HILARY HOSIA One of the late Japan Prime Minister Shinzo Abe’s valuable contributions to the Marshall Islands was the introduction of the “Sustainable Development Goals Global Leader” program. Then Prime Minister Abe launched the program during the 7th Pacific Islands Leaders Meeting (PALM7) in Fukushima, Japan in 2015 with the intention to strengthen economic growth […]
Kicking off their spring break, Marshallese and Micronesian students attending University of the Ryukyus (Ryudai) in Okinawa treated themselves to yakinuku (grilled meat) with former JICA volunteer and Japan embassy staff Gaku Hashimoto. From left, the group included local student Hyoma Shinzato, Hashimoto, Thurston Loeak, Esi Ngiraiwet from Palau, Noah Kabua, Yukiko Muller, Mikaela Heine, […]
EVE BURNS The Japan International Cooperation Agency has dispatched four new volunteers to the Marshall Islands who will be dedicating two years to work here. The four JICA volunteers have arrived and are not worried about the ongoing health outbreaks the Marshall Islands has been going through. They are focused on their goals for their […]
KELLY LORENNIJ Laura residents came together late last month last week to bless the opening of the very first public library built by the non-profit organization Growmate Education with donations from 237 families and friends in Japan. Growmate Chief Junko Shindo, a former JICA volunteer who currently teaches at Laura High School, also assisted in […]
A bilateral meeting was held last Thursday with President Hilda Heine and members of Cabinet with the Special Advisor to the Prime Minister of Japan Kentaro Sonoura. Ambassador of Japan Norio Saito led Sonoura and his delegation to the Cabinet conference room.
KELLY LORENNIJ Three young leaders have passed a rigorous four-level screening for the Pacific Leaders’ Educational Assistance for Development of State (Pacific-LEADs) program in Japan. Vladimir Gulfan, Peter Robert, and Benedict Yamamura are the latest students from the RMI to engage in the program and they will be leaving this month for their respective sites […]
A group of Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) volunteers, who dubbed themselves the “Apakaaj in Majel Jepta,” have been spending three nights a week since early November practicing their piit dance and singing. While nine-year-old Marshallese Tine Mook sang the story of Tobolar and gathering coconuts, the dancers showed a polished performance of their piit […]
The very first library for Woja Elementary School (WES) is underway, thanks to 87 Japanese donors. Project coordinator Junko Shindo, former Japan International Cooperation Agency volunteer teacher for WES (July 2013 – August 2015), said a library is a must for every school. Books are on their way from Japan as well, she said. Shindo […]
Two Japan volunteers have created an “app” that puts the Marshallese-English dictionary literally at the fingertips of anyone who has a computer, tablet or smart phone. Japan International Cooperation Volunteers Tadashi Takaya, who is departing CMI later this month after two years in the IT department, and Taro Ogura, who recently returned to Japan after […]
A proposed solar project for Ebeye could save the utility company anywhere from hundreds of thousands to millions of dollars a year, depending on the scale of the plan that is under discussion now. Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) and RMI officials reviewed the project following a second survey visit to Ebeye and Majuro by […]