60 years of Japan Overseas Cooperation Volunteers (JOCV): An Interactive Session with Mr. Takuya OTSUKA Director General for Secretariat of JOCVs

To mark 60 years of Japan Overseas Cooperation Volunteers (JOCV), Mr. Takuya Otsuka, Director General of the JOCV Secretariat, visited Rwanda from 20^th to 22^nd July 2025.

During his stay, Mr. OTSUKA Observed three JOCV activities in Rwanda. First, he visited an activity site in Musha sector, Rwamagana district, Where Ms. OHBA Hikari is working with local population to improve accessibility to clean water. He also observed the activity of Mr. KINOSHIDA Kodai who is supporting irrigation projects in Rwamagana.
In addition, Mr. OTSUKA attended a workshop organized JOCVs to train Rwandan counterparts on improving the quality of coffee, held at Ikawa house in Kigali.

Through these site observations, Mr. OTSUKA highly commended how each volunteer in Rwanda works hardly and collaboratively with local people, contributing to the development of strong relationships.

From 1965 to 2025, JOCVs have been expanding Japanese cooperation across the world including Rwanda for 60 years. This year, as JICA Rwanda celebrates 20 years anniversary of its operation, Mr. OTSUKA is convinced that volunteer’s activities are continuously contributing to Rwanda’s prosperity at grassroot level and thus fostering friendship between and Rwanda and Japan.