Project News

Like last year, we participated in the "World Environment Day" event sponsored by the National Environmental Authority's (ANAM) Directorate for Promoting Environmental Culture on June 5 this year.  We didn't have time to prepare anything new so we "recycled" the same plan and posters from last year. (See "Project News No.6, 2007-12-03" to learn about last year's event.)

Photo 1 shows our exhibit before the event began.  On the far left is a poster introducing the Project and on the right are posters for environmental education that incorporate "origami" (folded paper figures) in their design.  Our method was to show the students how to make origami after they listened to our explanation of the exhibit.  The JICA Panama office gave us Japanese newspapers (for folding figures) and the Japanese Embassy contributed origami paper and the Japanese flags.

Similar to last year, many boys and girls came to our stand making it a great success. In photo 2 you can see Mr. Joaquin, Project translator and assistant, using the posters to explain about the environment to the students.  At the table Ms. Saito (Coordinator) is teaching how to fold "tsuru" (Japanese crane) and other figures (photo 3).  A Japan Overseas Cooperation Volunteer (JOCV), Mr. Maekawa, came to help us for the entire day.  He is showing how to make a "kabuto" (Japanese warrior's helmet) (photo 4).

Photos 5 and 6 show the environmental education posters with origami that we used in the event.  Flora and fauna made from origami are pasted on the poster to depict the importance of nature.  It's too bad the pictures are a little dark, but the posters were made by yours truly, the Project's Chief Advisor.

This event does not have a direct relationship with our Project, but we have been supporting it as part of our public relation activity and to strengthen the Project's ties with other Directorates of ANAM, in this case the Directorate for Promoting Environmental Culture.

(Photo 1: left) (Photo 2: right)

(Photo 3: left) (Photo 4: right)

(Photo 5: left) Title of the environmental education poster: "The forest gives us pure and clean water."
(Photo 6: right) Title of the environmental education poster: "All kinds of creatures live in the forest."

(Mr. Isao SAKAI, Chief Advisor / Rural Development)