Over the past 17 years devoted Japanese volunteers in Vietnam have helped build a closer connection between the two countries.

They have offered practical guidance to people in Vietnam in different fields including health, agriculture and education, thanks to the coordination of the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA).

As many as 442 “ambassadors of goodwill” have come to Vietnam since 1995. This group includes Kuroda Yutaka, 30; Tateno Tomoko, 30; and Murota Keisuke, 27.

Working as a physician at the rehabilitation center of Lam Dong General Hospital No.2 in the central highland province of Lam Dong, Yutaka has brought with him a bright example of devotion at work.

Not only does he provide massage sessions to rehabilitating patients, but he also managed to create several types of colorful toys for children at the hospital

“The toys here were created by Yutaka. He even spent his own money to buy some other toys to help children feel less strained during treatment,” said his Vietnamese colleague, Nguyen Thi My.

Yet life was not smooth for Yutaka when he first moved to Vietnam. It was not comfortable to live in an area where there is no supermarket, nor high quality health care services. In May this year, Yutaka had to travel 300km to Ho Chi Minh City for treatment of his severe disease.

Despite the difficulties, he and other Japanese volunteers believe they have gained more than they have lost.

“Things are now going well. I have friends and colleagues here to go out to eat or play sports with in my free time,” Yutaka said.

In the coastal district U Minh Ha of the Mekong Delta province of Ca Mau, another volunteer, Murota Keisuke, impressed locals with his “let’s go” attitude.

After graduating as a literature bachelor from Waseda University in Japan, he does not hesitate to wade in the muddy fields with local farmers to check rice plants, fish and shrimps.

He was assigned to projects related to the granting of loans for poverty eradication launched by the provincial Department of Agriculture and Rural Development (DARD) of Ca Mau.

“I’ve loved Vietnam for a long time and I want to live and work here forever, so I don’t see any loss here. But I gain a lot. I have more knowledge and I have the brown complexion of Vietnam. It’s ideal. The only thing is that it’s difficult to learn the Vietnamese language. I’ve tried hard but I’ve not been able to understand texts of the second class,” said Keisuke.

A common similarity among the volunteers is their unhesitating attitude towards challenges. Tateno Tomoko is not an exception. She holds a master’s degree in environmental sciences from Tsukuba University.

She has worked in Tam Binh District of Vinh Long Province for seven months to help locals grow a new species of king orange.

“Vietnamese farmers are hard working, but they don’t have adequate knowledge of agricultural techniques, so they earn a small income,” Tomoko said.

“I want to help them improve their life and that makes my life more significant.”

Yet she couldn’t hold back her tears when her time in Vietnam began after facing frequent electricity cuts.

Doan Ngoc Thanh Xuan, vice director of the DARD Vinh Long, commented on the contribution of volunteers, “It’s a big sacrifice.”