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The ABE Initiative -African Business Education Initiative for Youth is a program that offers opportunities for African youths to study masters' courses at universities in Japan and to experience internships at Japanese companies. It aims to foster young personnel who can contribute to the development of industries in Africa as well as become "navigators" for Japanese firms' operations in Africa. JICA Uganda office has so far had 29 participants in different fields.

Some of the scholars share their experiences amid the COVID-19 pandemic that affected many aspects of life in Japan and the world as a whole.

Mr. ODAMA Emmanuel, Doctorate in Agriculture, Kagoshima University, Japan.

On 3, September, 2020, I received an email from JICA Uganda office with the Subject line reading, "Acceptance Certificate". It contained an attachment from Kagoshima University Japan, where I had finally been admitted to pursue a doctorate degree in Agriculture. As expected, the excitement was high and my thoughts about the much-needed preparations went wild! Whereas I had been to Japan a few times before, this was going to be the longest period I would spend in this first-world country in the East.

As the usual rigorous paperwork regarding entry into any University began, the ground preparations seeking for a study leave plus other compulsory obligations to my employer kicked in. A few weeks later, all the clearances on the ground were complete and my e-ticket got emailed much sooner than I had thought. The thought of what I needed to pack in my bag (especially concerning some Ugandan foods to survive the ‘shocks' that usually come with major changes in diet), and what to leave behind started to take a portion of my brain space. On January 1st, 2021, as Ugandans were going through the fever of the Presidential and Parliamentary elections, I arrived from upcountry to the Capital City; ready to take my flight in three days—that's if my COVID-19 PCR test came out negative as required!

The 24 hours of waiting for the results of the PCR test were not easy. The results would be a "make it or break it" for the trip. Surprisingly, the email from the Laboratory came in before I had expected, and the first thing my eyes landed on the attached document was a green stamp reading "NEGATIVE"! The sigh of relief was beyond measure. I could now arrange for my pickup to the airport and gladly inform my family members (plus a few friends) about the confirmed departure to Japan in "a few hours."

The morning I was set to hit the road for the airport was when information came that Japan had put in place a state of emergency due to the rising COVID-19 cases in the Country, and as a result, the international borders had been closed. The trip was cancelled. However, the JICA Uganda office was kind enough to quickly secure for me a full-board accommodation within Kampala. What had been hoped to last for a few weeks ended up dragging on for months.

Six months down the road, the flow and volume of emails from JICA Uganda office regarding the departure started to increase. Before long, my travel passport had a new visa stamped within two hours, and June 20th, 2021 was the confirmed date of travel. With the unrelenting support from JICA Uganda office, the repeat PCR test, entry documents into Japan and other mandatory requirements got worked so fast.

While the trip and the layovers were long, entering the Japan airspace again after two years was great. The four hours of clearance at Narita International airport alone, plus the 14 days of quarantine at Hotel Nikko Tokyo were part of the initial experience that welcomed me to "Nippon", as the Japanese call it.

At Nikko Hotel

Two weeks later, I landed at Kagoshima International airport, ready to make this place my new local address for the next three years. I'm so grateful to the JICA Uganda office and Embassy of Japan in Uganda for all the support and coordination that made my stay in Kampala and travel to Japan so successful. Finally, I give glory to God for the safety and protection that He gave me.

At Kagoshima

Ms. Kobutetsi immaculate, JICA Scholar, Waseda University

Ms. Kobutetsi Immaculate, a JICA Scholar at Waseda University on her seven months' experience from the last week of November 2020 to June 2021 amid the pandemic. She shares;

My first scheduled flight to Japan was in November 2020, but I tested positive for Covid-19, and it was rescheduled to 4th January 2021. Anxiety set in, my travel to Japan had suffered a major setback; I was sad. I was immediately put on treatment for nine days, after which I tested negative, which renewed my hopes of going to Japan. JICA Uganda rented an apartment that I shared with two other students, Mr. Opiyo Boniface, and Mr. Odama (we barely interacted).

However, I became weary of my apartment; I could neither leave nor host visitors; I felt lonely. Our security guard at the facility came in handy as we always sent him to the market to buy us groceries. In the meantime, I went about attending my lectures online, which was a whole new experience on my part. But unfortunately, my flight had to be rescheduled twice in January and March due to restrictions in Japan. As a result, I started losing hope of travelling to Japan. Moreover, the thought of studying my entire program online worried me and made me more anxious given the challenge of unstable and high internet costs in my home country, Uganda. In April, still uncertain about my travel, I resumed my online lectures for semester two, and this generally kept me busy throughout the entire week. I spent most of the time attending classes and doing my weekly assignments. Somehow, I stopped worrying about my travel and focused on my studies; I was resigned to my fate.

Studying online was very challenging; the internet was unstable and expensive; the electricity supply was equally erratic despite my apartment having a generator. Ultimately, African Runners Company (ARC) Uganda installed Wi-Fi at my apartment, which helped me reduce my internet expenses. Eventually, I received my air ticket in May; I was thrilled because my dream was ultimately coming true.

Finally, I left Uganda for Japan on 20th June 2021. Apart from enriching my knowledge in international business administration and management, I am looking forward to learning more about Japanese culture and language, building new global networks, and becoming an inspiration to other people in Uganda. After my studies, I will continue working towards strengthening the already existing partnership between the governments of Uganda and Japan.

I want to extend my sincere appreciation to JICA Uganda and JICA Tokyo, who worked tirelessly to ensure that we travelled to Japan and facilitated our stay in isolation. I am also grateful to Mr. Fujiwara Yusuke and Ms. Resty Nabakka from the JICA Uganda office, who encouraged me to stay calm and comforted me by making random visits to my apartment.