News Letter , October

3 October 2017

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Experts from Japan demonstrated its functioning

recently. The method uses a fermentative microorganism to decompose organic waste. The microorganism, according to the Specialist, Dr. Koji Takakura from Takakura Environment Research Institute of Japan said can be obtained from fermented food. At the demonstration, Dr. Takakura, uses yeast, a mixture of curd, yogurt and sugar, saw dust and decayed leaves to develop the fermentative microorganism. After adding a bit of water and a proper mixing, kitchen wastes are

emptied over the fermenting bed. It is then covered with a paper for two to three days before the compost is ready. “The method can be practiced at home by any one. If people can adopt this method, it can greatly help in waste management,” said Dr. Takakura. “Also, many people do not make compost because of the foul smell it produces. But this particular method, will not release such odour,” he added. Thromde’s Environment Officer, Phub Tshering said since it is a new idea, they have to experiment it first before implementing. “We will try it for two to three months and see if it is feasible in the country. Then, we will start either from the Chanjiji housing area or the RBP Camp.” Along with Thimphu Thromde, waste management agencies such as Greener Way, Clean City and Green Road Project also attended the demonstration programme. It was organized with support from the Japan International Cooperation Agency, JICA.

4 October 2017

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4th October, 2017, six new JICA volunteers

consisting of two senior volunteer and 4 JOCV's arrived in Bhutan for their two years assignment in Bhutan. They will be working in various agencies, as Advisor for Public Awareness & Education under the Ministry of Labor and Human Resources, Handicrafts Advisor at Agency for Promotion of Indigenous crafts, Construction Machinery Engineer at Central Machinery Unit, Table Tennis Coach, Midwife/Maternal Exercise Instructor at CHU, JDWNRH and Event Mgt/Business Development Instructor for Bhutan ICT Association under BCCI, After their arrival, they had courtesy call with the Director of Royal Civil Service Commission, head of

the departments and ministries they are assigned to.

Takakura method to composting kitchen waste

New volunteer arrival at capital, Thimphu

News Letter , October

3 October 2017

Mr. Koji Yamada, Chief Representative met with

four training participants who will be leaving for Japan. Mr. Tshering Penjor, Urban Planner working for Department of Human Settlement, MoWHS. He will be attending the training on " General Management for Regional Development & Planning" at JICA Hokkaido(Sapporo) Center and Mr. Sangay Dawa, Sr. program officer with Department of Disaster Management, Ms. Karma Choden, Sr. Counselor with RENEW and Ms. Deki Yangzom, Assistant Program Officer from National Commission

for Women & Children will attend the course on "Gender and Diversity in Disaster Risk Reduction" at JICA Tohoku.

4 October 2017

On 4 October, one senior volunteer, Ms. Itoko Izawa,

Substance Abuse Councilor working for Bhutan Narcotic Control Agency, Ms. Fumika Miura, Table Tennis Coach, Bhutan Table Tennis Federation and Ms. Satomi Ostuka, Midwife(Maternal Exercise) working at Community Health Department in JDWNR Hospital left Bhutan after their 2 years assignment in Bhutan. They had the final reporting to RCSC, their prime ministries and to the Chief Representative of JICA Bhutan.

Departing back to Japan after 2 years

Participants who will be leaving for training

News Letter , October

4 October 2017

JICA Bhutan Office together with National

Land Commission hosted a seminar titled Seminar on Geo-Spatial Information: Application and Possibilities, at the College of Science and Technology, Rinchending on 4th October 2017. During his opening address at the seminar, Chief Representative Mr. Koji Yamada highlighted the importance and the role of Geo-Spatial Information towards the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals. The seminar had over

9 different presenters from National Land Commission, College of Science and Technology and JICA Bhutan Office, and was attended by over 180 students of the college.

6 October 2017

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A mission from Japan visited Bhutan from 2 to 7 October

for conducting activities and meetings in a JICA Partnership Program on organic rice farming. Extensive discussions were made among the mission, National Organic Programme and other concerned agencies under Ministry of Agriculture and Forests on achievements, challenges and work plans ahead. Coinciding with the mission, the National Organic Program organized a seminar on 6 October highlighting on adaptive research

trial in organic rice production with emphasis on the cultivation of rice without the use of synthetic weedicides. The seminar was attended by relevant officials from ARDC-Yusipang, ARDC-Bajo, NPPC, NSSC, AMC, DoA Directorate and ADTC-Chimipang,JICA Bhutan and JICA.

JICA partnership program

Geo-Spatial seminar at CST Phuentsholing

News Letter , October

9 October 2017

Strengthening Farm Mechanization Project Phase 2

held 4th Joint Coordinating Committee in Agriculture Machinery Centre (AMC), Paro on Monday, 9th October. 20 attendees consisting of Dasho Secretary of Ministry of Agriculture and Forests, Director of Department of Agriculture, Program Director of AMC, Chief Executive Officer of Farm Machinery Corporation Ltd. (FMCL), project members in AMC and FMCL, JICA Chief Representative and JICA experts gathered to discuss the progress and

achievements to date and what needs to be done for the remaining period of the Project which will be completed in August next year. Through establishing agriculture machinery standards and testing systems, developing appropriate machineries, and extending farm machinery hiring services, AMC and FMCL will continue working hard to improve the quality, safety, functionality of and access to products/services for farm mechanization in the country. .

10 October 2017

Chief Representative, Mr. Koji Yamada made a courtesy

call to Director General of the Department of Disaster Management(DDM), Mr. Karma Tsering today at his office. During the meeting the Chief Representative briefed about the linkages with the ongoing SATREPS Project” the Project for Evaluation and Mitigation of Seismic Risk for Composite Masonry Buildings in Bhutan” where the department is one of the counterparts for the project. The Chief Representative inquired about the status of Dzongkhag Disaster Management Plans and the need for sharing it with the relevant stakeholders after its finalization. During the

meeting they also discussed on the debriefing by the staff of the DDM who is currently attending training on Gender & Diversity in Risk Reduction. .

Farm Mechanization Project Phase 2

Courtesy call to Director G eneral of

Department of Disaster Management

News Letter , October

10 October 2017

On 10th Oct 2017, the first seismometer monitoring

earthquake, which is a high sensitivity weak motion device, was installed at the site of altitude 4,086 m in Jangothang by SATREPS project team on Project for Evaluation & Mitigation of Seismic Risk for Composite Masonry Buildings in Bhutan, as one of the project activities.The team comprised of officials from the Department of Geology and Mines (DGM), Kyoto University and the National Research Institute of Earth Science and Disaster Resilience (NIED). Since the installation site was not accessible by motor roads, the team had to trek for more than six days to install the equipment and return to Thimphu. This is the 8th high

sensitivity earthquake monitoring station in Bhutan to understand earthquake.

11 October 2017

Chief Representative, Mr. Koji Yamada met with officials

from Thimphu Thromde, Coordinator of the JPP Project on Technology Transfer related to proper waste management in Thimphu City, and CEOs of Greener Way and Green Road. They discussed the critical issue of waste generation in Thimphu city, and some of the solutions for recycling and reusing plastics from the waste generated. The CEOs of Greener Way and Green Road displayed some materials which were made up of 100% recycled plastic. They also shared their experience of using FabLab Bhutan for making their own circuit boards, to customize

the machines according to their needs, in the recycling plants. .

Seismometer was installed at Jangothang

Meeting on recycling of waste

management

News Letter , October

12 October 2017

A workshop to promote rural entrepreneurship and to

enhance business value addition was conducted in Tsheto Gewog Centre, Paro on 12th October. Since 2014 Department of Cottage and Small Industry (DCSI), in collaboration with JICA, has been extending "Decentralized Hands-on Program Exhibition" (D-HOPE), which intends to develop hands-on experience programs to enable customers to appreciate value of products/services through group-based community development approach. Paro, one of the 4 target Dzongkhags (others are Thimphu, Haa and Punakha), has been collaborating with DCSI in this initiative since 2016.

In the workshop around 60 people, including 50+ business proprietors, gathered for getting sensitized about D-HOPE and engaging in group works on how to design hands-on programs. Dasho Dzongda, Paro, kindly attended the workshop and gave highly intimate and encouraging remarks. Please wait for "Gakyed Gatoen" early next year when you can enjoy these hands-on programs!! .

12 October 2017

Sharing a post by JICA, featuring Ms. Fumika Miura who returned to

Japan last week after completing her assignment here in Bhutan. She worked with the Bhutan Table Tennis Federation as a table tennis coach. The page also has a link to an interesting you tube video featuring her work here in Bhutan, as well as of other JICA volunteers across the globe.

Workshop to promote rural

entrepreneurship

Shared post by JICA HQ

News Letter , October

12 October 2017

A Joint Activity Ms. Manami Oji, Nutritionist working for

JDWNRH in Thimphu visited and conducted Health Education Class for two schools in Phobjikha under Wangdue Dzongkhag. The topic of the workshop was “BAD TEETH PREVENTATION”. They conducted the health education class for the primary students on 12 October at Phobjikha Central School, where JOCV Ms. Yuri Yoshizumi, HPE Instructor is assigned to and on 13th October at Bayta Primary School. We would like to thank the principal, teachers and the students for their support and corporation to carry out the Health Education class successfully.

13 October 2017

The newly arrived volunteers express their deepest

gratitude and appreciation to His Majesty the King for the gifts of Gho and Kira. They are overwhelmingly happy to receive the gifts coinciding with the 6th Royal Wedding Anniversary of His Majesty the King and the Gyaltsuen, today on 13th October, 2017. JICA Bhutan Office would like to offer our good wishes and humble prayers for their Majesties good health and happiness.

His Majesty gifts gho and kira to new volunteer

Health education class on “Bad teeth

prevention”

News Letter , October

14 October 2017

Two JICA Volunteers working at East Regional Referral

Hospital in Mongar, Ms. Chiharu Azechi and Ms. Hiromi Higashi presented about “Risk Management/Patient Safety Management" to the staffs of the Hospital on 14th October, 2017. Two of them talked about the basic ideas, theories, and the ways of management related to Patient safety and risk. The two volunteers stated that “We understand that the Japanese style of practice has not yet been adapted in Bhutan but we fell that the hospital will progress better and hope all staffs will achieve more professionalism together by sharing our knowledge and ideas”. JICA and the two volunteers would like to thank all the management and staffs of Mongar RR Hospital for giving them the opportunity and

also for all the support.

13 October 2017

The Technical Cooperation Project for the Capacity

Development in Construction and Maintenance of Bridges held the 3rd JCC meeting today at the Department of Roads. Speaking at the meeting, Chief Representative, Mr. Koji Yamada highlighted the importance of professionalism in the field of engineering , and the need for the department of create an enabling environment for the engineers to work independently. The Meeting also discussed the progress report on Bridge Engineering ( preliminary design/test), Bridge Maintenance and Quality & Safety Control. The project was attended by many focal engineers from across the country, from all the 9 regional offices of the Department

of Roads (DoR). Prior to the commencement of the JCC Meeting, Chief Represetnative also handed over two units of pick up trucks to the Director of DoR along with other equipment for the project implementation.

East regional referral hospital Mongar

3rd JCC meeting JICA and DoR

News Letter , October

18 October 2017

Chief Representative, Mr. Koji Yamada

along with officials from JICA Bhutan Office met with Lopen Thukten Wangchuk and Lopen Thinley Norbu. Lopen Thukten and Lopen Thinley have been to Japan & stayed there for four and half years to learn vocational skills on wood carving & metal works. They have acquired the technical skills and also learned to speak and read Japanese quite proficiently. In order to keep honing their Japanese language skills, they requested the Chief Representative that they would like to interact with Japanese interact with Japanese persons

whenever possible.In order to facilitate such

interaction, ChiefRepresentative invited them to the welcome lunch party for the new volunteers at the JICA Office garden. The office will also inform and invite the Lopens in case of similar future activities.

21 October 2017

The 5th Health and Physical Education (HPE) Festival was held at Katsho Lower Secondary School in Haa on 21 October, 2017. JOCV Mr. Seigo Fujiwara, HPE Instructor assigned with Katsho Lower Secondary School with the support from the School and the Dzongkhag Education Office organized a two day HPE Workshop on 19th and 20th October & HPE Festival called “UNDOKAI” in Japanese on 21 October, 2017 at Katsho Lower Secondary School in Haa. The main objective of this festival Mr. Fujiwara said is to create awareness on HPE amongst the

community, students and teachers and also to bring them together, learn basic movements and enjoy exercise through activities. Ten other JICA HPE volunteers from across the country and three Bhutanese counter part of these JOCVs supported and participated in the HPE Workshop and the HPE Festival. The event was graced by Dasho Dzongda, Haa and Mr. Koji Yamada, JICA BHUTAN Office.

Two lopen’s arrive in Bhutan after learning

Undokai at Katsho LSS, Haa

News Letter , October

23 October 2017

Another great intiative by the JICA Volunteers. Ms.

Rie Yamamoto and Ms. Eri Chiba, art teachers at the Chundu Armed Forces Public School, Haa, and the Zilnon Namgyeling Primary School, Thimphu, have visited the Gaselo Central School, Wangdue-Phodrang, on October 23, and hosted an “origami workshop” for Class 3 and Class 4 students. Currently there are four art teaching volunteers in Bhutan and they visit each of their schools and hosted a joint art workshop and exhibition. In addition to their own

programs, they have taken very positively the proposals from our office and started the school visit programs to a few more schools where there used to be an art teaching JICA volunteer before, or which were too remote for JICA to assign a Japanese volunteer in spite of their request. At the Gaselo Central School, there were three JICA volunteers since the early 2000s, and the last one, Ms. Atsuko Takai used to teach art from Class PP to Class 4 from 2012 to 2014. Even three years after her departure, there still remain her students at school and they taught us about their good memories with Ms. Takai. We wonder how many of the students in the photos she is able to recognize. Because of her earlier efforts, this school seems to have better understanding on the benefit of art education. Before Ms. Takai, there was another volunteer, Mr. Naoki Ebata, who used to teach math at Class 3 and Class 4, and sometimes HPE from 2009 to 2011. Mrs. Tandin Bedhi, Vice Principal, remembers Mr. Ebata very well and appreciated his contributions such as the introduction of “100 square calculation” and “UNDOKAI (HPE Festival)”. Teachers and students were using a teaching guide and students’ workbook developed by the Department of Curriculum Research and Development, with the support by another JICA volunteer, Ms. Mariko Kamano. After the origami workshop, Ms. Yamamoto and Ms. Chiba, made a donation of a few sets of color pencils, crayons, scissors and glue sticks, as well as colored paper

25 October 2017

JOCV Arts Teachers, Ms. Rie Yamamoto and Ms. Eri Chiba

assiged with Chundu Armed Forces Public School in Haa, and Zilnon Namgyelling LSS in Thimphu visited Samcholing Primary school in Trongsa on 25 October, 2017. They hosted an Origami work shop for class 3 and 4 students and a mini Art exhibition for classes from 3 to class 6.Students learned basic handling of the art materials and development skills. Ms. Yamamoto and Ms. Chiba after the workshop made a small donation of Arts materials to the school . The two volunteers and JICA Bhutan Office would like to thank the Principal,

teachers and the students of Samcholing Primary School for their support and corporations.

Origami workshop in Bhutan

Art exhibition at Trongsa

News Letter , October

28 October 2017

Mr. Masanobu Kiyoka, Senior Advisor at JICA was recently in the country as a short-term expert for the JICA Project for “Support for Community Engagement in Local Governance (SCLG) Project”, shared his perspective in Kuensel regarding community sustainability based on one of the pilot gewogs of the project. The attached photo is one of the outputs of the survey, using the T-shape Community Survey Method described in the article.

30 October 2017

On 30th Oct 2017, a group of 13 participants were

briefed about their training course in Japan. The

participants left for Japan yesterday. They will be

attending three weeks training on Knowledge Co-

Creation Program (Young Leaders) for Bhutan/Local

Governance Course at JICA Chugoku Center.The

participants compromises of 8 GAOs, 2 Research

Officers from CBS and 3 from NGOs.

Young leaders training participants

Support for community engagement in

local governance project

Governance