Issued in

2023

BHN Association
Telecom for Basic Human Needs

Annual Report FY 2022

Telecom for Basic Human Needs

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About BHN Association
Headed by top leaders of ICT industry in Japan, the BHN Association (BHN) was established in 1992 asa non-governmental organization specializing in ICT*. BHN commenced its first support activity for thepeople afflicted by the catastrophic disaster at Chernobyl (1992-94) constructing 120km microwave limk
between Obninsk and Moscow, and implementing a medical information system as well as a TV
conference system to hospitals. Since then, we have continued our efforts to realize our vision to this day.
BHN stands for basic human needs, that is, fundamental requirements to be satisfied for a person to live a
decent life. Securing food, clothing, and shelter have traditionally been thought of as the three essential
components required to meet the requirements of basic human needs. However, at the present time, we
could say that gaining access to ICT also constitutes a part of these requirements.
The activities of BHN are performed mostly by volunteer experts – experienced, skillful ICT engineers
and specialists. BHN mobilizes its human capital such as knowledge, experience, skill and human
networks to carry out a variety of projects. In order to deliver the best result to local communities, we
collaborate with local actors such as people, communities, partner organizations and governmental
agencies. BHN deploys activities in three major areas – (1) Social Development, (2) Emergency Relief,and (3) Human Resource Development.
*ICT=Information and Communication Technology
The fundamental importance of ICT infrastructures as an essential element in economic and social development
was recognized at United Nation’s Assembly in 1981.

Profile of BHN
Name
What is BHN?
Address
Establishment
Members
Organization

Operating Expenses

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BHN Association

BHN Association“BHN” stands for “Basic Human Needs” which are indispensable for humanlife such as clothing, food and shelter. We believe that “information” could be
an important part of “BHN”.
NTT Ueno Bldg., 5-24-11 Ueno, Taito-ku, Tokyo, Japan 110-0005
September 1992 (Voluntary Organization)
September 1999 (Non-profit Organization)
March 2010 (Certified Non-profit Organization)
Corporations: 50, Individuals: 268 (As of March 2023)
Chairperson: Makoto YAMASHITA
President: Hideo INOU
Secretary General: Takeshi TOMINO
Board Members: 38（Executive Directors:36, Auditors:2）
Full-time Staff: 4
Part-time Staff/Volunteers: about 70 (including overseas staff)
205M JPY (about 1.5M USD) (FY2022)

What BHN is aiming for
What BHN is aiming for and in what areas it is providing assistance are as follows.

VisionWe aim for everyone in the world regardless of their environment or situation, to have access necessary
information and want to create a society that provides safety and security for all people.

MissionBy utilizing ICT, we aim to provide safety, security, and relief for people in developing countries anddisaster areas, improve their living environment, and help solve social issues.

Three core pillars
BHN activities have three core pillars.
(1) Social Development(2) Emergency Relief(3) Human Resource Development.

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Over the past six years, a total of 30 projects have been implemented to support local residents, disastervictims, trainees and students in 36 countries and regions.

Area of BHN Activities (2017 to 2022)

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BHN Association

Review of BHN’s Operations for FY 2022
[Social Situation]
In fiscal 2022, the novel coronavirus continued to mutate, with Japan being hit by the seventh wave of thepandemic in the summer, followed by the eighth wave in the fall and winter. But, in 2023, the situation
has finally shown signs that it is beginning to abate.
Globally, since the military coup in Myanmar and Russia's invasion of Ukraine, the world has become
increasingly divided, and civilian life has become impoverished due to the disruption of economic andpolitical systems. Furthermore, large-scale natural disasters have occurred in Pakistan, Turkey, and Syria
with the need for humanitarian assistance increasing daily.

[Summary of Activities]
Under these circumstances, BHN promoted support activities and organizational management in line with
"With Corona," placing the highest priority on the safety of officers, volunteers, and related personnel.
Under the mid-to-long-term activity goal of "contributing to the achievement of the SDGs from thestandpoint of an NGO through the use of ICT," and based on the fiscal 2022 business plan and budget(approved at the Board Meeting on March 18, 2022), this fiscal year, BHN continued to focus on threecore pillars: (1) support for improving people's lives, (2) humanitarian assistance in times of emergency,and (3) support for human development.
In addition, we have endeavored to link all projects to the achievement of the SDGs and have also aimed
to strengthen the project promotion system and expand our financial resources by considering the tandem
principles of "improvement of project quality" and "expansion of fundraising".
In addition, as the risk of business continuity in Myanmar is increasing, new business development has
become an urgent issue, and we worked on new business development in parallel with the promotion ofexisting businesses. Furthermore, since 2022 marked the 30th anniversary of the establishment of BHN
and the 15th anniversary of the Kansai Office activities, a series of commemorative events were held.

[Activities for Social Development]
As for social development assistance projects, two projects in Myanmar funded by the Japanese Ministryof Foreign Affairs (MOFA) through the Grant Assistance for Japanese NGO projects (“N-Ren”) were
finally completed at the end of October after several extensions due to the Corona pandemic and themilitary coup d'état.
The next project in Karen and Mon State was also selected by MOFA, and the new project started in
January 2023.
In addition, we donated educational tablet terminals to the Ifugao State University in the Philippines andheld a presentation ceremony.
As for domestic projects, a well-balanced combination of remote and on-site assistance has been provided
according to the status of the corona infection rate, and projects to support victims of the Kumamoto
earthquake and the torrential rain in western Japan were completed at the end of this fiscal year.

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Computer literacy equipment was supplied to ten schools for future jobs in Myanmar[Emergency Relief]
As for emergency humanitarian assistance projects, there were no projects implemented during the fiscal
year, either in Japan or overseas.

[Human Resource Development]
As for the human resource development support program, Lectures of BHN Dr. Kuwabara DonationSupported Course were conducted in a hybrid format, and lectures of Asia-Pacific Telecommunity (APT)
Training Course were given online.
2nd semester classes of 23rd and 1st semester classes of 24th BHN Human Development Program were
held in FY 2022. The former was held in Japan in person and the latter was held online in cooperation
with the Multimedia University of Malaysia (MMU).
Two Bangladeshi students sponsored by BHN Dr. Kuwabara’s Fund Scholarship Program are doing wellin their studies at the National Graduate Institute for Policy Studies (GRIPS) in Tokyo.

Two scholarship students and Dr. Kuwabara(center)

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BHN Association

[Organizational Management]
In terms of organizational management, BHN promoted digital transformation (DX) within BHN, aiming
to realize an efficient and productive work style suitable for the age of the coronavirus.
In February, BHN outsourced its accounting and payroll functions as part of the DX initiative. In March,an Accountability Self-Check (ASC) was conducted to assess the trustworthiness of BHN as anorganization.

[Public Relations]With regard to public relations and awareness-raising activities, we endeavored to disseminate
information in a timely manner through our website and newsletters, and exhibited at GLOBAL FEASTAJAPAN 2022 in October.
The Kansai Office held a lecture meeting and photo exhibition online in November, published the 15th
anniversary commemorative magazine in January, and exhibited at the One World Festival in February.

BHN exhibition booth in GLOBAL FESTA JAPAN 2022

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[Financials]
Despite the continued unrest in Myanmar and the Corona pandemic, in FY2022, ordinary income was
236,132 thousand yen (108% of the budget). Ordinary expenses were 205,052 thousand yen (94% of thebudget), net changes in ordinary income totaled 31,080 thousand yen (+31,007 thousand yen overbudget), and net changes in net assets after tax totaled 31,384 thousand yen (+31,382 thousand yen overbudget).
The significant increase in net assets was due to large donations from corporations and individuals andhaving no expenses for BHN Dr. Kuwabara Donation-Supported Course this fiscal year.
As this increase in net assets was a result of unforeseen circumstances, it should be considered a one-off
event, and doesn’t negate the need to continue working to strengthen the BHN’s stable financial base.
IncomeBHN’s income totaled JPY 236 million in FY2021.
From a source viewpoint, “Grants and Subsidies”
totaled JPY 141 million, 60% of the total.
“Revenue from Contracted Services” was JPY 11
million, 11% of the total, and “Membership Fee /Donation” – contributions – was JPY 84 million, 35%of the total.

Expenditures
Expenditures totaled JPY 205 million, in FY 2022.
“Social Development” related expenditures was
JPY 142 million and accounts for 69% of the total.
“Emergency Relief expenditure” was JPY 0 million,
0% of the total. “Human Resource Development”
was JPY 15 million, 7% of the total. And general andadministrative expenses were JPY 47 million,
accounting for 23% of total expenditure.

Ｉｎｃｏｍｅ（FY2022）

Expenditures(FY2022）

total 236 million Yen

total 205 million Yen
Other
1
(1%)

AD
47

MD
84
35%

GS
141
60%

(23%)

SD
142

HRD
15

(69%)

(7%)

CS
11
5%

ER
0
in millions JPY

Grants and Subsidies (GS)Revenue from Contracted Services (CS)Membership Fee/Donation (MD)(0%)

Social Development (SD)
Emergency Relief (ER)
Human Resource Development (HRD)
Administration (AD)
Other

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BHN Associationin millions JPY

Appendix

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Activities
I

Social Development

There are a number of underprivileged people whose basic human needs are not being sufficiently met.
BHN supports such people and communities to improve their standard of living and to develop theircapabilites utilizing ICT.

Projects Conducted by BHN（Refer to Table 1.）― Establishment and management of a community radio stations for disaster risk reduction andbetterment of rural communities― Electrification of rural habitation with solar power generation― Training for the using and maintaining of ICT systems following installation― Telemedicine networks over the internet for prenatal and postnatal care (perinatal period care)― Telemetering system to monitor river water levels for disaster prevention― Distance learning systems at isolated school utilizing multimedia technology

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BHN Association

Table 1 Major Social Development Support Activities
No.
Project description
1 Support for victims of the Chernobyl Nuclear Power
Plant accident (Microwave circuit construction fortelemedicine via satellite)
2 Support for wireless network construction for medicalcare centers in rural areas
3 Donation of PBX equipment to hospitals
4 Support for telemedicine systems
5
6

7
8
9

10

11

Training in IT skills and wireless technology
Area Information Transmission System (disastermanagement, improving living environment) (anapplication of Japan's Disaster Management
Administration Radio System")
Installation of and training on how to use equipment
related to solar power generation systems (Support forethnic minority returnees, victims of conflict)
Construction of and training on how to use community
FM broadcasting station
Support for victims of the Great East Japan Earthquake- Emergency Support- Broadcasting stations- ICT support
ICT support in disaster-stricken areas- Earthquake in Kumamoto, Kyushu- Torrential rains in western Japan- Torrential rains in northern Kyushu- Typhoon 15 & 19, in 2019
- Torrential rains in 2020
Disaster risk reduction support and health and hygieneawareness improvement projects in schools andvillages in Gwa Township, Rakhine StateCounty / Area
Russia, Republic of Belarus,
Kazakhstan

Period1992 - 1994

Laos, Afghanistan

1998 - 2007

Myanmar, Ukraine, Afghanistan
Malaysia, Thailand
Afghanistan
Myanmar1997 - 2003
1999 - 20082010 - 20132004 - 2006
2013 - 2019

Myanmar2013 - 2019

Bangladesh

2013 - 2017

Japan
Iwate pref.
2011
Iwate, Miyagi and Fukushima pref.
2011 - 2014
Ishinomaki, Miyagi pref.
2011 - 2019
Iitate, Fukushima pref.
2011 - 2020
Japan
Kumamoto pref.
2016 - 2020
Hiroshima pref.
2018 - 2020
Asakura, Fukuoka pref.
2020
Marumori, Miyagi pref.
2020
Kure, Saka and Mihara, Hiroshima pref. 2020
Myanmar2020 -

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II

Emergency Relief

Natural disasters such as earthquakes, floods, cyclones and tsunamis disrupt communities and threaten
people’s lives.
As emergency relief, BHN provides those affected in the devastated areas with ICT support to accesslifeline information and communication networks for quick recovery after disasters.
.
Projects Conducted by BHN（Refer to Table 2）― Community address system to furnish timely indispensable information― Restoration of community radio stations and provision of broadcasting equipment― ICT support – PC, printer and internet access – for local government and residents― Safety confirmation system using satellite phones― Wireless and satellite communication systems as an emergency measure

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BHN Association

Table 2 Major Emergency Relief Activities
Event
1. Earthquake

No.
(1)
(2)
(3)
(4)
(5)
(6)
(7)

(8)
(9)
(10)
(11)
2. Typhoon
CycloneHurricane

(1)
(2)
(3)
(4)

3. Tsunami

(1)
(2)

4. Refugees

(1)
(2)

County / Area
Taiwan, Turkey

Description of Supports
Providing radio equipment, free telephoneservices via satellite
India
Communication support for medical teams
Iran
FM broadcasting station equipment,
distribution of radios
PakistanFree telephone services via satellite,
Community Addressing (CA) Systems
Indonesia
Well pump, distribution of radios
Haiti
Community FM broadcasting station
restoration, CA system
Japan
Installation of internet connections t for(3 Prefectures in Tohoku) evacuation shelters, construction andrestoration of temporary disasterbroadcasting stations
Nepal
Construction and restoration of community
FM broadcasting stations
Japan
Community support such as PCs, ICT(Kumamoto Pref)environments, etc. for temporary housing
estatesJapan
Community support such as PCs, ICT(Hokkaido)
environments, etc. for temporary housing
estatesIndonesia (Sulawesi)
Community FM broadcasting station,
distribution of radios
Honduras
Providing communication equipment
MyanmarCommunity Addressing (CA) Systems
the Philippines
CA System, ICT stations
Japan
Community support such as PCs, ICT(Hiroshima Pref)environments, etc. for temporary housing
estatesIndonesia, Sri Lanka
Community FM broadcasting station,
distribution of radios
Japan-Installation of internet connections in(3 Prefectures in Tohoku) temporary housing, operation support, etc.
(Coastal cities in Iwate Prefecture,
Ishinomaki City, Miyagi Prefecture, etc.)- Construction of an Information Network
for Victims (Iidate Village, Fukushima
Prefecture)- Construction and restoration ofbroadcasting stations, distributing radios(Tohoku 3 prefectures)
Afghanistan
Free telephone service via satellite
Iraq
Medical team communications support

Period
1999
2000
2004
2005
2006, 20092010 - 20142011

2015 - 2016
2016
2018
2018 - 20191998
2008, 20102013 - 2014
2018
2005
2011 - 20122011 - 20122011 - 2012
2002
2003

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III Human Resource Development
Human Resource Development is a core activity of BHN. We are giving ICT engineers and governmental
officers of ICT departments in developing countries opportunities to learn cutting-edge technologies andtheir applications.

BHN Human Development Program（Refer to Figure 1）

BHN Human Development Program (the ‘Program’) was established in 1998 as BHN’s own humanresource development program aiming to foster future leaders in the ICT field in Asian countries. The
Program has been inviting promising persons every year, currently from 9 Asian countries, and providingthem with a comprehensive training program lasting two semesters, that is, the first semester in Malaysia
and the second semester in Japan. A total of 176 people from 13 different countries have participatedsince its inception through to the 23rd program.

BHN Human Resource Develpment Program
12

240

10

200

8

160

6

120
10

4

2

0

9

9

10

9

8

8

8

8

7

8

8

9

8

9

5
3

8

8
6

8
＊

7

40

3
0

＊

1998
99 2000
01
02
03
04
05
06
07
08
09 2010 11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19 2020(1st) (2nd) (3rd) (4th) (5th) (6th) (7th) (8th) (9th) (10th) (11th) (12th) (13th) (14th) (15th) (16th) (17th) (18th) (19th) (20th) (21st) (22nd)

21

Participants

22(23rd)

Participants-accumulated＊Although the 1st semester of 22nd progaram took place in 2019, the 2nd semester was postponed to2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Figure 1

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BHN Association

80

Number of participants in BHN Human Development Program0

Participants-accumulated

Participants176

Asia-Pacific Telecommunity (APT) Training Course（Refer to Figure 2）

APT, founded as a joint initiative between the UN Economic and Social Commission for Asia and thePacific (ESCAP) and International Telecommunication Union (ITU) in 1979, has been providing humancapacity building activities programs to its member countries and territories.
BHN has been entrusted with providing APT/EBC-J* human resource development programs and APT
has sponsored the programs since FY2011
Participants in the course program take lectures from ICT experts and researchers in Tokyo and visit thecompanies and projects to see the ICT application with their own eyes. However, the program in 2019was suspended due to the sweeping COVID-19 pandemic.
The program resumed in the form of online training in 2020 and 2021, many participants taking thecourse in their home countries.
Since this program began, the numbers of participants and countries/regions have reached 150 and 28
respectively. APT members and recent participants in the training course are shown in Figures 2.

*EBC-J : Extra-Budgetary Contribution from the Government of Japan

Figure 2

Participants in APT Training Course and APT Countries(Source: BHN Implementation Report on 2022 APT Training)

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BHN Dr. Kuwabara Donation-Supported Course
BHN Association, in collaboration with the University of Electro-Communications （UEC）, Tokyo,
established a course - “BHN Kuwabara Donation Supported Course” - in 2019.
This graduate course is funded with an endowment from Dr. M. Kuwabara, advisor to BHN and ex-vicepresident of NTT, and is being held annually at UEC for eight years, from 2019 to 2026.
This course is designed mainly for students from developing countries to deepen their understanding of
SDGs and ICTs which facilitate them their attaining the goals.
This donation-supported course of study includes two courses titled “Information and Communications
Technologies for SDGs” and “International Communication for Science and Technology” for a full year two semesters. Students from overseas – 38 students from 10 countries and regions for the former courseand 21 students from 11 countries and regions for the latter course – took these courses in the 2022
academic year.
Students from UEC attended the class on campus, and students from other universities, under the “Super
Partnership Program for Graduate Schools”, e.g., Muroran Institute of Technology, Muroran, and Akita
Prefectural University, Akita, also attended the class online.

BHN Dr. Kuwabara’s Fund Scholarship Program
BHN Dr. Kuwabara’s Fund Scholarship Program (the ‘Kuwabara Scholarship’) was established in March
2020 and funded by a considerable donation from Dr. Moriji Kuwabara, former Chairman of BHN
Association. Based on the vision of Dr. Kuwabara, the Kuwabara Scholarship has been offering theopportunity to former participants of the BHN Human Development Program to enroll on a one year
master’s degree at top Japanese Universities: the National Graduate Institute for Policy Study and
Hitotsubashi University Business School, to increase their skills and knowledge. The Kuwabara
Scholarship basically accepts two scholarship students every year.

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BHN Association