Eleven Japan Overseas Cooperation Volunteers (JOCVs) arrived in Laos on December 18, 2024, where they were warmly welcomed at a ceremony held at the Japanese Embassy in Vientiane. Attending the event were Japanese Ambassador Koizumi Tsutomu, Deputy Director General of the Department of International Cooperation Kouthong Sommala, and JICA Senior Representative Yoshimura Yuki, alongside ministry representatives.

The volunteers will be stationed in various ministries, hospitals, and youth organizations, contributing to sectors such as education, healthcare, and agriculture. While one volunteer will remain in Vientiane, the others will be dispatched to Champassak, Borikhamxay, Xieng Khuang, Saravan, and Savannakhet provinces in the coming weeks.

Since 1995, Japan has sent over 1,000 volunteers to Laos, playing a vital role in supporting the country’s socio-economic development through knowledge-sharing and community-focused initiatives.