The dispatch of Japan Oversea Cooperation Volunteers (JOCV) is one of the various programs, which JICA has been conducting. The mail aim is to cooperate to social and economic development in developing countries through conducting various activities in grass-root level with local community people. Its concept is concentrated to one phase, Working with people who live there.
History of the JOCV dispatch program went back to 1960's. The first batch, which consisted of 26 volunteers, was sent to four countries: Laos , Cambodia , Malaysia , and Philippines . Since then, the program has expanded year by year, and as of 31 st Match 2006, 2,882 volunteers conduct their various activities in 76 countries all over the world .
Usually one JOCV spend two years in their host countries. Within two-year term, they get accustomed to the local culture, language, and even the sense of values. They live in the local manner as the host country people do. By doing so, they establish human relationship and trusteeship with both concerned staff and beneficiaries whom they work with. Their activities are memorized by local people for long time due to not only the highly qualified activities themselves but also their sincere attitude and behavior.
JOCV and PRDP-2 Position of JOCV
JOCV are not one of the project inputs. The aim of JOCV dispatch is to contribute to more effective and efficient implementation of PRDP-2 as volunteers. In short, it is said that JOCV are not project personals as other staff, such as UDO/Os or JICA experts. However, each JOCV works in one Union with close cooperation of respective UDO/Os, and their activities would not exceed the framework of Link Model. Within the Link Model framework, each JOCV seeks what they can do for the better life of people who live in their each Union.
As of June 2006, total 8 JOCV in rural community development are assigned on Union basis where PRDP is under operation. In the past, 4 JOCV have already completed their two-year term with high appreciation by both concerned project staff and local people. As a coordinator of these JOCV in field level, one Senior JOCV Program Officer works in Dhaka Project HQ office. His responsibility is to bridge JOCV who work at Union level and JICA experts who mainly work at national level.