[Original written by ITO Tokiko and IMANAKA Ko for the project fundraised by READYFOR (October 30, 2023); Translated by J. Tsuchiya/K. Tanimoto and A. Taguchi] Once called “Happy Arabia”, Yemen used to be prosperous through trade. Situated in the southwestern part of the Arabian Peninsula, the country is now facing the “world’s worst humanitarian crisis.” This is due to the “forgotten war” that has continued for eight years since the aggravation of conflicts in 2015. Even children have been affected. •Two-thirds of the nation’s population, about 32 million people, are in need of some kind of support. •About 4.5 million are internally displaced persons (domestic refugees). •More than 2.7 million…
Women living through war in Sudan – A year since the outbreak of the vicious conflict in Sudan (1)
[Original by Ko IMANAKA, Sudan & Yemen Projects (March 14, 2024); Translated by K. Tanimoto/J. Tsuchiya, A. Taguchi] Greetings, this is Ko IMANAKA from the JVC Sudan Office. The war in Sudan is approaching its first anniversary since the civil war which started on April 15 last year. Even though Ramadan began, the war continued. As of February, according to reports from the UN and other resources, 13,900 people have been killed, 1.66 million fled to neighboring countries as refugees, and 6.32 million are said to be internally displaced. Approximately 24.8 million people, which is almost half of the nation’s population, are urgently in need of humanitarian assistance. International media…
Vegetable garden program in South Africa
[Original by Alicia TURNER, 2023 Public Relations Intern (June 29, 2023); Translated by A. Turner] Hi everyone! My name is Alicia and I’m an intern with JVC. This report will detail the vegetable garden program at the Drop-In Center in South Africa, which myself and my fellow intern, Moeka SANO, held an interview with Dudu, a local staff member at the JVC South Africa office, to hear the details of. Those who are interested can read the reports on the volunteer carer and guardian training sessions as well as the Scouts and Cubs programs, which will soon be published! About the Drop-In Center (DIC) JVC is partnered with the DIC,…
Residents Realize Successful Management and Use of Natural Resources
[Originally written by Miki GOTO and published in the JVC Newsletter “Trial & Error” (No. 353, April 20, 2023); Translated by Y. Miki/A. Turner] JVC’s Laos project relocated its base of activities from Savannakhet Province to Sekong Province in the southeastern part of the country last year. As rich natural resources are in danger of disappearing due to large-scale development and the cultivation of cash crops, we are engaged in activities that allow residents to manage and use these natural resources on their own. In February 2023, I made a business trip to Sekong, and would like to share with you some of their activities and the town around the…
Training programs for volunteer carers and parents in South Africa
[Original by Alicia TURNER, 2023 Public Relations Intern (July 13, 2023); Translated by A. Turner] My name is Alicia and I’m an intern with JVC. This report will detail the training programs offered to volunteer carers and parents of the children attending the Drop-In Center (DIC) in South Africa, which myself and my fellow intern, Moeka SANO, held an interview with Dudu, a local staff member at the JVC South Africa office, to hear the details of. About the Drop-In Center JVC is partnered with the DIC, a voluntary organisation based in Limpopo, South Africa, that was established with the aim to break the cycle of abuse and neglect present…
It has been one month since the outbreak of military combat in Sudan. What happened in Kadugli, the city in the southern part of Sudan?
[Original by Ko IMANAKA, Sudan & Yemen Projects (May 25, 2023); Translated by J. Tsuchiya/A. Taguchi] Kadugli, the capital city of South Kordofan State, which is JVC’s activity site, is about 600 km from Khartoum. It became the site of the bloodiest combat in the battle that broke out on April 15, 2023. It has then remained calm even after battlefields scattered over many places in Sudan. But even though there are no sounds of airstrikes and gunshots, it doesn’t mean there is no influence of conflict. How did it affect the people and what do they think about them? Effects of the war on Kadugli in the South Kordofan…
We strongly oppose the Official Security Assistance (OSA), a military aid that denies Japan’s non-military principles in international cooperation
[Original issued by NGO No War Network (June 6, 2023); Translated by A. Turner/K. Takemura] On the 5th of April, the Japanese government announced the implementation of Official Security Assistance (OSA), a means of providing defense and military equipment to the armed forces of like-minded countries. Set out in the National Security Strategy, National Defense Strategy, and Defense Build-Up Program (hereafter “Three Security Documents”) all released in December 2022, OSA represents a major shift in Japan’s international cooperation strategy. The NGO No War Network was founded in 2002 in opposition to the Iraq War. As civil society actors who are conducting international cooperation activities, we have since raised our voices…
Staff Interview: Ko IMANAKA (Sudan & Yemen Projects)
[Original by Moeka SANO, 2023 Public Relations Intern (May 25, 2023); Translated by A. Turner/K. Takemura] Have you ever been curious about the different career paths JVC staff followed before they landed their position as an employee at an NGO? It’s my hope that this interview will come as some benefit to those looking to have a career in international cooperation in the future! What kind of person is Imanaka? He has been one of the local staff at the JVC Sudan office since 2018. He majored in Arabic at university, at which point he went on exchange to Yemen for a year. After graduating, he worked at a heavy…
Introduction of Our On-site Staff in Sudan
[Translated by F. Farina] •KHARTOUM OFFICE Mona Hassan (Local deputy representative) Born in Khartoum. After studying Islamic Law in university, she obtained a lawyer qualification. While working for various support groups, she completed her doctoral course in graduate school and joined JVC in 2011. She wants to contribute to the further revitalization of the government and related institutions by having them play their respective roles, so that the people affected by the conflict can be aware of and obtain their own rights. On weekends she works in a kitchen garden and in an NGO together with relatives. She came to Japan in 2016 and 2017 for a business trip to…
“Totoro!” – words of hospitality –
[Original by Miki GOTO (January 11, 2023); Translated by Y. Miki/F. Farina] This article was written just before the outbreak of the recent armed conflict in Sudan. Hi everyone! My name is Goto and in charge of the Sudan project. I joined JVC last May and made my first business trip to Sudan in November 2022. Mona, our local staff member, gave us warm welcomes at Khartoum airport in the capital when we arrived. We had only been talking through the screen at Zoom meetings before, so I was able to finally meet her in person. We arrived at the office smoothly, thanks to her having taken care of my…