JOICFP NEWS NO.258 DECEMBER 1995.pdf

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No. 257 December 1995

ISSN 0911-0755

JOICFP NEWS
eproductive Health at the Grass Roots
community participation as a focus of
project implementation, the participants
were divided into two groups with each
group visiting two districts in two
provinces, Nghe An in the north and Long
The. need to reflect a reproductive health
An in the south of Vietnam where the
spective in programs at the grass roots was
UNFPA-supported project (VIE/88/PO7)
the main theme of the Regional Traveling
was implemented.
Seminar on Community-based Reproductive
The seminar was geared to determining
Health Services, held in Vietnam from October
the scope of reproductive health services
26 - November 2. The seminar recognized the
that should be available at the community
efforts made to shift program emphasis at the
policy-making level from family planning to the level; to discussing strategies which will
enable the provision of these services; and
comprehensive reproductive health approach
to exchange information on the follow-up
following the International Conference on
efforts of ICPD related to reproductive
Population and Development (ICPD) of 1994.
health. Participants were requested to
It focused on the urgent need to discuss and
contribute to two reports. The two field
examine reproductive health needs at the
observation teams had to assist with a
implementation level in communities.
report of their impressions of the Vietnam
The seminar drew participants from
situation. Each country group also had to
Bangladesh, Laos, Nepal and the Philippines
provide a report on reproductive health
implementing the regional, UNFPA-Supported
needs in their country and recommen­
Sustainable Community-based Family
dations
to be reflected in their projects.
Planning/Maternal and Child Health (FP/MCH)
According
to the majority of participants,
Droject with Special Focus on Women (RAS/
Vietnam
was
an
ideal base for learning about
Pl 1). They were joined by participants from
the
effectiveness
of community motivation and
China and Vietnam where the Integrated
participation. The participants found the
Vietnamese extremely forthright about
REPHODUCTIIE HEILTH SERIICES
successes and shortcomings of the project,
VIETNAM,26 OCT-2 NOV. 1995
which made it easier to pinpoint issues and
efforts being made. They noted numerous
examples of the community spirit of mutual
%
s ' '
self-help and a commitment to raising the
standard of health and quality of life. Despite
the fast-track economic development of the
country, the participants found that the majority
k
of people live in poor conditions. The national
average per-capita income is only US$220 Prof. Le Van Truyen, vice minister of health of
250 and in the north where JOICFP’s project is
Vietnam, addresses the participants.
implemented. Per-capita income ranks 49th
among the country’s 53 provinces and cities.
The
average income of farmers in the north is
Community-based FP Project is implemented.
about US$50 a year.
A total of 25 took part in the seminar,
Despite these desperately poor conditions,
organized as part of UNFPA-supported regional
the people of communes have come up with
activities under the joint auspices of UNFPA,
innovative ways to ensure the availability of
IPPF and the Ministry of Health of Vietnam.
health-care services. In one commune, each
To draw attention to the importance of

Vietnam demonstrates power
of community participation to
seminar participants

'dM

1

/A project staff member explains the community
savings group in Long An which provides credit for
small enterprises, particularly those run by women.

household provides 2kg of rice a year to
support health workers. Participants learned
that in another commune, the people provided
additional rice to support the construction of a
health center. Not only was the determination
of the community impressive for the visitors,
but most were also moved by the strong
commitment shown by community leaders to
project activities.
Both field observation groups were
surprised by the rapid way that Vietnam has
integrated reproductive health services into its
existing FP/MCH service system at the grass
roots. Participants were impressed that
discussions were already under way at the
community level on how to shift the emphasis
of the project to the more comprehensive
service delivery of reproductive health. Some
examples of this shift were the efforts to
decrease the rate of induced abortion and
provide more post- and pre-abortion counseling
and expand post-natal care.

Another impressive aspect of the
Vietnamese project was the active role that

I

GII/WID

women play in the project and the
empowerment of women found at all levels.
They learned that women are involved not only
as service providers or recipients, but function
as part of the policy-making and decision­
making body. Government efforts to raise the
status of women in terms of health and
economic development were also observed.
The team expressed appreciation for the
role of the Women’s Union. They noted that
the network of motivated volunteers effectively
works to promote health education and FP and
provides a vital linkage between the health
center and community. Several strategies were
proposed to sustain the volunteer system
including incentives for volunteers in kind, the
provision of more IEC materials and the
involvement of volunteers in expanded income­
generation and credit programs.
One of the challenges noted by the visitors
was the need to increase the range of
contraceptives available to women and provide
wider access to services. Noting the high
literacy rate and awareness of reproductive
health including FP among women, the
participants urged action to meet unmet needs.

Working for Shared Goals
A festival held to celebrate International
Cooperation Day in Japan on September 30 and
October 1 provided a unique opportunity for an
intentional cast of panelists to discuss
population, HIV/AIDS and women in
development (WID) at a symposium held in
Tokyo. The event, the ’95 International
Cooperation Festival Symposium — Talk-You,
was organized by the Committee on
International Cooperation Festival and attended
by over 700 people. It was divided into two
sessions to provide the viewpoints of both
policy-makers and NGOs on the Global Issues
Initiative (GII) on Population and AIDS.
The first session included a senator from
the Philippines, Dr. J. M. Flavier, former secre­
tary of health. He was joined by Dr. David
Bloom, acting executive director, Institute for
International Development, Harvard University;
Paul White, minister councilor, Development
Cooperation, U.S. Embassy in Tokyo (USAID);
Akiko Domoto, member, House of Councilors
of Japan; Dr. Masaharu Ito, councilor,

Minister’s Secretariat, Ministry of Health and
Welfare; and Norio Hattori, deputy director
general, Economic Cooperation Bureau,
Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
Hattori and White also joined the second
session, which focused on NGO perspectives.
The other panelists
comprised Peggy Curlin, I IM"—l>u
president, Center for
I
Development and
Population Activities
i
(CEDPA); Mary Guinn
Panelists
Delaney, HIV/AIDS
program manager, National
Council for International Health (NCIH);
Kiyoko Ikegami, senior program officer,
JOICFP; Sayoko Arai, president, Tokyo Forum;
and Yumiko Jansson-Yanagisawa, president,
Japan’s Network for Women and Health.
Referring to JOICFP’s experience, Ikegami
emphasized that community participation
should be a major focus of programs promoting
reproductive health including family planning.

JoiCFP Guides JICA Course
In a demonstration of smooth governmentNGO collaboration, the Japan International
Cooperation Agency (JICA) entrusted another
of its international population-related activities
to JOICFP. Aiko lijima and Kiyoko Ikegami,
both JOICFP senior program officers, served as
course leaders of the Training Course on
Population and Reproductive Health. The
course was held from August 28 - November 2
and was the second since the Japanese govern­
ment launched the Global Issues Initiative (GII)
on Population and AIDS in 1994.
The 10-week course, aimed at Japanese co­
medical staff preparing to work in international
assistance, included a field trip to Thailand and
Tokyo sessions before and after the Thai trip.
For four weeks, the JOICFP officers served as
course leaders and were involved in basic
training including language training for the rest.
The training conducted by the JOICFP staff
included lectures and discussions on JICA and
JOICFP programs. Paul White, minister
councilor, Development Cooperation, U.S.
Embassy in Tokyo (USAID), and Karen Morita,
program officer, Population and Nutrition
Department, USAID, also spoke about the

USAID system of international assistance.
This year’s course was attended by 10
nurses and midwives, the majority of whom had
experience working as Japan Overseas
Cooperation Volunteers (JOCV). The first
course conducted last year trained seven co­
medics, two of whom are now serving abroad.
The course content was comprehensive
with lectures on issues related to population and
reproductive health, the environment, food and
energy. The participants also learned about the
Japanese administrative system of maternal and
child health (MCH), the experience of Japanese
NGOs working in family planning (FP) and
MCH and actual activities of the Japanese
government and NGOs. The entire course was
conducted from a women in development
(WID) perspective.
The Thai field trip was geared to learning
about the progress of the Thai government’s FP
program and the role and successes of NGOs
such as the Population and Community Devel­
opment Association (PDA). The team was also
introduced to the reproductive health programs
of UNFPA and observed a JICA program.
Through the trip to Khon Kaen. the

2

Pregnant women discuss health issues ata
health center in Khon Kaen.

co-medics gained a deep understanding of the
Thai health system and promotion of FP/MCH.
They observed an MCH hospital and grass­
roots health center. The participants spoke
freely with staff and pregnant women visiting
the facilities and enthusiastically interacted
with other co-medical staff.
On return to Tokyo, the participants
expressed satisfaction with the training,
particularly with the insights into NGO
activities in the field. The trainees, who have
been registered as experts for international
assistance of the Japanese government, showed
a keen interest in being dispatched abroad.
JOICFP NEWS, December 1995

Japan

Joining Forces for GII
First on the agenda was the guidelines for
selecting NGOs in developing countries for
Grant Assistance for Grass-roots Projects
funding. A small-scale form of ODA from the
Japanese government, the funds are
allocated to local NGOs through embassies
in respective developing countries.
Population and HIV/AIDS projects have
been given priority for the funding since the
GII was announced last year. NGO
representatives requested MOFA to conduct
n-" V-l
public relations activities in countries to
ensure a wider range of NGOs, including
small or new bodies learn about the funding.
The MOFA officials also provided an
update on the involvement of NGOs in
human resource development under the GII.
The Japanese government is working with NGOs
A recent training course entrusted to
to assist women through its WID Initiative.
JOICFP by the Japan International
Cooperation Agency (JICA) was noted as a
good
example of GO-NGO collaboration. Such
AIDS. At its eighth meeting on the GII for
events
also help build the institutional
NGOs on November 9 in Tokyo, ministry
capacities
of NGOs. The MOFA officials
officials outlined GII progress and listened to
reaffirmed
that the Foundation for Advanced
the opinions of representatives of Japanese
Studies
on
International Development (FASID)
NGOs involved in the field.
training course, to held in Japan and
• • J Thailand in January and February, is
now open to NGO participation as the
Seeking Urban Solutions
result of discussions with NGOs.
Following MOFA’s
The Second Group Training Course on
announcement of the Women in
Integrated Urban Policy was held in Kobe, Japan,
Development (WID) Initiative at the
from November 1 - 30, a city undergoing
4th World Conference on Women in
dramatic reconstruction following the Great
Beijing, the officials stressed the
Hanshin Earthquake of January 17, 1995. The
ministry’s efforts to involve NGOs in
training was organized by the Asian Urban
project formulation in follow-up work
Information Center in
of the WID initiative and ICPD have
cooperation with UNFPA
been going well.
and was attended by 11
The officials commented that
participants from the six
from the initial stage, the initiative
countries of Bangladesh,
focuses on strengthening the
India, Nepal, Pakistan,
capabilities of women in economic
Sri Lanka and China.
and social activities such as smallParticipants were
scale enterprises.
introduced to the progress and the urban policies
The NGOs were also informed of
implemented by Kobe and other Japanese cities
the progress of GII project
as a means of contributing to the solution of
formulation missions to priority
urban problems in their countries. A lecture on
countries. An NGO representative
family planning systems of Japan was provided
was included in missions to India and
on November 7 by JOICFP Senior Program
a written report was provided to the
Officer Ryoichi Suzuki, who also spoke about the
participants at the meeting.
experiences of Japanese NGOs including JOICFP
The ministry officials and NGOs
in the international cooperation field. The
agreed that JOICFP will function as
training course included observation tours and
the official liaison between MOFA
the exchange of opinions and country reports.
and NGOs for future meetings.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) of
Japan is making good on its pledge to involve
NGOs closely in the implementation of the
Global Issues Initiative (GII) on Population and

’

iw &

h

3

Impressions of
Beijing
The mass media’s view of the 4th World
Conference on Women, held in Beijing in
September 1995, was the theme of a regular
study meeting of the Council on Population
Education, held at JOICFP on October 23. The
council, which has been working to promote
population education for 22 years, was
established by experts, mass media and
representatives of NGOs, in 1973 ahead of the
world population conference held in Bucharest.
The meeting featured representatives of
three major national newspapers, the Yomiuri
Shimbun, Nihon Keizai Shimbun and Mainichi
Shimbun, and a major news agency, Kyodo
News Service. All four journalists had attended
the Beijing conference and provided a range of
views on the event.
Commenting that the conference was a
beginning for action rather than a conclusion,
the women panelists expressed optimism that
the event would contribute to women’s
empowerment. They stressed that the general
public should not be complacent about the
outcome of the conference and should use the
Platform for Action as a guide for action.
Another positive aspect of the conference
for the women journalists was the way it built
upon the foundations laid down by the Cairo
process. The acceptance of the reproductive
health and rights issues came as a relief for one
of the journalists
who had been
concerned that
the Beijing event
would lose gains
made at the
International
Conference on
Panelists
Population and
Development
(ICPD) of Cairo.
The success of Beijing can be attributed to
the many women who fought for recognition of
reproductive health and rights despite a
concerted effort by Catholic and Muslim
countries, it was noted. The acceptance of
reproductive health and rights means that the
importance of these issues is reaffirmed by the
majority of countries and women worldwide,
they said. The conference also sends a clear
message about the role of women in the 21st
century, they added.

Around the World

hina Project Set to Expand
Preparations are on track for the start of the
5th cycle of the Integrated Project (IP) in China
at the beginning of 1996. The project is to be
implemented in eight areas of eight new IP
provinces. As part of the preparations, the
Training Seminar on Conducting a Baseline
Survey for the 5th Cycle was held in Taicang IP
Center, Jiangsu Province, together with the

utilization of IEC materials for health
education. Insights into the experiences of the
IP in China were provided by project personnel
who discussed implementation of the project
over the last 12 years. The participants were
also taught methods of conducting baseline
surveys and knowledge, attitude and practice
(KAP) surveys which were scheduled to be
carried out in 5th cycle areas in October
and November 1995.
The seminar venue was convenient
for participants to learn firsthand about
the activities of the Taicang IP Center
which is conducting a school health
program in addition to providing a range
of FP/MCH and preventive health
services on a fee-charged basis. The
participants observed parasite control
activities of the center in a primary school
and were impressed with the interaction
that
the activities fostered among parents,
4 Japanese expert provides technical assistance
students, teachers and IP personnel. In
on production and use of IEC materials.
discussions with parents, participants
were surprised to learn how deeply
Training Seminar on the Evaluation Survey of
aware the people have become of health
the 4th Cycle from September 17 - 25. Some
issues through the project. The seminar
100 participants attended including 48
also included field observation of
representatives of 5th cycle areas, 18 from 10
activities of the town hospital.
5th-cycle areas of 10 provinces, Chinese
Following the training, the joint
experts, personnel of the Taicang center and
JOICFP-Chinese team visited one of the
Japanese experts.
new project areas of Dali County,
To ensure that IP personnel fully
Shaanxi Province, located 120km from
understand the objectives of the IP, the seminar Xi’an City. The county is well-chosen
included lectures on project concept and
for starting a project to improve the
strategies, ways to improve the living
health and quality of life of the people.
conditions of the people, technical aspects of
It has poor socioeconomic conditions
the project including parasite control and data
with per-capita income for farmers at
collection, family planning and maternal and
half the national average. The hospital
child health (FP/MCH) and development and
delivery rate is 43%, while infant
mortality is as
high as 30 per
1.000 births. The
UN 50th Anniversary Feted in Tokyo
team learned that only
25% of water sources
The 50th anniversary of the United Nations was celebrated in
offer safe drinking
Tokyo on October 24 with a commemorative ceremony. Attended
water, while sanitary
by some 3,400 people, the event was organized by the Ministry of
latrines are virtually
Foreign Affairs, UN 50th Anniversary National Committee of
nonexistent. The
Japan and the UN Association of Japan. The ceremony drew
infection rate of
dignitaries including the emperor and empress of Japan. Prime
roundworm (Ascuris)
Minister Tomiichi Murayama, Foreign Minister Yohei Kono and
is 48%. The IP will
UN High Commissioner for Refugees Sadako Ogata. JOICFP.
be implemented in 28
which has a long history as an NGO working in cooperation with
villages of two town­
the UN, particularly UNFPA, was represented at the event.
ships to cover a target
population of 48,000.

4

Brazilian Project
Gears for
Self-reliance
The Integrated Project (IP) being promoted
in the slums of Sao Paulo, Brazil, has taken a
major step toward self-reliance with the
implementing agency, Centro Materno-Infantil/
Planejamento Familiar (CMI/PF), taking full
control of the project on October 1, 1995. The
project, which focuses on reproductive health
including adolescent health education and the
prevention of STDs and HIV/AIDS, is also
being promoted in Asuncion, Paraguay, as part
of CMI/PF’s efforts to share experiences and
know-how. CMI/PF has made South-to-South
cooperation a main focus of future activities as
it gears toward self-reliance.
CMI/PF has accumulated considerable
experiences and know-how through the
implementation of the community-based project
which was established in 1983. Aware that

oentrodefertiudad
USffTBieiA

*

Dr. Milton Nakamura, president, CMI/PF, outside
the clinic in Asuncion with staff members.

these experiences are applicable in other
developing countries, CMI/PF began to extend
technical assistance abroad and recently
established a clinic in Asuncion.
The IP has expanded over the years to
cover a range of health-related activities. While
its focus remains on IEC programs for youths
and reproductive health and prevention of STDs
and HIV/AIDS. CMI/PF provides medical and
technical services in addition to conducting
research and study activities. It has also
developed a range of innovative programs
whereby it markets its expertise through feecharged IEC activities.
JOICFP NEWS, December 1995

-r

Around the World

ao Women Welcome
Birth Spacing
Family planning is enthusiastically
welcomed by women of Laos in areas where
birth spacing is being promoted by the Mother
and Child Health Institute (MCHI) of the
Ministry of Health through JOICFP’s project.
With a total fertility rate of 6.7, a maternal
mortality rate of over 650 per 100,000
deliveries and an infant mortality rate of 123 for
1,000 births, the need for family planning and
maternal and child health care is enormous.
The country is one of four selected for
ilementation of the regional UNFPAsupported Sustainable Community-based
Family Planning/Maternal and Child Health
(FP/MCH) Project with Special Focus on
Women (RAS/92/P11), which began in Laos in
1993. Unique as a birth-spacing project, it is
the first outreach project using an MCH/FP
mobile team and the first to set up steering
committees at all levels including the provin­
cial, municipal, district and village levels.
Through the steering committee framework,
women, mostly from the Lao Women’s Union,
are collaborating as providers and recipients,
and in planning and decision making. The
success of this framework encouraged UNFPA
to set up the same system for its country project
with MCHI as implementor, a steering

committee system involving the Women’s
Union and the use of a volunteer system.
To assess progress of JOICFP’s project, an
internal evaluation workshop was held in
Vientiane from October 4 - 5 and drew all
concerned people from the district, provincial
and municipal levels. An independent
evaluation could not be conducted in Laos due
to the newness of birth spacing, which was
endorsed by the government in 1994 when the
national population policy was adopted, and the
lack of private bodies with experience.
The first work plan for the project was
drawn up based on the results of a knowledge,
attitude and practice survey conducted by
MCHI before project launch. The project was
then implemented under MCHI, which handles
monitoring, supervision and training.
One of the aims of the evaluation workshop
was to gather all people involved to jointly
review the achievements and discuss issues to
be solved and needs yet to be met. During
discussions, participants noted that women’s
birth-spacing needs are met where services are
available; fee-charging has already been
introduced toward sustainability of services;
health personnel have gained confidence in
their work; and the visitation rate at the

Asia Heads for Grayer Future
In the next 20 - 30 years much of Asia will
experience a dramatic increase in the proportion
of elderly in national populations. For some
countries, particularly in Eastern Asia, the
proportion of elderly in national populations
will jump from an average of just under 10% to
reach around 17%. The formulation and
implementation of policies for the aged will
therefore be essential to determine the well­
being of this growing segment of the population
of most countries in the Asian Region.
The JOICFP regional project “Promotion of
Awareness and Policy Formulation on Aging in
the Asian Region (RAS/92/P13)” was
established for the 1992 -1995 period to
develop a regional network on aging and to
strengthen the knowledge and capacity of
policy makers, administrators and program
JOICFP NEWS, December 1995

managers in formulating policies and programs
on aging. The UNFPA-supported project was
designed to build upon an earlier four-year
project “Creation of Awareness on Aging for
Policy-making Purposes in the Asian Region
(RAS/88/P021)” and comparative research of
aging in China and Japan. Under the projects
10 training seminars, three workshops and one
symposium have been implemented by JOICFP.
They were attended by over 300 policy-makers
and administrators.
To assess the results of the second-phase
project, nine experts from the region gathered
in Tokyo from September 21-22 for the
Project Evaluation Meeting. The participants
reviewed policy issues and program needs in
the region and JOICFP-organized activities, and
made recommendations for future programs.

5

al 11
Demand for contraception outstrips supply in
Laos where the total fertility rate is 6.7.

government hospitals in project areas has risen
thanks to the increased credibility of health­
care services through the project, which assures
services and supply of essential drugs.
Noting the significant demand for project
continuation, participants commented that it
will take more time and effort to sustain
services, especially supplies of contraceptives
and essential drugs. The need for greater
contraceptive choice was also pointed out. For
the initial phase, a limited choice of injectables,
pills and condoms were made available in view
of the limited number of trained health staff and
importance of guaranteeing service quality.
Calling for a wider choice of pill and the
introduction of the IUD, participants also noted
the need for training to ensure quality.
The participants agreed that due to the
strong demand, the project period should be
extended and the project area expanded.

The meeting
focused on five
main areas of
critical concern: the
demographic
situation; social and
family support;
health-care
concerns; financial
Rehabilitation for
the elderly in
security; and
Singapore.
policies and
programs on aging.
Noting that the awareness of aging issues
has increased in Asia during the last phase of
the aging project, the participants commented
that the next step will be to put this awareness
to use in policy formulation and
implementation. The participants agreed that
the working group of experts created during the
last two phases of the project will contribute to
this next step.

Japan

Learning Ways to Provide
Assistance
Women and world peace were two popular
topics of this year’s Seminar on International
Cooperation in Maternal and Child Health and
Family Planning (MCH/FP), held in Tokyo
from September 25 - October 6, 1995. The
topic of women was chosen following the 4th
World Conference on Women held in Beijing in
September 1995, while the topic of world peace
reflected the 50th anniversary of the end of
WWII. Recorded television programs were
used to highlight
the present
situation of
women around the
world and the
outcomes of the
Beijing
Former JOCV
conference.
members share
Participants also
experiences.
learned about the
impact that war
has on the lives of ordinary people, particularly
women and children, and were encouraged to
use international assistance opportunities as a
means to promote peace.
The 26th of its kind, the seminar was
subsidized by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs
and implemented by JOICFP. It was attended
by 16 Japanese midwives, nurses and public
health nurses interested in providing
international assistance in developing countries.
The main objectives of the training were to
deepen understanding of issues related to
international cooperation and to broaden
technical cooperation channels in Japan to

JAPAN

Official Development Assistance

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of
Japan recently produced a new logo for
Japanese ODA. The design was selected
from among 4,899 entries submitted by
members of the public.

create a network for international assistance.
Launched in 1972, the seminar has been
attended by a total of 581 health professionals.
This year’s course provided information on
various aspects of international assistance on
population issues, volunteer work, reproductive
health and rights, gender issues, adolescent
health and communication and administrative
techniques. Participants were also given an
outline of Japan’s postwar experiences in the
FP/MCH field and the application of these
experiences through JOICFP’s Integrated
Project (IP) in developing countries.
Course leader for the event was Dr. Minoru
Muramatsu, executive director, Family Planning
Federation of Japan (FPFJ), who encouraged
participants to broaden their perspectives
through the seminar. They were also
introduced to activities of the Japan Overseas
Cooperation Volunteers (JOCV) of the Japan
International Cooperation Agency (JICA) by
former JOCV members among participants.
Commenting on what she had learned,
public health nurse Suzuyo Tanaka said the
course gave her a good opportunity to learn
about the situation of women following the

Beijing
conference.
“I realize
that there
are a lot of
things I
can do in
Japan to
foster
Seminar participants
international
cooperation,”
she said.
The course provided medical school
lecturer Kazuko Hamamatsu with an
opportunity to consider what it means to be a
woman in society. She said that she will bring
the new consciousness to her job as an
instructor of trainee nurses.
“I appreciated the seminar since it
stimulated me to think about how I can use my
experience as a volunteer in a developing
country,” said nutritionist Chieko Semba. “I
will do my best to promote international
cooperation from a grass-roots perspective,”
said Semba, who formerly worked with
refugees in Thailand and Bangladesh.
For Noriko Kono, a midwife and former
JOCV member to Malawi, the course provided
a clear understanding of global issues.
“The seminar was also a good opportunity
to learn the experiences of others in various
fields,” she said.

From Simple Beginnings
More people are benefiting from the
JOICFP Voluntary Fund as contributions
increase through the collection and sale of used
prepaid cards. A total of ¥13,094,149
(approximately US$134,000 at an exchange
rate of ¥98 to $1) was recently eannarked for
projects in eight countries out of proceeds from
the sale of cards collected between January 1
and June 30, 1995, and cash donations. The
funds will be used to improve the quality of life
of people through community-based projects
executed by JOICFP in Bangladesh, China,
Ethiopia, The Gambia, Guatemala, Tanzania
and Zambia.
The Used Prepaid Card Campaign
continues to gather steam since it was launched
in Japan in August 1993 by JOICFP as a means
to raise funds and create awareness of the needs
of people in developing countries. The cards,
used to pay for trains, telephones and road
charges, are prized by collectors worldwide for

6

their quality printing and attractive designs.
About 80% of the cards are sent abroad.
JOICFP, which collects and sorts the donated
used cards with the help of volunteers, sells
each card for ¥7 to ¥8 (7 - 8 cents). Some
7 million cards have now been collected by
JOICFP since the campaign started.
The campaign, which has caught the
attention of the media, educational institutions,
businesses, social and cultural groups and
individuals, has been effective for providing the
public with a simple yet effective means to
assist developing countries. The campaign has
been featured in newspapers and on television
all over Japan, while the Japanese FM Network
comprising 34 FM radio stations is airing the
campaign on a regular basis.
Funds are also being allocated through the
Red Cross to victims of the Great Hanshin
Earthquake which struck Kobe and surrounding
areas on January 17, 1995.
JOICFP NEWS, December 1995

Japan

Publishing Milestone for JFPA
The Japan Family Planning Association
(JFPA) celebrated the publication of the 500th
issue of its monthly newsletter Family and
Health on November 1, 1995. A pioneering
publication in its field, the newsletter was first
published by a group of family planning
pioneers led by JOICFP Chairman Chojiro
Kunii in 1954. Outside the venue where the
inauguration of the Family Planning Federation

Turning the Page
on Illiteracy
The local government of Toshima City
in Tokyo again allocated part of its fiscal
1995 budget to cover the donation of
30,000 notebooks to assist with literacy
promotion in developing countries. The
city, a pioneering member of the
Municipal Coordinating Committee for
Overseas Bicycle Assistance (MCCOBA),
also allocated funds in its FYI994 budget
for 30,000 notebooks which were sent
abroad within the empty space in shipping
containers holding donated reconditioned
bicycles. The 13 countries of Brazil,
Cameroon, Ethiopia, The Gambia, Ghana,
Guatemala, Guinea, Kenya, Mexico, Sierra
Leone, Tanzania, Uganda and Zambia
received notebooks since 1993.
The scheme is also supported by the
Toshima Printing Company Cooperative,
the Toshima Branch of the All-Japan
Printing Industry Cooperative and Tokyo
Municipal Printing Cooperative. The
notebooks are recycled from off-cuts of
paper taken during printing processes.
The scheme has helped focus attention
on the shortage of writing materials
hampering literacy promotion in
developing countries. JOICFP has used
the donation activities to create awareness
of the needs at the grass roots and secure
assistance from the public and private
bodies. JOICFP keeps city officials
informed of the impact of the activities
with reports and photos from the field.
Notebooks that have been sent abroad
are used in primary schools, at nurseries
and by adults in literacy-related activities.
By promoting literacy among women,
JOICFP expects to contribute to the
promotion of family planning.

JO1CFP NEWS, December 1995

Ties of
Cooperation

of Japan (FPFJ) took place on April 18 of 1954,
Kunii and other pioneers, including JOICFP
Executive Director Yasuo Kon, handed out the
Local governments in Japan are forming
first issue of the newsletter ____________ ties of cooperation with a growing number of
amid drizzling rain. The
developing countries through the donation of
same day his group started
reconditioned
the activities of JFPA.
bicycles and other
From such modest
items which
beginnings, the newsletter
contribute to
i'V "
expanded to become a
improving health
popular source of
41 years ago
and raising the
Felix with Shizuoka
information on a range of
quality of lives of
Mayor Zenkichi Kojima
issues related to population and reproductive
people at the grass
health including family planning. Its pages,
roots. The
which also serve as a forum for ideas and
Municipal Coordinating Committee for
opinions, have reflected the changes that have
Overseas Bicycle Assistance (MCCOBA), a
taken place in the field as Japan underwent its
driving force in donation activities, consists of
transition from a high-fertility country to one
15 local governments and JOICFP.
with exceedingly low fertility.
Charge d’Affaires of the Embassy of
Very early on in his career in the preventive Cameroon in Japan Mbayu Felix expressed his
health field, Kunii understood the importance
appreciation of MCCOBA during courtesy calls
of IEC activities. By launching the newsletter,
to Tokorozawa and Shizuoka cities on
he sought to bring attention to the serious
September 29 and October 16, respectively.
damage that the high rate of induced abortion
Felix thanked city officials for 900 recon­
was having on women’s health in 1954, the year ditioned bicycles that will have been shipped to
before the official number of abortions reached
his country by the end of 1995. He said the
its peak of 1.17 million in 1955. The first issue bicycles are used to support family planning
focused on the need for promotion of family
workers and the activities of agricultural
planning to reduce the high number of maternal extension workers and postal delivery.
deaths and health problems caused by abortions
Felix said that by joining hands with
and featured an article on the visit of U.S.
JOICFP, the member cities of MCCOBA have
family planning pioneer Margaret Sanger. The
been able to do a great deal. He encouraged
newsletter’s continued focus on abortion helped MCCOBA to continue its efforts, adding that it
raise the alarm in Japan and gave momentum to was a well-coordinated body. Felix added that
the movement to promote the health of women
MCCOBA is a good example of the growing
by making contraception more widely
international trend of local governments
available.
assisting developing countries.
Initially called
Family Planning, the
newsletter was
New Publication
renamed in 1982 to
reflect the changing
JOICFP published a revised version of its English-language
needs within the field
Population, Reproductive Health and Family
and the changing role
Planning in Japan — a Bird's Eye View in
of JFPA as a leading
August 1995. An excellent source of
NGO involved in
population-related information on Japan, the
reproductive health
48-page booklet introduces various social
including family
issues related to population, reproductive
planning. Today, the
health and family planning in Japan with
publication is read by
over 50 helpful charts in full color. The
people from a variety
latest edition has been expanded to include the issues of aging
of fields and
and women’s and adolescents’ health. The booklet is available
encompasses articles
from JOICFP at ¥2.000 plus postage and handling charges.
on a wider range of
Contact JOICFP for more information.
health needs.

7

VOICE OF VOICES
By Chojiro Kunii

Five Years of POSIVA
The Postal Savings for International
Voluntary Aid (POSIVA) scheme was launched
five years ago. Under this fund-raising scheme,
postal savings account holders donate 20% of
the annual interest on ordinary savings to
POSIVA, which is administered by the Ministry
of Posts and Telecommunications of Japan.
The ministry distributes the funds to NGOs for
their international cooperation programs.
This epoch-making donation scheme to
involve the Japanese public in international
cooperation activities has continued to grow
steadily. Since it was launched in January

ANNOUNCEMENT

J

and to learn Japan’s experiences and know-how
of reproductive health
Date: January 22 - 27, 1996
Venues; Tokyo and Hiroshima
Participants: Three key project personnel from
project countries Bangladesh, Laos, Nepal and
the Philippines; three key personnel from IP
countries China and Vietnam; and represent­
atives of UNFPA, IPPF, JFPA and JOICFP
Organizers: JOICFP with support of UNFPA,
Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan and IPPF,
in cooperation with JFPA
Contact JOICFP for more information.

4th Regional Technical Committee
Meeting on Sustainable Community­
based FP/MCH Project with Special
Focus on Women
Objectives: To evaluate 1st cycle (1992-1995)
implementation of above project; discuss
project strategies, work plan, operation,
management and monitoring and evaluation
scheme for 1996 and 2nd cycle (1996-1999);

DIARY
- Seventeen senior FP administrators and
managers from 17 countries attended the
Seminar on FP Administration for Senior
Officers II 1995 from Aug. 28 - Sept. 15.
Organization of the seminar was entrusted by
the Japan International Cooperation Agency
(JICA) to JOICFP.
- JOICFP Executive Director Yasuo Kon; Dr.
Noriji Suzuki, professor emeritus, Kochi
Medical College; Reiko Mizukami, director,
Dept, of IEC, Hoken Kaikan Foundation; and
Junko Kajima, deputy chief, Div. of General
Examination; Tokyo Health Service
Association, were in China to provide technical
assistance from Sept. 17 - 30. They were
accompanied by JOICFP Senior Program
Officer Yukio Honma and Program Officer
Yoshitatsu Kanno.
- Mbayu Felix, charge d ’al fairs, and Tabi P.
Emmanuel, first secretary, Cameroon Embassy
in Japan, visited MCCOBA members
Tokorozawa City and Shizuoka City on Sept.
29 and Oct. 1, respectively.
- Narcisa de Leon Escaler, deputy director
general, International Organization for

1991, the scheme had attracted a total of 18.28
million account holders as of August 1995.
This is equivalent to one out of every seven
Japanese holding these accounts. The donors
range from small children to elderly people,
reflecting the awareness of the needs in
developing countries and the willingness to do
something to support international cooperation.
The scheme deserves praise as a brilliant fundraising concept, one that makes the most of the
network of more than 23,600 post offices across
the country and the goodwill of the people.
The total capital donated through the
scheme reached over ¥2.81 billion (US$28.67
million at an exchange rate of ¥98 to $1) in
1995. These funds were shared by 305
international cooperation projects organized in
61 countries by 235 Japanese NGOs.
JOICFP is a donor and beneficiary of a

number of donation schemes. We keep our own
postal savings account and also receive a share
of the POSIVA funds as a recipient NGO. We
are using the funds carefully to help the people
in developing countries improve their health and
welfare standards. We have been cooperating
with projects for women’s self-support, child
health improvement, and health and
environmental sanitation.
The funds we received went to projects in
four countries in 1991, and six countries in
1992, 1993, 1994 and 1995. Messages of
appreciation to the Japanese public are conveyed
from the communities in these countries every
year through JOICFP.
Despite the small amounts donated by each
account holder, they soon add up to an
impressive sum and the money and goodwill go
a long way to encourage families around the
world. This scheme has taught us that
individuals can participate actively in
international cooperation activities.

I

i

JOICJ-T Women's tHealtH andStatus Series
________ A New Animated Film_________

Twin Lotus
13 min., Color/English, Chinese

O

()
o Migration (IOM), visited JOICFP on Oct. 3 to
C)

exchange information. She was accompanied
by Yorio Tanimura, director, Asia and
() Oceania Region, IOM.
() -Dr. Andrew Mason, director, Program on
C) Population, East-West Center, visited JOICFP
C) on Oct. 3 to exchange information.
o -JOICFP senior program officers Sumie Ishii
() and Aiko lijima were in Laos from Oct. 1 - 8
C) for evaluation and work-plan creation.
o -JOICFP Senior Program Officer Ryoichi
(> Suzuki was in Brazil and the U.S. from Oct. 2
() - 12 for activities related to project evaluation
o and to exchange information with UNFPA.
() -JOICFP Senior Program Officer Ryoko
() Nishida was in Thailand and the Philippines
o for activities for the UNFPA-assisted project.
o - Six participants from five countries from a
o JICA-sponsored program for counterparts of
<) bilateral technical cooperation programs in FP
C)
attended a one-day JOICFP seminar on Oct.
C) 17 on JOICFP’s IP activities.
o - JOICFP Senior Program Officer Atsushi
o Yoshino was in China from Oct. 5 - 25 to
o prepare for film production.
C)

o

8

A newly-wed couple is just beginning to live
together in a beautiful riverside district in southern
China. One day the wife collapses from illness
while al work.
Women today must learn about their bodies and
be intent upon maintaining their health so they can
lead more self-reliant lives.
This film, from the Women's Health and Status
Series, is a Japan-China joint production that uses
an animation technique based on a traditional
paper-cutting method.
Distributed by

Sakura Motion Picture Co., Ltd.
Yoyogi Center Bldg , 57-1 Yoyogi 1-chome
Shibuyo-ku, Tokyo 151, Japan
Tel: 81-3-33206311/Fox: 81-3-332O7666
Telex: J34799 ITCINBTH

16mm-VTR (Beta, VHS/NTSC, PAL, SECAM)

JOICFP NEWS is a monthly newsletter published by
the Japanese Organization for International
Cooperation in Family Planning, Inc. (JOICFP).

JOICFP NEWS welcomes your comments,
suggestions and contributions. Please mail to:
JOICFP NEWS
Hoken Kaikan Bekkan
1-1, Ichigaya Sadohara-clio
Shinjuku-ku. Tokyo 162 Japan
Phone: 81-3-3268-5875
Facsimile: 81-3-3235-7090
JOICFP NEWS, December 1995

I

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