ACTIVITY

Projects in Timor-Leste

PARCIC started to work with coffee farmers in Timor-Leste in 2002, when the country achieved its long-awaited dream of independence after 23 years of Indonesian military occupation.

At that time, the nation’s exportable product was only coffee. Our hope was to maintain the independence, which the people in Timor-Leste won with severe sacrifice.

The farmers, who used to sell unprocessed red cherries just picked from coffee trees, now produce high quality of coffee “Cafe Timor” by our technical assistance and supplied equipment.

While supporting coffee farmers, we noticed the fact that improvement of the livelihood of the villagers would not be achieved without the women’s revenue earned by themselves. Therefore, since 2008 We have been supporting women in the activities of food processing. Their products such as honey, broad bean chips and herbal tea are now in supermarkets in Dili, the capital of Timor-Leste. Herbal tea has been exported to Japan as fair trade products since 2012.

In 2012, PARCIC commenced a project to promote sustainable agriculture, with protecting the environment. The project includes technical guidance of organic farming and livestock breeding, effective use of firewood, and the promotion of agroforestry.

In October 2013, we expanded our assistance to women in food processing into six prefectures in Timor-Leste. We work together with 22 local women’s groups to raise their income levels through food processing business.

From 2015 to 2018, we implemented a project to improve water supply in Maubisse Subdistrict in Ainaro District. Maubisse, the area where “Café Timor” is produced, is a mountainous rural community located in the mountainous region of central Timor-Leste. During the dry season that lasts three to four months every year, people of Maubisse suffer from a shortage of water, not only for agriculture but also for daily life. In this project, we provided water supply to and planted trees in 13 villages, and built irrigation reservoirs in 6 villages. Access to water and living conditions for approximately 3,450 people have improved as a result.

Since 2019, we have been implementing a project to improve children’s nutrition. In East Timor, half of all children under the age of 5 suffer from stunted growth, and efforts to improve nutrition are urgently needed. However, even though most people know about nutrition, it is not applied to improve actual dietary habits.

In Atauro Island, Dili District, where fishing is thriving, furikake (Japanese seasoning powder to sprinkle over rice often made with seaweed and dried fish flakes) is produced as a project activity to generate income for women in fishing villages. Furikake has been introduced into school lunches in elementary and junior high schools in Dili and Ermera Districts. Nutrition education is also offered in the project area. Incorporating highly nutritious locally produced food into daily diets through these activities is expected to contribute to improving the nutrition level of the population in the project area.

In 2019, we also started a coffee fields improvement project in Maubisse. Coffee trees in Timor-Leste had been aging and urgently needed fundamental improvement measures. Most coffee trees in Maubisse were planted in the 1980s and are over 30 years old. It is said coffee trees are most productive during the period of 15 to 20 years. The yields in Timor-Leste are therefore very low now, just about one-fifth of those of neighboring coffee-producing countries. In recent years, the yields are becoming unstable year by year due to climate change.

Participants of this project are farmers of each village who are willing to improve their fields. The fields of participants are in very different environments. While learning from experts, the participants apply various measures such as replanting aging trees, improving the soil, and caring for the trees to improve their respective fields. Training for young people in each village is offered as a part of the project so that they can put into practice the knowledge and skills gained in the process and disseminate what they acquired in their communities.

Emergency Assistance for the People of Myanmar

PARCIC has launched the program to support the livelihoods of the Myanmar people who had lost their jobs and incomes due to the participation in the Civil Disobedience Movement, one of the protests against the the country’s ruthless military, which seized power in a coup d’état on Feb. 1, 2011

PARCIC had been discussing with civil society groups of Myanmar and local and international experts to identify what to do for our Asian neighbors in a plight. We have now decided to launch a program to support livelihoods of women mainly in Yangon who lost jobs and/or incomes as a result of participation in the Civil Disobedience Movement (CDM).

The CDM has spread all over the country through social media and other means. Citizens including doctors, nurses, teachers, academics and civil servants refused to cooperate with the Junta. More than 400 thousand people lost jobs and incomes due to involvement in the CDM. Prior to the coup, these people used to earn about US$150 a month: they now continue various activities necessary for the resistance, utilizing their expertise, despite the loss of incomes. Assistance for these people started to come from the Western countries and the UN organizations, but the needs far exceed the availability.

On February 1, 2021, the Myanmar national army declared a nationwide state of emergency and gained control over the government. In response, citizens of Myanmar staged protest demonstrations in Yangon, the largest city and former capital of the country, and various other places. To quell continued protest by the people, the military opened fire to the demonstrators.

The news report that a young woman named Kyal Sin , known as Angel on March 3.was killed in Mandalay on March 3 amid an indiscriminately shooting by the security forces gave the shock both inside and outside of Myanmar . She was shot in the head as she was running away from the site, turning her back to the shooting troops. She was one of many ordinary citizens of Myanmar who couldn’t remain silent in the situation, a hair dresser of just 19 years of age.

Kyal Sin , known as Angel killed while attending an anti-coup protest in Mandalay

The international society has long been messing around with Palestine. PARCIC is determined to do our best for the people there.

Since the establishment of the State of Israel in 1948, more than 50% of Palestinians have become refugees and scattered to neighboring Middle Eastern countries, the United States, Europe, etc. Among the Palestinians living in the autonomous territories, about 70% of those in the Gaza Strip and 30% in the West Bank are registered refugees from the areas that are now parts of Israel.

The Gaza Strip is often referred to as “a prison without a ceiling.” Since 2007, Israel has imposed a military blockade over the territory. The one-million population there are deprived of freedom of mobility and the transport of goods necessary for their lives is restricted. They are unable to secure the food and the unemployment rate is 42%. Under such circumstances, young people find it difficult to have hopes and dreams for the future. In the West Bank, more than 60% of the area is under Israeli military control. Villages and towns are divided by a separation wall of 8 meters in height and Israelis have continued building their settlements against international law.

In the wake of the 2014 war, PARCIC began supporting Palestine with the reconstruction of the Gaza Strip. Since 2016, we have been working in the West Bank where we support activities to create a circular economy.

Emergency Assistance in the Gaza Strip （2014-2018）

We provided agricultural reconstruction assistance, food distribution, and psychological care for children in border areas in the central Gaza Strip.

Project to promote sustainability of the economy (2016-)

Waste disposal is a serious problem in the West Bank. To address the issue, we support activities in the garbage separation and recycling of resources, production of compost from food scraps, and promotion of organic farming there.

Greenery Project (2016-)

To promote the greening of the area and raise awareness of environmental conservation in the West Bank, we plant trees together with local villagers in abandoned farmlands and public spaces.

Livelihood improvement support for dairy farmers (2018-)

To address the high unemployment and poverty rates in the Gaza Strip, we are supporting women dairy farmers who raise sheep and sell milk and other dairy products. We also aim to empower these women through the support to improve their livelihoods.

Having been under a civil war for more than a decade, many people of Syria are still in distress as refugees.

More than 10 years have passed since the conflict in Syria started in 2011. Although the situation has been calming down in many parts of the country and less lives have been lost in battles recently, the progress of reconstruction is slow due to the economic sanctions imposed by the US and the EU and in the effect of the economic crisis in Lebanon across the border.

6.6 million people who have fled to Turkey, Lebanon and other neighboring countries are gradually returning home as the civil war subsides. However, as of February 2022, an estimated 5.7 million were still displaced internally. As they had struggled under the economic downturn due to the conflict and rising prices as the effect of the economic sanction, the novel coronavirus added to the difficulties. 70% of the Syrian population, both internally displaced and the returnees, is in need of assistance.

PARCIC implemented activities for Syrian refugees in Turkey from 2015 to 2019. We have worked in Lebanon since 2016. Our activities include food distribution, winterization assistance and education for children.

We have been working in Syria since 2019.

Asistance for Syrian refugees in Turkey (October 2015 – April 2019)

We conducted food distribution, home gardening, winterization assistance, and child protection projects in Shanliurfa province, located in the border area with Syria in southern Turkey.

Food distribution and winterization assistance for Syrian refugees in Lebanon (December 2016 – )

Assistance for Syrian refugees in Lebanon is on-going. We distribute food, assist with winterization and implement home-gardening activities for women.

Assistance in education for Syrian refugees in Lebanon (April 2017 – )

We provide children of Syrian refugees in Lebanon with opportunities in education to prevent them from becoming “lost generations”.

Work with Fishing Communities in Sri Lanka

The Jaffna peninsula, located at the northern end of Sri Lanka, prospered as a base of the fishing industry. However, as a result of the two-decade-long civil war, most of the basic infrastructure of the fisheries industry was catastrophically damaged. From 2004, PARCIC has been working to help the fisherfolk in Jaffna rebuild their lives.

Organic Tea Project in Deniyaya

Since 2011, small scale tea farmers in Deniyaya, Matara District, South Province, next to Sinharaja forest have been challenging to make the organic tea with our support. This project aims to 1. reduce tea small holders’ vulnerabilities in their livelihood with organic tea which can be sold in broader markets with organic premium, 2. to protect the regional environment, especially Sinharaja forest which has been damaged by expansion of tea cultivation and chemical input for tea farming, and 3. reduce the health risk of consumers and farmers by chemical input.

Sari Connection – Recycle Sari Project

PARCIC launched the ‘Recycle Sari Project’ in 2012 aiming to support women headed families in war-affected Northern Sri Lanka. The trained seamstresses in Jaffna and Mullaitivu upcycle donated saris to create unique designs that are sold in Japan and Sri Lanka. The proceeds are distributed back to the original seamstresses in the North to support their families.

Projects in Sri Lanka

April 2004	Start of assistance in fishing communities in Jaffna
2005 –	Emergency relief for tsunami-affected area
2006 – 2008	Livelihood assistance for fishing communities under the civil war
2009 – 2011	Emergency relief / Early recovery for war-affected area in Jaffna (funded by Japan Platform (JPF))
2010 –	Dry fish project in Jaffna (funded by JICA)
2010	Livelihood assistance for kithul pani producers in Deniyaya (funded by Japan Postal Saving Service (JP))
2011 –	Organic tea project for tea small holders in Deniyaya (funded by JP)
2012 –	Assistance for returnee fishermen in Mullative (funded by JPF)
2012 –	Recycle Sari Project to connect women in South and North
2013 –	Sea Farming Project for Fishing Communities in Jaffna

Mangrove replanting activity

PARCIC has been working with PIFWA, a Malaysia’s fishermen’s association since 2010 for conserving Mangrove trees through supporting their replanting activities.

Planting mangroves

Mangrove replanting activity by Penang Inshore Fishermen Welfare Association:PIFWA

Manufacturing industry is a major industry in Penang, followed by commerce and tourism.

Approximately 2.4% of the production population is engaged in agriculture, fishery and forestry. Penang Inshore Fishermen Welfare Association (PIFWA) is a Malaysia’s fishemen cooperative association to continue small-scale inshore fisheries using a traditional fishing method.

Trawl fisheries within 5 miles from the coast are banned in Malaysia. However, its weak enforcement lures illegal fishing in such rich coastal mangrove areas. In addition, with development of coastal areas and pollution caused by factories, fish catches have declined. Local fishermen shared a sense of danger and organized PIFWA to protest trawlers’ and to monitor those factories. Mangrove forests near Penang have been shrinking, because of wastewater from factories and households, expanding shrimp aquaculture, and coastal developments. PIFWA plants mangroves in hopes of rebuilding mangrove forests to protect coastal fishery resources.

Building an inclusive society in Japan with people of overseas origins

The number of residents in Japan with foreign nationalities and/or origins is increasing annually. Many of them are experiencing difficulties in everyday life due to a lack of connections with local communities. More than 6% of the population of Tokyo are those of overseas origins, meaning that we meet them as neighbors on daily basis. We, however, cannot forget a tragedy involving one of these people, the death of Ms. Wishma Sandamari, a Sri Lankan, who was detained and passed away in an Immigration Office facility in March, 2021, after complaining of ill health but not receiving proper treatment. This tragedy has been perceived as a shocking incident in the Japanese society as it symbolizes how difficult the situation is for many foreign nationalities and/or origins living in Japan, or how likely they are to fall into such the same situation.We believe that a society where people of overseas origins can a live safely and securely irrespective of language, culture and residential status, is a richer society with diversities in food and culture. To take part in the efforts to build an inclusive society where people support each other irrespective of their family origins, we launched a new program to provide assistance to residents with overseas origins who face difficulties especially under the Coronavirus infection in Japan.

Talk Café: identifying issues for residents with overseas roots to build communities with mutual support

The number of residents in Japan with foreign nationalities and/or origins is increasing annually. Many of them are experiencing difficulties in everyday life due to a lack of connections with local communities. More than 6% of the population of Tokyo are those of overseas origins, meaning that we meet them as neighbors on daily basis. We, however, cannot forget a tragedy involving one of these people, the death of Ms. Wishma Sandamari, a Sri Lankan, who was detained and passed away in an Immigration Office facility in March, 2021, after complaining of ill health but not receiving proper treatment. This tragedy has been perceived as a shocking incident in the Japanese society as it symbolizes how difficult the situation is for many foreign nationalities and/or origins living in Japan, or how likely they are to fall into such the same situation.We believe that a society where people of overseas origins can a live safely and securely irrespective of language, culture and residential status, is a richer society with diversities in food and culture. To take part in the efforts to build an inclusive society where people support each other irrespective of their family origins, we launched a new program to provide assistance to residents with overseas origins who face difficulties especially under the Coronavirus infection in Japan.

Nowadays, people from a variety of foreign countries are working everywhere in Japan, convenience stores, care homes for the elderly, hospitals, restaurants and various other places. Graph 1 below shows the number of foreign residents in Japan. Up until 1989, the number of foreign residents was less than 1 million. It increased rapidly since the last decade of the 20th century, exceeding 1 million in 1990, 2million in 2005, and reached 2.93 million in 2019. The increase was three-fold in less than two decades. Japanese population, on the other hand, has decreased since December 2014. In 2019, 2.3% of total residents in Japan were those of foreign roots.

In Tokyo, the number of those with foreign roots also increased since around 1989. As of January 1, 2021, foreign residents accounted for 7.63% of the total population. Graph 2 shows the numbers of foreign residents registered under alien registration up to 2012 and those registered in the residents’ ledger since 2013, the year when the alien registration act was abolished. The actual number of foreigners living in Tokyo is likely to be larger than those as not all of them are registered in the ledger.

People who came from foreign countries such as Viet Nam, India and Nepal and live and work in Japan have also been affected by the Covid-19 pandemic. With the Declaration of Emergency State, many restaurants had to shorten business hours and those depending on office workers in business districts suddenly lost a large part of clientele. Several schemes of financial support including the Employment Adjustment Subsidy to pay salaries to furloughed employees have been introduced to help these small businesses continue operation, but the application procedures are very complicated. It has been reported that those who have no problems with reading and writing Japanese often have difficulties in going through the process successfully: some have failed in filling the forms correctly and others in collecting required attachments. It is easily suspected that applying for these schemes would be extremely difficult for those who are unable to read or write the Japanese language. We have heard of a case of a Nepali who used work in an Indian curry restaurant with a visa for a cook and lost the job: he took a new job at a farm and consequently lost the resident status.

The situation prompted PARCIC to launch a new program to help people of overseas origins solve problems they are faced in everyday life. The program is our contribution towards building a mature society where people of various backgrounds live together and develop a rich culture.

The program will be carried out with participation of about 20 volunteers. They will explore the issues together and develop activities as the program staff. We plan to have the Talk Café twice a month at Min-café, the community café we run in Katsushika ward, Tokyo. Katsushika ward has the 11th largest population of foreign residents among all municipalities in Japan.

We will also visit restaurants in Tokyo that specialize in various foreign dishes and interview the owners, workers and people of their communities to find out issues faced in their daily lives. We will then provide assistance they need including liaising with appropriate local government offices and accompanying them when they go there for some paper work.