2001 Fiscal Year Final Research Report Summary
The Role of Japan Overseas Cooperation Volunteers in Rural Poverty Alleviation in Sri Lanka
| Project/Area Number |
11630046
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| Research Category |
Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)
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| Allocation Type | Single-year Grants |
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| Section | 一般 |
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| Research Field |
経済政策(含経済事情)
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| Research Institution | Saga University |
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Principal Investigator |
PIYADASA.R Saga University, Faculty of Economics, Professor, 経済学部, 教授 (90221697)
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| Project Period (FY) |
1999 – 2001
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| Keywords | ODA / JICA / JOCV / Sri Lanka / Village Economy / Poverty / Agriculture / Alleviation |
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| Research Abstract |
JICA has spent 5,129 million Yen to dispatch a large number of JOCV volunteers to Sri Lanka during the period 1981-2000. This expenditure consists of about one percent of the total ODA budget allocated by Japan to Sri Lanka in the same period. However, this share was utilized to dispatch more than 500 volunteers to nearly 100 fields of socioeconomic activities of the country. The average cost per head accounted for about 10 million Yen. Thus, although it is difficult to evaluate the JOCV program as a volunteer program when it is evaluated in money terms, the contribution rate of volunteers to the host country society remains substantially at a higher level.
The survey also found that more than half of the volunteers aimed mainly to learn various aspects to improve their future life rather than contributing to the host country society. In particular, they noted to achieve the following aims : to get an opportunity to learn a foreign language ; to get an experience of a foreign culture, customs economy ; to avoid the unemployment problem ; and to save some money for the future. However, according to the survey results, the most of the volunteers have taught various technical know how necessary to improve the people's life, living in society as a member of the community. They advised villagers to make their own society to produced market-oriented goods using their own human and material capital to improve their living conditions. Finally, it can be proposed that the active participation and cooperation of the people in the private sector, government sector and the rural sector are necessary if we look for a meaningful result from the JOCV program.
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