Implementing Skills Training for Disaster Prevention, Telemedicine, and Sensor Networks (2014 APT-J4
Training)2015.04.21 Tue 13:37/Human Resources Dev.
The APT (Asia-Pacific Telecommunity) organizes human resource training courses every year under theframework called the APT-J4 Program for engineers from APT member countries who work in theinformation and communications sector. This year, we made a proposal, which was accepted by the APT,
for a training course on “The Use and Application of ICT Services and E-applications to Bridge the Digital
Divide.” This is the fourth consecutive training course with which we have been entrusted by the APT since
2011.
APT trainings are aimed to build the human resources necessary to develop the economies and societies ofdeveloping countries. In order to do so, the APT solicited and selected participants for this training course
from APT member countries, getting 13 people from 12 countries to come to Japan. For three weeks,
beginning on March 3rd, 2015, we introduced the participants to various examples of ICT applications
currently being used in Japan in places like Tokyo, Sendai, and Tono. These include disaster prevention
and reduction systems, telemedicine, M2M sensor networks, as well as environmental and E-agriculture.

Although broadband networks are nowadays widely available through optical and mobile communications
in many Asian countries, big issues remain, like regional inequality in medical services and education, as
well as the lack of knowledge concerning information security.
Now that all the participants have had the chance to learn about how Japan implements advanced ICT in
new urban development projects, and that they have been able to look at real-life examples, we hope they
will become future core citizens of their respective countries who can promote their countries’ necessary
projects by using ICT. We think that this training course has served as a good preparation for investigating
specific joint projects with each country within the framework of the APT-J3/J2 programs in the future.
The distinctive features of this training were the following: a) that the participants had the opportunity toparticipate in the Third UN World Conference on Disaster Risk Reduction, held in Sendai; b) that they
increased their awareness concerning disaster prevention and reduction by observing the area struck bythe Great East Japan Earthquake; and c) that they obtained insights for planning projects for their own
countries by learning about sensor technology that forms the basis of medical ICT and environmental ICT.
As a result of the rapid increase of devices like smartphones and tablets, as well as the growth of the
distribution of rich content, these things have come to form a new and vital foundation for people’s daily lifeand socioeconomic activity. Seeing the fact that the participants were more proficient at using ICT devices
compared to the BHN staff who accompanied them to the observation sites, we hope that the participants
will quickly incorporate and extend the use of Japan’s advanced technology.
Normally, the APT pays the travel fees for one participant per country as an “APT fellow.” However, there
was another participant from Afghanistan in addition to the APT fellow, paying necessary expenses on
their own. This was the second year in a row that additional participants have been sent from Afghanistan
at their own expense. We understand that this is a sign that people appreciate the content of the trainings
offered by BHN. At the same time, we were happy to find out that the participant from Myanmar was oneof the participants of the BHN’s first human resource training 16 years ago. We feel that we have been able
to build much stronger human connections throughout Asia.
Thanks to all the BHN staff who supported this project by fulfilling their respective roles, we were able tosuccessfully finish conducting the training. We sincerely thank everyone for their help.

Hachihei Kurematsu, Vice President
English translation by Mariah Gomes

Report on Initial Investigation of the April 2015 Nepal Earthquake (Report 3) : Investigative Team Has
Returned Home
2015.06.25 Thu 16:37/Emergency Relief（05.15）
Two members of the investigative team that went to Nepal on May 3rd and continued the investigation
returned home on May 14th. Therefore, including the member who had already returned, all members havesafely come home.
On May 12th, the day before the two members were to return, there was a large M7.3 aftershock. Due to this,
there were worries about their returning home; nevertheless, they were able to complete their duties andsafely return home.

From May 4th until May 12th, the investigative team exchanged information with four organizations,
including the U.N. Emergency Telecommunications Cluster (ETC), as well as ICT related organizations in
Nepal.
The team also exchanged information with two experts; additionally, it investigated five locations that werestruck by the earthquake, as well as four refugee camps. In report 2 (only in Japanese), we included some
information on the state of the areas affected, and in report 3 we detail some of the investigation’s results.

In the past, BHN has helped with setting up CA systems (Community Addressing System), restoring FM
radio stations, and providing mobile phone charging services for emergency aid in countries like thePhilippines, Haiti, and Myanmar in response to disasters such as earthquakes and hurricanes.
Just as we have in the past, in response to this earthquake, we met with Nepali organizations we had
contacted before and confirmed the need for these services.
As a result of the meeting, we learned that there are nearly 500 FM radio stations throughout Nepal, andthat they constitute the mass media that covers almost the entire country. Furthermore, we discovered that
dozens of community FM radio stations were damaged as a result of this earthquake.
On one hand, we learned that CA systems do not have a very good reputation in Nepal because in some cases
they have caused noise complaints owing to the fact that CA systems rely on the use of loudspeakers to convey
information. In addition, refugee camps that we had assumed to be the sites for installing CA systems arebeing closed down in succession.
On the other hand, we received requests from the U.N. ETC, as well as from a number of other organizations
to assist with recovery of damaged community FM radio stations. Furthermore, in regards to a mobile phonecharging service, it is true that needs for such a service exist, but these needs are mostly from remote areasin the mountains. Due to this, we found that there would be considerable difficulty associated with providing
traveling mobile phone charging services.
Therefore, in order to investigate the damage to community FM radio stations, we visited Radio Sindhu (105MHz, 100W) in one of the most damaged areas, Sindhupalchowk district, which is approximately 90km eastof Kathmandu.

The office building that housed the station was cracked by the earthquake, causing it to be uninhabitable.
Therefore, the broadcasting equipment was transported from the building, and the station’s broadcast was
finally restarted two days after the earthquake.
The tent that replaced the studio was donated the day before we visited. Before that, the people who run thestation were forced to broadcast from an extremely small tent that barely fit one person. At present, the tent
is set up on the premises of the district’s administrative affairs office.
The tent needs to be removed soon, but the station cannot be sent back to its original building. Therefore, thestation’s manager is searching for vacant land from which to broadcast.
Here at BHN, we hope to quickly advance plans to create and implement an aid project based on theinformation that we have obtained from the area, as well as the requests that we have received.
English translation by Mariah Gomes

New Installation of Solar Power Systems continue
2015.07.09 Thu 18:04/Development Support
As the rainy season is starting in Myanmar we are accelerating our solar power installation works.
The construction of roads and bridges are going on at surprising speed in the Karen State, yet, there still aremany rivers without bridges and, when the river is wide and deep, we have to use boat to carry equipment& materials.

After the completion of the solar systems, their ownerships are transferred to the owner of thepremises(school or hospital).
As the maintenance work is quite important for the longer life of the systems, as well as to save the cost for
maintenance, we are conducting maintenance training, choosing people to take responsibility for the
maintenance works.

Currently we are working to install solar power systems to the District Hospital with 100 beds in thetownship of Hpa Pun, which is expected to be finished by the middle of July.
By Hirofumi Aizawa, Project Manager

Myanmar Karen: Installation of New Solar Power System in Paung High School
2014.08.01 Fri 10:17/Development Support
By the end of May 2014, BHN Association completed installation of a solar power system in the High Schoolof Paung Village.
School rooms are now lit with LED lamps and a large screen (50 inches) TV set with a video player is usedfor visual studies. Dormitories for teachers and the school toilets are now also lit brightly.

After the construction works, trainings were conducted in June for enabling the local people to maintain thesystem after it is transferred to them.
The village of Paung is located about 50km from Hpa An, the capital of Karen (=Kayin) State, and manyfamilies of refugees are gradually returning to the villages around this area after the ceasefire between thecentral government and KNU (Karen National Union) has been established.
The high school has 126 students coming from 17 neighboring villages. Many of the high school students arestaying overnight in the school to study until late hours to prepare for exams for higher education, however,lack of funds prevented running a dynamo until late at night so as to satisfy the needs of the students.

BHN is now preparing to build a system of the same type in another high school in another village where
many refugees are returning.
Hirofumi Aizawa, Project Manager

Myanmar Karen: Donating Pre-paid Telephone Cards
2016.02.05 Fri 12:09/Development Support
Myanmar is blessed with natural energy resources like gas, oil and water, yet only 30% of its population has
access to electricity. Especially, in the areas of battle fields of armed clash that lasted over 60 years, there isdefinitely lack of all kinds of infrastructure, including roads, electricity, telecommunication networks and soon.
BHN has been installing solar power generation systems in public facilities of Karen (Kayin) state. In
addition, provided that the radio wave can be received in the area, we have installed solar-powered radio
telephone sets upon request.
In the visiting area of Shan Ywar Thit Hospital, there are seven small villages where there is no doctor nor
access to the national grid services. In order to enable the local people to contact the hospital, we set up a
special type of radio telephone systems made for remote countryside, but the radio wave was too feeble toestablish stable connections. As a solution, we built large antennas on tall poles. Now villagers can consult
doctors in the distant hospital whenever they need help.

However, the difficulty is that many of the villagers don’t have money to pay for the phone so many times.
It’s because they still don’t have a way to get cash or even if they have, it’s very limited.
Under such situation, XMobile Co., a Japanese mobile virtual service provider, offered us to donate to help
those people in need of access to telephone services.
With the funds donated from XMobile Co., BHN purchased pre-paid telephone cards and distributed to eachof the villages and schools where BHN installed radio telephone systems.

By Hirofumi Aizawa, Project Manager

Bangladesh Hatiya: Finally Started! Radio Sagor Dwip
2016.02.25 Thu 11:15/Development Support
Long-awaited community radio station has finally marked the official opening in Hatiya island, Bangladesh.
Hatiya island is formed by alluvium that soil is carried by running water and accumulated. Because of this,Hatiya is as low as around five to six meters of its sea level, which makes the island vulnerable to cyclone.
Adding to this, infrastructure is underdeveloped in this area. Electricity is accessible only in the central partof the island. Despite disadvantaged condition, approximately 300,000 people are living in Hatiya island.
Nevertheless, major radios and TVs mainly broadcast news relevant to the people in the capital, Dhaka, andit’s very rare to find news about Hatiya. Therefore, people in Hatiya put great hopes in community radio tobring local news to them.
As of December 2015, according to Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan, safety level in Bangladesh was level2; discontinuation of non-essential travel. Under such a circumstance, our travel wasn’t allowed until lastminutes, but we were fortunate to be able to eventually travel. Inauguration ceremony was held on November
12th with BHN president’s participation.

It was such an exciting news for people in Hatiya that Home Minister and Chief Representative of JICA
Bangladesh will be attending the ceremony. With no VIPs foreseen to be present at the ceremony, it was
initially planned to be a plain one, but now the story became different. People got suddenly busy to clean
around the village and to welcome VIPs with posters and flags.
The ceremony under heavy guard started with speeches of Home Minister, Secretary of Information andChief Representative of JICA Bangladesh. After that, official opening of Radio Sagor Dwip was announced.
A number of villagers gathered to see this commemorable scene.

Along with Inauguration Ceremony, Signing Ceremony of Equipment Delivery was also held. From now on,
Local partner NGO, DUS, takes responsibilities on proper use and maintenance of the antenna tower,
broadcasting equipment and solar panels.

Radio Sagor Dwip is finally launched after a preparation period of a year and half, but this is the real start
for the project. We continue working with local volunteers to bring quality information and to gain confidence
from villagers with the aim of saving lives in disasters.
Project Coordinator Tomoko Uchiyama
English translation by Mami Takahashi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 political
disturbance 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 radio
station 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

Building

StudioConstruction Renovation Renovation
Sindhupalchowk

Radio Sindhu○

Sunkoshi FM○

Dhading

Radio Dhading○

RasuwaRadio 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 not accessible
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 (uponrequest) in Kayin (Karen) state, Myanmar, in three hospitals, eight high schools, one town hall and sevenvillages without doctors.
The government of Kayin state has also installed solar power systems into many households in remote areas.
However, the government staffs responsible for these areas do not have enough knowledge about solar powerelectricity 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 the government
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 participated tocelebrate the award recipients. These staffs are now going around the remote areas wearing the blue shirtswith “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 one-hour
drive from the State capital, Hpa An, with 175 households (about 1500 villagers). As KTH village has sufferedfrom armed clashes several times, many of the villagers are returnees from refugee camps or IDPs (InternallyDisplaced Persons).
Mainly due to lack of irrigation system, the villagers can harvest rice crops only once a year, whereas, in mostother 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 and thenstream 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 their shoulders fromnearby 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 asthey 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 the system
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 disaster training
vehicle at the site, they explained about mechanisms of natural disaster such as cyclone, storm surge andflood and evacuation procedure using miniature models. All participants answered “Yes” in a questionnairethat 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 thatrevolted against the central Burmese government to achieve independence (then after, broader autonomy) intheir areas. More than 60 years of appalling civil battle continued, but at last, KNU (Karen National 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 and maintenance.
At the same time, the State staff do not have sufficient knowledge to teach villagers on the proper use of solar
systems they have distributed. Such a situation caused too many severe damages and troubles 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 well as 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 role oftraining 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 successfully completed 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 from target
areas in the first phase because of the difficulty to access the sites: they were located in remote mountainous
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 thesite 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 are
increasing 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 collapsed station
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 role of the FM station to
the area was very significant.
<2nd phase support activities>
District

FM Radio Station

Equipment

Relay

StationReconstruction
Ramechhap

Kairan

X

Likhu

X

HazurkoX

Nuwakot

Nuwakot

X

Makuwanpur

PalungLamjungMarsyangdi

X

Kathmandu

Newa

X

X

Mero

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 the cooperationof 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 Day Care Center inorder 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 are planning toconsider 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 committeeNewainterested(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 damagedby 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 and has 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 Japanese culture
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 are
fully equipped with cutting edge technologies.
In the weekend homestay, the trainees received dedicated reception with warm hospitality from host families
and it made these two days the most heartfelt and memorable moment during their stay in Japan.

See all pictures
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 delivered
congratulatory addresses. And also, the guests kindly watched the presentation of completion certificateshanded to the participants.
Project Manager, Kazuhisa Konoma

Myanmar Karen: Educational Course for State Employees and Installation of Solar Systems to KNU Villages
2017.04.27 Thu 11:39/Development Support
In the past year BHN has been conducting two programs in the State of Kayin(=Karen).
1. Educational Training on Solar Electricity Systems (SES) to the State Employees
The coverage ratio of national grid in the State of Kayin still remains around 10% of the population. Under
such a situation, the State government has been distributing SESs to individual households in the rural
areas.
As BHN is going to end the three-year project of installing SESs in the public premises, the sustainability of
the SESs built by BHN, as well as of the SESs built by the government, is quite an important issue and weare now in the last stage of ToT (Training of Trainers) project.
As many as 12 to 15 State employees are expected to pass the examination to be qualified as SES Trainers.
They are expected to play the role of teachers training others to become “Solar Advisers,” who will guide andeducate villagers.

2. Electrification in the KNU villages
After the rainy season in November last year, BHN started installation works of 1,370 SESs in the houses of
the 15 villages in the KNU area. As almost all of the 1,370 systems originally planned were installed asscheduled by the end of February, we are expecting to install another 200 systems before the next rainyseason starts.
Even after the completion of the 1st stage project, a large number of people will be still left without electricity.
BHN is now coordinating with KNU, Government and other organizations for the next project to install SESs
for houses and public facilities in the KNU area.
The Nippon Foundation (TNF), another Japanese organization working in the same area, is building houses
and local clinics in the area. TNF and BHN had concluded agreements in advance, and based on this, wehave been running the project cooperatively.
Both KNU and Myanmar Government are appreciative of the projects undertaken by TNF and BHN thatthey are becoming good examples to enable people feel the “Value of Peace,” and that they shall encourageother Ethnical Armed Groups to seriously consider making further steps for peace agreement.

By Hirofumi Aizawa, Project Manager

ASEAN-Japan Healthcare ICT Workshop
2017.05.01 Mon 11:06/Human Resources Dev.
The Japanese Telemedicine and Telecare Association (JITA) together with the Asia eHealth Information
Network (AeHIN) and BHN (NGO) has organized the ASEAN-Japan Health ICT Forum 2017 for the periodof 19 – 23 February in Japan. The forum was held in the framework of ASEAN-Japan Health Initiative. The
objective of this forum is to share and exchange knowledge and experience on healthcare ICT, or eHealth,among ASEAN countries and Japan.
The participants consisted of 27 representatives from eight ASEAN countries, two special guests, two fromASEAN secretariat and many from Japan as hosts. In addition, 170 participants attended the conference
from Japan as observers.
They had meetings in Tokyo and study tours in Tochigi, Gunma and Kagawa prefectures. The participantslearned about common needs and issues in the following subjects:> development of healthcare among ASEAN countries> the role of ICT as enabler> force multiplier and key driver in achieving excellence in healthcare services> challenges and concerns related to good governance> relevance and retention of skilled manpower> the need for telemedicine and telehealth to improve the healthcare delivery especially for countries wherein
the population is spread across a large geographical location

The key message out of this forum that emerged from the exercise conducted by AeHIN could be summarized
by the term “Mind the GAPS and Fill the GAPS.” The abbreviation “GAPS” means the following:
Governance: ICT applications in healthcare need to be governed by the highest accountable officials. Thismeans they define the expected benefits, the risks to watch out for and allocate resources.
Architecture: ICTs in healthcare need a clear blueprint so that all stakeholders in a given country will know
how they can contribute to the structure as a whole rather than silos.
People and program management: ICTs in healthcare requires capacity-building of key sectors (clinical, IT
and administration) working together to make it work seamlessly.
Standards and interoperability: ICT healthcare works best if standards are adopted and observed by all
stakeholders.
Through the forum, the participants shared awareness that is categorized in:> Capacity building> Collaboration (Annual Forum)> Implementation of eHealth Projects> International policies (Regulatory Framework)
As the first step to implement Key Messages and shared Awareness, AeHIN in consultation with JTTA and
BHN, called for action for regional capacity building on Healthcare ICT technology in support of universal
health coverage (UHC), non-communicable diseases (NCD) and disaster management in the ASEAN.

Hachihei Kurematsu, Project Manager

Training Course (APT-J4) on Utilization of ICT Services and E-Application for Overcoming Digital Divide
2017.05.02 Tue 14:42/Human Resources Dev.
BHN conducted the training course “Utilization of ICT Services and E-Applications” focusing on EApplications supporting the Smart Society such as Medical ICT, Sensor Networks and Agriculture/Fisheries
ICT, between March 7 and 17, 2017.
In the training course there were lectures and site visits for the purpose of helping the countries and areas
still having more room for improvement in the areas mentioned above, specifically by spreading the use of
ICT which would help solving the regional problems.

Background
Japan is a country which is currently tackling major issues such as declining birth rate, aging population,shortage of doctors, managing disasters and the declining regional economies. One of the methods for tacklingsuch problems is to make maximum use of local ICT applications. Toward this end, there are applications
already introduced or under feasibility test in Japan and it is expected that they would provide good
showcases for other Asian countries. In many Asian countries, while the infrastructures for broadband
communications through mobile communications and optical fiber communications are being built, there arestill many issues that should be addressed, for example, regional disparities in medical services andeducation, and seemingly low awareness of the importance of information security.
Participants

One participant each from Bhutan, India, Maldives, Mongolia, Nepal, Niue, Pakistan, Thailand, Tonga andVietnam attended the training course and they were awarded the training certificates from BHN president
upon completion of the training course.

Lectures and Study Visits
The participants have learned actual examples of ICT utilization. Based on the knowledge acquired in the
training course, they can now investigate implementing similar systems meeting the requirements of theircountries. ICT applications are expected to contribute to overcoming the digital divide if they are introduced
into rural areas, in such fields as; disaster management; tourism and transportation; environmental
monitoring; medicine and welfare; agriculture forestry and fisheries.
Specific themes and model systems dealt with in the training were as follows:
1) Telemedicine, Remote Medical Care and Watching System
2) Machine (M2M) and Sensor Network Technology
3) Disaster Management System by utilizing ICT4) Environment and Agriculture/Fisheries Monitoring using ICT

Result
The program was received by the participants as well-organized and eye-opening. The lectures below were
especially highly praised by the participants:> ICT Utilization and Information Security Policies> Telemedicine and Disaster Risk Reduction> Study visit for observing telemedicine being actually practiced, where a pregnant woman was remotely
monitored by a doctor
We hope the participants will bring back what they learned about ICT utilization in this program and makegood use of it to improve social systems by better utilizing ICT.
Hachihei Kurematsu, Project Manager

Myanmar Karen: Progress with the solar electric system project2017.08.22 Tue 15:04/Development Support
Training of Trainers
State government staffs have had training course on Solar Electric System (SESs) since last October. By the
middle of May this year, twelve state government staffs finished the course.
Certified as “Trainer” or coach by Kayin (Karen) state government and BHN, they are expected to train Solar
Advisors, other government staffs, who will be in charge of maintaining the solar system. The Solar Advisors,coached by the trainers, would play a decisive role in maintaining and operating the solar systems, that areprovided by BHN and the state government, in good condition.

Electrification in the KNU villages
The first stage of installing 1,570 SESs into the homes of villagers in the KNU areas has been completed.
Following the installment, BHN had conducted monitoring work to evaluate the achievements of the projectby listening to the voices of the villargers. Though the work was delayed due to the rainy season which gave
us difficulty in reaching some villages under heavy rains.
As had been referred to in our last project report, most of the areas under KNU are still left without electricity.
Enduring patiently during the civil war, villagers in the area are keenly longing for safety and electricity.
BHN is now deliberating on another project, installing as many as 6,000 SESs to homes in the area in needof electricity, along with furnishing computer systems to a local high school in the region.

By Hirofumi Aizawa, Project Manager

Myanmar Karen: Progress of the 2nd Project of Solar Power System
2018.06.08 Fri 18:05/Development Support
Installing 6,138 solar systems in the 65 villages in the KNU area
As we could get agreement with the EAG(Ethnic Armed Group=KNU) and the KSG(Kayin State
Government) BHN started the works for the 2nd project of installing 6,138 solar systems in the 65 villages
in the KNU areas from January this year.
The locations of the villages are spread in wide and deep country areas and the access to most of the villages
are very difficult to transport materials in rainy season.
Hence, the contractors are concentrating their work force to accelerate the installation works to finish all theworks before the rainy season staring late May.

Starting to discuss with EAG & KSG for the 3rd projectAs recently as this February another EAGs signed the Ceasefire Agreement with the government of
Myanmar and many dignities from inside & outside of the country attended to attest the signing ceremony.

It was also known that the people and leaders in these EAG villages were watching our activities next door
to them and decided to make the ceasefire agreement understanding, after ceasefire agreement, that they
will be also become beneficiaries of the projects such as we are doing in the KNU areas.
We are now starting to discuss with EAG & KSG for the 3rd plan of our project.
Hirofumi Aizawa – Project Manager

Myanmar Karen: Installation of Computer Systems for High School2018.06.19 Tue 10:38/Development Support

In the middle of last May, as one part of the electrification project of the Kwee Lay High School located deepin the Karen National Union’s (KNU) area, BHN completed the installation of computer systems with 12 PCs
powered by the solar systems which was also provided by BHN.
Education Department of KNU was keenly wishing the elder level students to obtain computer literacy before
starting their working career after finishing the high school. It took more than 1 year after the inception of
the idea of computer curriculum at the high school and the school hosted a big Opening Event to enjoy thestart of the new systems.

Although the new school term is not started yet, the computer education course started as soon as the long awaited system is completed. 4 school lessons are given during the day time for students and, at night time,training course to teachers are also given for them to be able to prepare teaching materials.
The purchasing & installation works for the computer systems were all done by engineers of BHN as PCs areoften stuck without machine trouble and need to call help (but not the matters of guarantee by suppliers)
and BHN plans to visit the high school from time to time to consult with school teachers for the better
operation of the system.
Hirofumi Aizawa – Project Manager

Monitoring activities and floods in the Monsoon season
2018.09.19 Wed 10:33/Development Support
Continued rain falls in Myanmar caused floods in many districts of the country. In the State of Karen(Kayin)
where BHN has been actively working, the river Thalwin(or Salween) flooded in the middle of the city of Hpa
An(state capital) and many other locations of the state. The office of BHN scarcely escaped to get submerged
under water but the activity had to be suspended for about 2 weeks.

Even after the flooding in the city is over, the access to most of our project sites were mostly impossible until
around the end of August.
Almost all the villagers in the EAG(Ethnic Armed Group) areas were living without electricity since they
were born and education to them how to use electricity (especially the specific character of solar powersystem) is critical for the sustainable use of the equipment. As the installation works of the solar systems
were completed by the end of May, BHN started monitoring activities in all the villages in late August but
frequently hampered by remaining after-effects of the floods.
Basically, monitoring activities are conducted to listen to the voices of recipients and to adopt their opinions
for future activities.

However, as mentioned above, for almost all the villagers, “Electricity at Home” is quite a new phenomenon
in their life and repeated basic education on how to make efficient & economical use of electrical equipment
under solar system is also an important mission for the monitoring teams.

Along with our monitoring team, engineers of the construction companies and “Solar Supporters” (selectedfrom the villagers and joined in the construction works of the solar systems) are accompanying with BHN
team and whenever necessary, they could fix at once all the troubles of the solar equipment.