infrastructure after serious damage occurs towards preventive maintenance—identifying smaller problems through regular inspections before they become more serious.
Activities include developing bridge inspection methods, improving records and building the foundations for road asset management. Rather than simply applying Japanese methods, Nakanishi works with PNG engineers to consider solutions that fit local conditions, available resources and experience.
Although the four Volunteers work in very different fields, their experiences highlight a common feature of JICA Volunteer activities in PNG. JICA Volunteers bring professional experience from Japan, but they also learn from the knowledge and experience of their PNG colleagues and communities. Practical and sustainable solutions are developed by combining these different perspectives and working together.
As the four Volunteers enter the second half of their assignments, they will continue working side by side with their PNG colleagues—sharing knowledge, learning from each other and finding solutions suited to their workplaces and communities.
Related Link
・Returning to PNG to Share New Learning Former JICA Volunteer Yasunori Tada Visits PNG Again After 10 Years ｜ Where We Work - JICA
・Japanese Educators Visit Papua New Guinea Exploring Educational Institutions and JICA-Supported Projects to Strengthen Japan–PNG Exchange
・Hundreds of Students Join SPOGOMI Competition in Alotau
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