The Gaza Strip in the Palestinian Authority (Oct. 2012)- PREX Island
Ex-participants Messages
The Gaza Strip in the Palestinian Authority (Oct. 2012)
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Palestinian Energy and Natural Resources Authority Mr. Najjar Osama I.M. |
Ms. Kato, in charge of JICA’s seminars, has written for us about the activities of former seminar participants who have returned home to the Gaza Strip in the Palestinian Authority.
Mr. Osama attended the FY 2011 Assistance Seminar for Introduction of Solar Power Generation in Osaka for one month before returning home. His first initiative was to “accurately understand Japanese systems and work on spreading them.” He compiled the systems and technologies he learned in Japan and submitted them to the Palestinian Energy and Natural Resources Authority, to which he belongs. Demand for electricity in the Gaza greatly outstrips its supply capacity, and power outages occur frequently in a day. Yet at the same time, plans to supply more energy have hit a dead end. Mr. Osama has discovered that renewable energy, and in particular power supply by solar energy, is the future for this region.
Currently, half a year since he returned home, Mr. Osama has conducted various studies with the idea of introducing solar-power generation equipment in the Gaza Strip. In Gaza, where access to the outside world is difficult due to restrictions and other measures imposed by Israel, bringing in the necessary equipment for the project is not easy. However, he is studying various possibilities, such as starting projects from a small scale.
“In many cases, people don’t correctly evaluate or appreciate that I’m doing my job (due to the effect of the political reasons between West Bank and Gaza split),” he says. “However, I went to Japan and learned a lot about technologies and systems, as well as the feeling of ‘never giving up.’ Japan is a country lacking natural resources. Gaza is the same. But Japan has developed from the strength of its people. I can’t give up on the idea of moving forward, just because there are various obstacles. The seminar in Japan changed my way of thinking and my life.” Mr. Osama has brought Japan’ spirit home with him, along with its technology. We hope he delivers some light to the people of Gaza, who have been placed in a difficult situation.
In addition, the number of people from the Gaza Strip who have participated in the seminars in Japan since 1985 has exceeded 400. They have formed JICA Alumni Association Palestine. Their website, which is a place where they can have a dialogue, carries seminar participation reports of former participants who have returned home. It is also a cornerstone that introduces volunteer activities and seminars taking place in the Gaza Strip mainly for the alumni association.
Megumi Kato,
Middle East Section 2, Middle East and Europe Department,
Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), an independent administrative corporation
- Date : October 30, 2012
- Name : Mr. Najjar Osama I.M.
