Address: Business Tower 4F, 3-39-3 Honmachi, Shibuya-ku, 
Tokyo 151-0071 Japan
Tel: +81-3-3372-9777
Fax: +81-3-5351-2395
E-mail: baj@jca.apc.org

Organizational Profile:

Bridge Asia Japan (BAJ) started its operation in 1993 to provide assistance to and cooperate with the people in Asian region. Mutual Understanding through exchange of opinions and sharing of knowledge and experience is our fundamental principle. We wish to be a “Bridge” that connects people’s hearts all over Asia.

Activities in Myanmar

BAJ established a mechanical workshop in Maungdaw, Northern Rakhine State, an area bordering Bangladesh, in 1995. Since then, as an implementing partner of UNHCR undertaking Repatriation and Reintegration Program there, it has vigorously carried out various activities, aiming to promote smooth and effective reintegration of the returning refugees into the local community as well as sound regional development. Besides, in 1999, Secure Water Supply Program was started in Bagan-Nyaung Oo Area, Mandalay Division.

Program in Northern Rakhine State

1. Repair & Maintenance of Project Vehicles and Machines: BAJ undertakes repair and maintenance of vehicles, motorbikes, boats, generators, etc. used by UN agencies and NGOs, as well as filtration of fuel.
2. Technical & Vocational Training for Local Youth: the courses held so far include Vehicle Repair and Maintenance, Basic Electricity and Arc welding, Concrete Products, Well-Drilling, Tailoring for women, etc.
3. Dissemination of Appropriate Technology (AT): BAJ develops AT products such as one-wheel barrow, bicycle sidecar and manual well-drilling rig. We also offer On-the-Job-Trainings in Furniture-Making, Well-Drilling and so on.
4. Workshop & Rental Service: BAJ-supported workshops/rental shops are managed by local people and lend such tools and equipment as tractors, water pumps, carpentry tools, etc. to villagers to assist their income generation. Minor repair works are also handled by these workshops.
5. School Construction: Not only returnees but also local residents participate in construction of school buildings and latrines as trainees, through which they can acquire basic carpentry and masonry skills. While conventional schools are built with bamboo and thatch, those constructed by BAJ are built with bricks and so durable that they can easily endure cyclones and last for several decades. Since 1996, 30 schools which can accommodate about 6000 students have been constructed so far, and several others are now under construction.
6. Bridge & Culvert Construction: BAJ constructs various types of bridges and culverts in Northern Rakhine State. In 1999, 13 concrete bridges, 28 culverts, 4 footpath bridges, etc. were constructed with participation of more than 1300 local people

Secure Water Supply Program

BAJ signed a Memorandum of Understanding for the program with the Department of Development Affairs, Ministry of Progress of Border Areas and National Races and Development Affairs in March 1999, and started to dig deep tube wells (usually the depth is 100 to 300 meters) in Bagan-Nyaung Oo area, central Dry Zone, where villagers suffer from shortage of safe water and consequent water-related diseases such as diarrhoea, dysentery, etc. Wells, pumps and tanks have already been established in a number of villages with active participation of local residents.

Activities in Vietnam

In Vietnam, BAJ provides assistance through its local counterparts mainly in the fields of environmental protection and welfare of disabled children and youth.

Environmental Protection

1. Sharing Japanese Experience with Vietnamese: BAJ translated a Japanese book, " Industrial Pollution in Japan", into Vietnamese and distributed copies to interested groups and individuals. Further, it has organized seminars on environmental protection and medical waste management in Vietnam, and invited Vietnamese delegation to Japan for a study tour on environmental issues.
2. Donation of Used Garbage Collection Vehicles: Through BAJ’s assistance, many garbage collection trucks have been donated to a number of cities in Vietnam by the municipal governments in Japan.
3. Dissemination of Compost-Producing Landfill: Compost-Producing Landfill is an environmentally sound and technologically appropriate way of waste management. BAJ provided technical expertise and this method was adopted in Ha Giang City.
4. Afforestation: In a rural village of Cao Bang Province, Northern Vietnam, where soil degradation and decrease of forest resources are seriously affecting people’s lives, BAJ has started an afforestation program in partnership with local counterparts in order to recover soil and forest as well as to promote sustainable agriculture.

Welfare of Disabled Children and Youth

1. Vocational Training for Youth with Visual Impairment: In conjunction with the Research and Education Center for Disabled Children (RECDC) of Ho Chi Minh City, local schools for the blind, and Ounkai (Japanese social welfare organization for the blind), BAJ has been implementing a 5-year plan of vocational training in Japanese massage for visually impaired youth since 1998, holding massage seminars annually in Vietnam. We also provided financial assistance to the Nguyen Dinh Chieu School for the Blind for construction of massage rooms where graduates can work.
2. Assistance to Vocational Training for the Disabled: Through RECDC, BAJ partly finances training programs such as cooking courses for auditorily and mentally disabled children and youth.