Monthly Newsletter
July 2009
Vol. 09-7
JICA Bhutan Office
JICA schemes
� Grant Aid
� Loan
� Technical Cooperation
Projects
� Training Programmes
� Development Studies
� Emergency Disaster Relief
� Follow-up Cooperation
JICA members in Bhutan
as of June 2009
� JICA office staff: 16
(7 internatonals; 9 nationals)
� Experts: 8
� Senior Volunteers: 8
� JOCVs: 35
JICA target areas in Bhutan
� Agriculture and rural develop-
ment
� Infrastructure development
� Local governance
� Social services development
(health, education and IT)
(
Deed of Donation and Priority Issue Solving Activity
Training for DOE and BPC through T/C project
Red Hat Certified Engineer (RHCE) Course at Royal
Institute of Management
Director General, Department of
Energy (DOE) and JICA Resident
Representative visited Bhutan
Power Co. Ltd. (BPC) Begana
Training Center on 14th of July
2009 to handover the equipments
which were donated to DOE and
BPC under the JICA Technical Co-
operation Project on Improvement
of Efficiency for Rural Power Supply. The signing ceremony for the deed of donation was suc-
cessfully conducted on the same day as the Priority Issue Solving Activity Training in Begana.
This management training had been conducted for twenty BPC officials since December 2008.
Finally, they presented their improvements on their routine works to share their works with other
colleagues. Four officials who showed outstanding performances presented their works at Taj Tashi
Hotel on 16th of July 2009 to senior officials; Secretary of Ministry of Economic Affairs, Director
General of DOE and General Managers of BPC. Top ten officials will be dispatched for further
training in Japan soon.
Mr. Shuichi Hirayama was fielded as JICA Short Term Expert for the Local Governance & Decentrali-
zation Project Phase II from 14th June to 24th July 2009. His final presentation on findings from
Trashiyangtse, Facilitation skills, Training tools and techniques was done on 20 July. Officials
from Gross National Happiness Commission (GNHC), Department of Local Governance (DLG),
Ministry of Home & Cultural Affairs (MOHCA), JICA and Royal Institutue of Management (RIM)
attended the presentation. It was evident that the Integrated Capacity Building Plan (ICBP) training
was quite effective in implementation of pilot projects at the Gewog level. His presentation on the
facilitation skills, training tools and techniques was well received by RIM trainers. Findings from his
final report will be of immense value to the project.
Training for Trainers on ICBP for Local Governance and
Decentralization Project IIwill be launched
The second batch of training in Red Hat Certified Engineer Course
for Bhutanese ICT personnel began on 13th July 2009 at the Royal
Institute of Management, Thimphu. The Institute has already com-
pleted the training for the first batch of 22 candidates and the third
batch of training will be conducted in October 2009. A total of 63
Bhutanese ICT personnel will be trained under this scheme. Top 5
candidates will be selected from each batch to sit for the certifica-
tion exams. The project is supported by a JICA follow-up project
with the Department of Information Technology, MoIC.
JICA Bhutan Newsletter is a monthly newsletter published by the JICA Bhutan Office and updated electronically on the JICA Bhutan website. It serves to
better link all JICA Bhutan partners by offering briefs and current news on different sectors of JICA and the RGoB. It is for information purposes only and
is not an official document. Opinions expressed do not necessarily reflect the views of JICA. To join our e-mail based subscription, please contact at
<[email protected]>. Your comments and feedback are welcome.
Japan International Coopperation Agency
Newsletter Team
Emi Doyle, Project Formulation Advisor
Kinley Dorji, Senior Programme Officer
Zangpo, Technical Officer (General Affairs)
Yeshey W. Tamang, Techical Officer
For more information
Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA)
P.O. Box 217, Doy-bum Lam, Above Memorial Chorten, Thimphu, Bhutan
News in Brief
“Big Bakery” - a bakery with difference in Thimphu
� Beginning first July 2009, JICA Bhutan Office has been designated as the new contact point for the purpose of any notice or
request under the Loan Agreement BT-P1, Rural Electrification in Bhutan. The Loan Project till then was handled by JICA India
Office soon after the merger of JICA and Japan Bank for International Cooperation (JBIC).
� Mr. Jiro Komori, Expert for Glacial Lake Research and Ms. Akemi Yoda, Field Coordinator are assigned to Bhutan for the project
Study of Glacial Lake Outburst Floods in Bhutan Himalays.
� Mr. Seiji Takashima , Senior Volunteer, Environment Engineering, completed his assignment in Bhutan and left for Japan. He
worked in the College of Science and Technology, Phuentsholing.
� Mr. Naoki Ito, Minister-Councellor of the Embassy of Japan, New Delhi visited Bhutan from July 9 to July 11, 2009 to discuss
with the officials of the Royal Government about bilateral cooperation and also monitoring of the multi-bilateral project with
UNDP for support to election process in 2008. He met with Foreign Secretary Daw Penjo, Cabinet Secretary Dasho Tashi
Phuntsog and GNHC Secretary Karma Tshiteem during his short visit. He was also able to observe the National Assembly
which was in session at the time.
For all those who love baked goodies such as raisin breads, croissants, dough-
nuts, cheese rolls, cookies etc..., now there is a new bakery in town! “Big Bakery”
officially opened on 30th July, 2009. it is located in Kawajansa (below Ministry of
Health). Aside from the scrumptious baked goods, there is something special
about this bakery; most of the bakery staffs are hearing and speaking impaired
and are intellectually challenged. The bakery was started by the Drak-Tsho Vo-
cational Training Center for Disabled to provide “sheltered employment for per-
sons with disabilities”. It is a brilliant concept because there are limited opportu-
nities for disabled people to find employment and lead productive lives. All the
large baking equipments such as the baking oven, temperature controller, and
mixers were provided by JICA.
Senior Volunteer, Mr. Satoshi Seike, who has been working with Drak-Tsho Vo-
cational Training Center for Disabled in Thimphu since January 2008 played an integral role in setting up the Big Bakery. He had the
responsibility of training the bakery staff for 7 months. His staff includes 7 graduates of Drak-Tsho and 3 other youngsters. Mr. Seki
instructs them and checks on them everyday to ensure all the day-to-day baking activities are carried out properly. He speaks proudly
about his staff, “my staff is very enthusiastic and dedicated and willing to learn and happy to be working in the bakery.” He adds that
they make sure to use good quality ingredients, make fresh products everyday, and maintain a clean and sanitary work environment.
In his efforts to promote the bakery, Mr. Seki has conceived the idea of delivering boxed lunches to offices. Therefore, people can call
and ask for boxed lunches and they will be delivered to their offices.
This service will be available to the customers in the near future.
Other senior volunteers have also contributed their services to the Big
Bakery. Former senior volunteer, Mr. Yukio Ueno designed the interior
and exterior of the bakery premises. Also, another former senior vol-
unteer, Mr. Kenichi Shimokawa created the logo and the signboard of
the bakery. Furthermore, short-term JOCV Ms. Izumi Miyazaki recently
joined Drak-Tsho and she has already made non-plastic paper bags
for food packaging. She also plans to teach the Drak Tsho students
how to make aprons and caps for the bakery staff. Big Bakery will be
open Mondays-Fridays from 9am-8pm and Saturdays from 10am-5pm.
Tel: (975) 2-322030, 323218, 328074, 324571,324463
Fax: (975) 2-323089
E-mail: <[email protected]>
Website: <http://www.jica.go.jp/bhutan/index.html>