The Vice President Kwesi Bekoe Amissah-Arthur has lauded the contribution of Japanese Volunteerism to the local development in Ghana.
He noted that Japan has over the years contributed an appreciable number of volunteers who are posted to rural communities to serve, and this he said has impacted significantly on development in these areas.
The Vice President made these remarks when he met a team of Volunteers from Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) led by the Japanese Ambassador to Ghana, Naoto Nikai at the Flagstaff House.
The Volunteers are in the country to provide rural community service in the area of Education.
Mr. Amissah-Arthur used the occasion to urge the Volunteers to use their stay here to strengthen the good relations between Ghana and Japan.
He noted that Ghana is a very peaceful country with very hospitable population, all of which are meant to make the volunteers’ stay very comfortable.
The Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA)’s volunteer programme was established to support Japanese citizens of various background and ages who wish to co-operate in the economic and social development of developing countries.
And here in Ghana, the program has dispatched some 1,180 volunteers into various parts of the country since its formation 37 years ago.
The Vice President, Amissah-Arthur also said Ghana remains grateful to the volunteers for their contribution to the overall development of Ghana especially in the areas of education, health and support of youth development.
These sectors the Vice President remarked are very critical areas which government commits a lot of its attention to.
The Japanese Ambassador to Ghana, Naoto Nikai was grateful to the Ghana government for opening their doors to Japanese volunteers whom he says continue to enjoy great life time experience from the Ghanaian environment.