Sabaragamuwa Uni students blend with Japanese volunteers

On 28 and 29 May, a festival commemorating 60 years of diplomatic relations between Sri Lanka and Japan was organised by students following Japanese language courses at the University of Sabaragamuwa, in collaboration with JICA’s volunteers.

The festival was also planned to be an opportunity for the students to display skills gained through their academic activities. The JICA volunteers who are assigned to various government institutions such as the Vocational Training Authority or National Colleges of Education participated in this event in order to conduct several demonstrations including, traditional Japanese embroidery work (Sashiko), cookery, and dancing, while a lecture on Japanese culture was made by Iwase, 2nd Secretary of the Embassy of Japan.

A Japanese movie, Kanji (Japanese Alphabet) dictation and speech contest were also a part of the programme. Around 400 persons who participated at this event were provided an opportunity of receiving firsthand knowledge on Japanese culture, and a taste of its food.

So far 11 volunteers have worked at the University of Sabaragamuwa, since the Japanese Study and Japanese Language courses commenced in 1998, under JICA’s development assistance.