The JICA Kenya Office has dispatched the African Institute of Capacity Development (AICAD) South-South Cooperation Team from September 28 to October 4, 2001.

This unique and unconventional mission team from Kenya to Indonesia comprised of 4 members led by Prof. R.W. Michieka , Team Leader of AICAD as well as the Vice Chancellor, of the Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology (JKUAT).

What is AICAD?

     In 1998, TICAD II (Second Tokyo International Conference on African Development) decided several actions for the development and the poverty reduction in Africa. Among these actions, the AICAD project was initiated from August 2000, initially involving 3 countries in East Africa, namely Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda, aiming to establish a center of human resources development for poverty reduction in Africa and to promote the Asia-Africa South South Cooperation.

 Background and Objectives

     The objectives of the team are to: 1) explore linkages on South-South Cooperation, 2) exchange views on the training courses to be implemented in Indonesia and technical cooperation activities among developing countries, 3) discuss technical cooperation to Africa through the Government of Indonesian and relevant organizations, 4) exchange opinions with the Embassy of Japan and the JICA Indonesia Office.

     Further to the above purposes, the mission conducted discussions with relevant organizations which executed the South South Cooperation program, such as the State Secretariate (SEKNEG), the Bogor Agricultural University (IPB), the National Family Planning Coordinating Board (BKKBN), and the Surabaya ITS Polytechnic Institute.

     The mission team discovered the relevance of experiences in Indonesia with those in Africa, and explored various South South Cooperation activities, one of which is to take part in the Third Country Training Programs in Indonesia on poverty reduction and information technology, to be implemented in this 2001 Japanese fiscal year.

     The team observed that Asia is proceeding in terms of 'qualities' (not only products but also services, and administration etc.), as such, it deserves to promote the cooperation between Asia and Africa in order to enhance the on-going intra-Africa regional cooperation like AICAD.

The mission members are :

   1. Mr. R.W. Michieka, Team Leader, Vice Chancellor ,Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology (JKUAT),Program Manager of AICAD
   2. Mr. J. K. Mwatelah, Director of AICAD
   3. Mr. J.M. Mberia, Deputy Director of AICAD
   4. Mr. Hidekazu KUMANO, Chief Advisor of AICAD