Press Release

Ms. MINAMI Yuka, Ms. MORI June and Ms. NIKI Hiroko, the new Japan Overseas Cooperation Volunteers (JOCV) arrived in Sri Lanka on the 16th of February 2023.

This new batch of three JICA volunteers will be involved in the fields of environmental education (in Kegalle and Ratnapura) and physical education (in Kurunegala) attached to institutions coming under several ministries.

Since the inception of JICA's Volunteer Dispatch Program in Sri Lanka in 1981, a total of 1,160 volunteers have worked in the country, and their contribution towards development activities at grass-root level has been greatly valued by the organizations that have received their services in a variety of technical fields. The biggest strength of JICA's volunteers is their practical approach to problem solving and the use of local languages (Sinhala and Tamil) which enables them to understand and speak to the hearts and minds of local people. These volunteers use extremely creative means of communication which is essential for effective training/teaching, and are able to positively influence those who work with them due to their positive attitude, strong sense of discipline and teamwork. These volunteers not only transfer technical skills, but also share knowledge on cultural aspects, and most importantly, build strong and long-lasting friendships with local people that outlast their stay in Sri Lanka.

The new volunteers were introduced to their host organizations at an assigning ceremony, which was held at the Department of External Resources (ERD), on the 17th of March 2023. The occasion was graced by the officials of Department of External Resources, volunteer host organizations and JICA Sri Lanka Office. Mr. Rohan Chrishantha, Additional Director General (Debt Management) at Department of External Resources under the Ministry of Finance, Economic Stabilization and National Policies, gave the following words of encouragement. "I thank the government of Japan and its people for their continued support to the Sri Lankan government and people of Sri Lanka during the current economic difficulties the country is facing". Moreover, he said, "I was really happy that you three introduced yourselves to us very clearly in Sinhala Language after a very short period of study. I believe that all of you will speak Sinhala very well when you finish your service in Sri Lanka. And, I hope that you will make the most of your experience, skills, and do your best in your assignments." Thus, the three volunteers were officially dispatched for their 2-year assignment in Sri Lanka.

After a hiatus of more than 2 years we restarted our volunteer activities in the month of August 2021, and this will be the dispatch of the 7th batch since then. Therefore, we are proud of new volunteers continuously being recruited to the country and also wish our new volunteers all the best of luck and success with respect to the activities that all of them hope to carry out.

The three new Volunteers appearing for a group photo (standing in the middle),
after the "Ceremony of Assigning" to the host organizations they work for