The Japan Overseas Cooperation Volunteers on Friday celebrated 30 years of activities in Nepal and pledged to provide even more services.
The organization, founded in 1965 to provide official technical assistance to developing countries through volunteer services, started its program in Nepal in 1970.
Some 742 Japanese volunteers have since served in Nepal, sharing skills, expertise and technical knowhow with the Nepalese in a wide range of fields, including education, health, forestry, communications, sports and family planning.
"They have contributed to the development of human resources, particularly in the field of technology transfer," Ken Hasegawa, resident representative of the Japan International Cooperation Agency, said at a ceremony marking the anniversary.
JICA dispatches JOCV volunteers and supervises their activities. Four Japanese volunteers have died during their assignment in Nepal, one in a motorcycle accident, he added.
"Japanese volunteers act like young ambassadors, building bridges of friendship and understanding between Japan and developing countries," Japanese Ambassador to Nepal Mitsuaki Kojima said.
Senior Vice President of JICA Hisao Azuma said some 2,600 JOCV volunteers are serving in more than 50 countries.