From February 6 to 20, 2026, JICA conducted a training program in Japan on the theme of “Promoting Community-Based Social Welfare.” Practitioners from Kenya, Papua New Guinea, Tajikistan, and Thailand participated in this training, where they learned about the importance of “connections” between community initiatives and the people who support them. JICA’s “Project for Human Resource Development in Social Welfare in the ASEAN Region” also participated in this training alongside its Thai counterparts. Launched in August 2025, this technical cooperation project is a collaboration between the ASEAN Training Center for Social Welfare and Social Work (ATCSW), Thailand’s Ministry of Social Development and Human Security (MSDHS), and JICA. It aims to strengthen the infrastructure for high-quality training and expand learning opportunities for local social welfare professionals.
In this training program, we learned about the system of mutual support through collaboration among government agencies, private organizations, and local residents—a hallmark of community welfare in Japan—through lectures and on-site visits. Through visits to community welfare-related organizations in Ichikawa City, Yokohama City, Bunkyo Ward, and Joso City, participants were able to deepen their understanding of efforts to create community gathering places, mutual support initiatives in preparation for disasters, and the active roles played by certified social workers and volunteers. Furthermore, through this training program, the participants reaffirmed the strengths and significance of Japan’s community welfare system and gained insights—such as volunteer management, civil society engagement during disasters, and responses to an aging society—that will also be beneficial for the ASEAN region.
At the end of the training, participants developed action plans tailored to their respective countries and discussed how to apply what they had learned in Japan to their home countries. The presentations by the participants offered many insights into how to build societies and communities where “no one is left behind,” while leveraging region-specific human resources and networks.
Through the “Project for Social Work Capacity Building in the ASEAN Region,” we will continue to develop and expand our knowledge-co-creation initiatives in collaboration with the network of training participants and the project implementing organizations, with the aim of strengthening the capabilities of social workers in ASEAN countries who play a vital role as coordinators of community services in their regions.
Scenes from a visit to “Kobinata Bocco” (a local community space) in Bunkyo Ward; Thai participants (5 people) presenting their action plans
© Source JICA