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Japanese envoy impressed with alumni contributions

 

After getting impressed with contributions by Japanese alumni in the development of Malawi, the Japanese government has pledged to continue providing technical support and human resource development in Malawi to help transform the country.

Japanese ambassador to Malawi Kae Yanagisawa was speaking in Blantyre on Friday during the first ever conference with Japan alumni in Malawi (Jam) and Japan International Cooperation Agency- Ex-Participants Association of Malawi (Jica-Jepam).

Yanagisawa: We have been sending scholarship awardees to Japan

Said Yanagisawa: “We have been sending scholarship awardees to Japan for training as well as academic study, this event is a great chance to follow up on them and appreciate how they have benefited from the various trainings and what changes have they brought forward.

This is also one way of bringing them together so that they can network, share experience and work together towards the development of the country.”

Describing human resources as the most significance resource in the economic development of any country, Yanagisawa further said the academic support has also helped consolidate Japanese relationship with Malawi.

“I am very much impressed; it is beyond my expectation, most of all I am very happy that they are able to apply what they learnt during the various trainings they went through. It is my promise that we will continue to send more and more Malawians to Japan to gain more technical expertise,” said the ambassador.

One of the Japan alumni, Jeremiah Chienda, a software architect at Baobab Health Trust who obtained his Master’s degree in Information and Computer Science from Doshisha University of Japan said his stay in Japan was very productive as he was equipped with more technical skills for his work.

Said Chienda: “Japan is more advanced in technology than Malawi, I have been equipped with new technical skills in my area of work and this is so helpful as I carry on my day to day endeavors. I also gained a different cultural experience and change in how to approach other things as well as improve on time management.”

Another alumnus Augustine Ngwale, scheme coordinator for Northern Region Water Board said the training he attended in Japan has helped Malawi work on reduction of non-revenue water which affected most water boards in the country.

The Malawi-Japan bilateral relationship started in the 1960s with Japan assisting Malawi in a number of fields including agriculture, mining, infrastructure development, education as well as water.

Japan has on the other hand enjoyed doing business with Malawi by exporting goods and services to the country.

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