Nepal: Relief Project for Aiding Survivors of Earthquake in Central Nepal –Completion of the First Phaseand Start of the Second2016.05.10 Tue 14:03/Emergency Relief
The main quake (M7.8) on April 25th and the afterquake on May 12th (M7.3) hit central Nepal and caused
death to more than 9000 people.
Following the field research in May, BHN offered recovery assistance to nine community FM radio stationsin Sindhupalchowk and five other districts from June.
It was initially planned to be completed by October, however, we had to suspend the project due to politicaldisturbance in Nepal that brought scarcity of gasoline and necessary goods.
Finding necessary resources and equipment in the free market, we resumed construction of radio stationbuildings in December in cooperation with the local partner, Asia-pacific office of AMARC (The World
Association of Community Radio Broadcasters.) We handed over repaired and/or rebuilt studios and radiostation buildings as well as delivered broadcasting equipment on December 25th, so that we could finallycomplete the project with two months’ delay.
<1st phase support activities>
District

FM Radio

Equipment

Building

BuildingStudioConstruction Renovation Renovation
Sindhupalchowk

Radio Sindhu○Sunkoshi FM○Dhading

Radio Dhading○Rasuwa

Radio Langtang

GorkhaDolakha

○

○

○
○

Radio Rasuwa○

Radio Gorkha○

Barpak FM○

Radio Sailung○

Hamro FM○

○
○

○

○

Furthermore, we have begun the second phase of the project, spanning 100 days from February 18th toMay 24th. Eight target radio stations are located in five districts near the epicenter, which were notaccessible last year. We will support studio repair works and deliver equipment as we did in the first phase.

Project Manager Kenichi Terauchi

Myanmar Karen: Training of “Solar Power System Advisers”
2016.05.17 Tue 10:51/Development Support

In the three-year project, BHN has installed solar power generation systems and radio telephone sets
(upon request) in Kayin (Karen) state, Myanmar, in three hospitals, eight high schools, one town halland seven villages without doctors.

The government of Kayin state has also installed solar power systems into many households inremote areas. However, the government staffs responsible for these areas do not have enoughknowledge about solar power electricity and its generation system so as to be able to give proper
advice to villagers.

To solve this situation, upon request from the state government, BHN conducted trainings for thegovernment staffs both in class and in field. After the training and following examinations, BHN
awarded “Solar Power System Adviser” title to 19 qualified government staffs.

In the graduation ceremony in January, more than 100 government directors and staffs participatedto celebrate the award recipients. These staffs are now going around the remote areas wearing theblue shirts with “Solar System Adviser” printed on the back.

By Hirofumi Aizawa – Project Manager

Myanmar Karen: Water Pump Installed in Kaw Tar Ho Village
2016.07.28 Thu 10:26/Development Support

The village of Kaw Tar Ho (KTH) is located in the Eastern part of the State of Kayin (Karen) ,about onehour drive from the State capital, Hpa An, with 175 households (about 1500 villagers). As KTH village has
suffered from armed clashes several times, many of the villagers are returnees from refugee camps or IDPs
(Internally Displaced Persons).
Mainly due to lack of irrigation system, the villagers can harvest rice crops only once a year, whereas, inmost other areas of Myanmar, rice is commonly produced twice a year. Thus the water shortage has been
an obstacle for the villagers in getting more money through multiple cropping as well as in improving their
daily lives.
Their well is shallow and dry up easily in dry seasons. Until a few years ago, they used to pump water up
from the deep well in the village of Shwe In Don (SID) located about 700 m away from KTH village andthen stream the water using water conduit, however, the fuel cost for running the water pump was too
expensive for them to continue paying. Therefore, they couldn’t help but carrying water buckets on theirshoulders from nearby villages and rivers since seven or eight years ago.
BHN was about to close the works for the 2016 fiscal year by the end of March, when it decided to installsolar powered pump for the well in the village of SID so as to enable water supply without the need of fuelfor running the pump. The water pipes connecting to the two villages had been abandoned for some time
but the villagers volunteered to repair them.
In early June, the water pump started again to supply water for the two villages. The villagers applauded

as they watched the water tank filled up very quickly, and later, the villagers were so thankful that theirrepresentatives visited our office in Hpa An and handed an appreciation letter to BHN.

By Hirofumi Aizawa – Project Manager

Myanmar Delta Area: Community Loud Speaker System Management Workshop and Disaster Training
Course held in Bogale and Pyapon
2016.08.08 Mon 13:47/Development Support

In the first phase project started last September, community loud speaker system installation began in
March this year and was completed before water festival in April.
After each installation, we have been providing villagers knowledge and skills by holding workshops on
system operation and management in order to enable the system to be used properly and sustainably. Thistime, 57 people from 22 villages in Bogale and 62 people from 22 villages in Pyapon participated. Not only
teaching techniques and knowhow, but we also encouraged participants to exchange their thoughts.
Furthermore, in addition to emphasizing the significance of the system, we explained how to use thesystem in ordinary and emergency situations, together with its maintenance and management. We also
introduced practical examples of disaster warning wireless systems in Japan.
Besides, we cooperated with SEEDS Asia (a Japanese NGO) on disaster training. Parking a disastertraining vehicle at the site, they explained about mechanisms of natural disaster such as cyclone, storm
surge and flood and evacuation procedure using miniature models. All participants answered “Yes” in aquestionnaire that asked them if the training was meaningful and useful on their daily life.

As a new content of the project, we prepared hazard maps and put on bulletin boards in 12 villages. In thehazard maps, evacuation routes are shown and highest water level of the last cyclone is marked on its
pillar. In a briefing session after installation, villagers were pleased finding their homes on a map.
From now on, we will monitor the community loud speaker system every other year to assure that they areproperly taken care of. Also, we keep telling about hazard maps to develop better understanding.

Project officer Eiichi WatanabeMyanmar Karen: Research Visits in the KNU areas
2016.10.17 Mon 15:21/Development Support

Soon after the independence of Burma in 1948, the people of “Karen” was one of the first ethnical groups
that revolted against the central Burmese government to achieve independence (then after, broaderautonomy) in their areas. More than 60 years of appalling civil battle continued, but at last, KNU (KarenNational Union) signed the ceasefire agreement with the Myanmar government along with the other 7
ethnical armed groups (EAGs) by the end of last year.
To contribute to the progress toward permanent peace by making people in the KNU areas to realize thevalue of peace, BHN started a project to install solar electric systems into 1,370 households in the areas ofthe state of Kayin (Karen).
The EAG areas definitely lack all kinds of infrastructures including paved roads. Since Myanmar is now inthe middle of rainy season, the access to the villages is possible only by boat and on foot. BHN engineers
are conducting research visits to remote villages, walking in mud from time to time and staying in villagers’houses every night.
Actual installation works are expected to start from the end of October (depending on the weather
circumstances). Now the procurement of materials and the preparation of standard work arrangements areunder way.

By Hirofumi Aizawa – Project Manager

Myanmar Karen: Implementation of training system for state staff on solar systems
2016.12.26 Mon 12:17/Development Support

In Myanmar, access to national grid services is still limited to around 30% of the total population and theelectric service is frequently interrupted by black-outs even in the big cities. In the State of Kayin(=Karen),the electrification ratio is still under 10%, one of the lowest figures in Myanmar.
In order to improve such a situation, especially in the public facilities, BHN has been installing solar powersystems to eight high schools, three hospitals, one village well and other public places since 2013.
The State Government of Kayin is also actively distributing solar systems to private houses in the rural
areas, however, they just give equipment without necessary information for installation, usage andmaintenance. At the same time, the State staff do not have sufficient knowledge to teach villagers on theproper use of solar systems they have distributed. Such a situation caused too many severe damages andtroubles with the solar systems.
For the purpose of nurturing the State staff in charge, BHN conducted educational courses in 2014-2015.
The curriculum was designed to enable them to guide villagers on the proper use of solar systems, as wellas on ways how to repair simple defects.

In 2016, BHN started an advanced course to train them on two tiers or levels: Solar System Adviser course(Tier-1) and Training on Trainers course (Tier-2). Once the students pass the examination for Tier-1, they
will be awarded the title of “Solar Power System Adviser” from the State Government. On Tier-2, students
are basically chosen from the Solar Power System Advisers of the preceding year expected to play the roleof training future Solar Power Advisers.
By running these courses even after BHN has left, the State Government will have a sustainable system
for fostering future Solar Advisers.
By Hirofumi Aizawa, Project Manager

Nepal: Second phase assistance activities to earthquake-affected people successfully completed
2017.02.08 Wed 15:28/Emergency Relief

The earthquake that occurred in Nepal on 25th April 2015 victimized nearly 9,000 people and injured
another 22,000. The number of damaged houses reached one million. Following the first phase support
activities which started immediately after the earthquake on 18th June 2015 until 25th December 2015,
BHN started the second phase support for FM radio stations on 18th February 2016 and successfullycompleted the support activities on 24th May 2016 as planned.
Assistance to FM Radio Stations on Remote and Mountainous Areas
In the second phase, BHN provided broadcasting equipment and rebuilt hut for eight FM radio relay
stations in five districts around the epicenter.
Out of these eight stations, six stations outside Kathmandu were those which had been excluded fromtarget areas in the first phase because of the difficulty to access the sites: they were located in remotemountainous areas, thus prone to road closure and highly risky to landslides in rainy seasons.
Kairan FM station is located in a highland region at 2800m above sea level so that the local government’s
support could not reach this area. For this FM station, we set up UPS batteries upon their request. Since
the site is in a remote area, it took us more than ten hours to arrive. After setting up the UPS, the Kairan
FM station chief told us happily that they can respond to local people’s consultation requests, which areincreasing in number after the earthquake, since the batteries enable them to continue broadcasting evenduring power outage, which sometime lasts as many as 14 hours a day.

In the Palung FM station three hours from Kathmandu, we supported the rebuilding of the collapsedstation hut. This station hut was on the summit of a mountain 2750m high and it took us about 30 minutes
to climb up a steep and rocky road from the foot of the mountain, so manpower was the only way to carry
the materials. In the opening ceremony held on 22nd May, not only the FM station staff, but also local
parliamentarians, local government managers and local residents attended. This reminded us that the roleof the FM station to the area was very significant.
<2nd phase support activities>
District

FM Radio Station

Equipment

Relay Station
Reconstruction

RamechhapKairanX

Likhu

X

HazurkoX

Nuwakot

Nuwakot

X

Makuwanpur

PalungLamjungMarsyangdi

X

Kathmandu

NewaXMeroX

X

Support for introducing new services
BHN introduced the case of a Day Care Center in the city of Patan to the members of the FM stations as an
example of possible future local service (Table 2). The Day Care center was established with thecooperation of professors of Japanese universities and it is voluntarily run by the local women’s association

in Patan City. Palung and Sindhu FM stations showed strong interests in the introduction of a similar DayCare Center in order to enhance the role of the FM station as a community center, and local municipalities
also expressed their intention to support the FM stations. They are more positive than expected and we areplanning to consider ways for supporting them in the future.

FM Station nameFM station’s comment

Municipality’s comment

Palungwilling to introduce

ready to help introduce

Sindhuwilling to introduce

ready to form a committee

Newainterested(no chance to ask for comments)

Support needs to continue
Although the FM stations operated by NGOs in Nepal are financially in a tough situation already, thisearthquake made the situation more difficult. Even now after more than one year, some FM stations
damaged by the earthquake do not have the prospects of getting repaired yet. For example, at the Hazurko
FM station, the staff has continued broadcasting from the station house that has been cracked even though
they knew it is dangerous. As another example, the Newa FM station installed a temporary antenna andhas been using it since, because they cannot repair the damaged antenna due to lack of budget. These cases
clearly indicate they need continued assistance.
Project Officer, Hiromichi Suzuki

Completion of Second Semester of the 18th BHN Human Development Program
2017.02.20 Mon 17:10/Human Resources Dev.

The second semester of the 18th BHN Human Development Program was held in Tokyo from June 1 to 24,
2016. Each of the following nine Asian countries sent one participant; Bangladesh, Cambodia, Indonesia,Laos, Myanmar, Philippines, Sri Lanka, Uzbekistan and Viet Nam. The group comprised of five engineersand four non-engineers, with seven males and two females. They were promising persons engaging in ICT
related ministries or telecommunication service firms.
Programs focused on topics of high interest in Asia
This course intensively aims at fostering leaders in the ICT field in Asian countries with balanced thinking
ability and global sense (cosmopolitan way of thinking).
In the first half of the training as the HIDA’s* orientation program, the participants learned Japaneseculture and the basic knowledge necessary for staying in Japan. In the second half, they completed BHN
Training Course focusing on ICT-related topics considered to be highly interesting to Asian countries.
*HIDA: The Overseas Human Resource and Industry Development Association
In the lectures and study visits, we adopted topics covering a wide range of fields and special topics relatedto “disaster risk reduction, medical care and agriculture by utilizing ICT” and “future perspective of society
based on the rapid development of ICT from the aspect of technology and business.” The participants highly
evaluated the lectures which we believe to have satisfied their interests.
Through the study visits, the participants visited and had hands-on training at research institutes,
manufacturing sites of Japanese companies and agricultural laboratory of Japanese unisersity which arefully equipped with cutting edge technologies.
In the weekend homestay, the trainees received dedicated reception with warm hospitality from hostfamilies and it made these two days the most heartfelt and memorable moment during their stay in Japan.

See all pictures

http://www.bhn.or.jp/official/archives/fcat/jinzai
Commencement Ceremony
In addition to the lecturers, host families, cooperating company employees and guests representing theembassies including the Cambodian Ambassador attended the Commencement Ceremony who deliveredcongratulatory addresses. And also, the guests kindly watched the presentation of completion certificateshanded to the participants.
Project Manager, Kazuhisa Konoma