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JICA Volunteers in Palau

◆Alii from Palau!

Masashi Kurita
JICA Volunteer
Management Information Systems, Palau Judiciary

　　　I was dispatched to Palau in September of 2010 and time flies so fast, there is less than two months of my term left. I am working at the Management Information Systems Division in the Palau Judiciary, working on maintenance, administration and improvement of the data base system that preserves all the trial data. In my division, I am working in a group of three, with the chief, an assistant and myself.

(Working with colleagues at the judiciary)

　　　 I have two offices, one in the Capital of Melekeok, and one in the old Capital of Koror. I work at Koror office, which is close to where I live, on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays, and commute to Melekeok on Tuesdays and Thursdays.

　　　When people hear my position as a computer technician, they often imagine me sitting in front of a computer all day. However, in reality, I more often go around and talk to people, listening to my colleagues about their requests on system improvement or asking them questions for trouble shooting.

　　　When I first started working, I experienced a series of difficulties, placed in a new workplace and having to communicate in English. Under those circumstances, I always kept in mind to listen carefully to people and answer carefully to them. Working with that attitude, eventually, I was able to achieve trust from my colleagues with my work little by little. Through this experience, I realized that the importance of communication among people is the same, no matter where you are.

(My friends from the community)

　　　I had many valuable experiences through home staying with a Palauan family. In the weekend, I joined the local community and worked together to fix the shore banks or repair an old bai (traditional Palauan architecture). The beer we share after working together all day is especially good, I just cannot forget those days having fun with the young Palauans and enjoying ourselves until midnight.

　　　As my term is coming to an end, I am now working on documentation of my work and handing over my tasks to colleagues. At times I still have difficulty with my English and things don’t always go smoothly, but I will work as hard as I can to make the most of my remaining time here.