Three new Japanese volunteers in town

A new wave of Japanese volunteers arrived in St. Vincent recently, augmenting the six volunteers who came here a year ago.
Masahiro Kato, Hiroko Kumano and Yoshiko Matsumura landed on the island on July 21st after a gruelling trip that took them nearly half way around the world. {{more}}The volunteers are here under the auspices of Japan Overseas Cooperation Volunteers (JOCV).
Kato, who specialized in Education and International Development at the Institute of Education, University of London, will be working at the Liberty Lodge Boys’ Training Centre as a youth activity officer.
Kumano, who studied biology with emphasis on the evolution and ecology of plants will be dispatched to the Forestry Department as an ecological researcher.
Matsumura, an environmental educator, will work with the Environmental Coordinating Unit where she will assist with public awareness programmes in St. Vincent and the Grenadines.
The volunteers, who will be on St. Vincent for two years, are spending their first month getting familiar with the country, and brushing up on their English. They are presently spending two weeks living with host families before setting up housekeeping on their own when they will be officially dispatched to their work stations from August 23.
The JOCV has its offices at Indian Bay. Tetsuta Okada is the coordinator. For information about the program, visit or call 457-5184.