The History of NVC

The History of NVC

A representative in Laos of Japan International Volunteer Center (JVC) visited Niigata City in 1989. He gave a talk about the country’s severe situation at Niigata University and at a community center, and appealed for help.

In response to his talk, some students and citizens held a charity bazaar, and succeeded in raising over 2,000,000 yen. As it was the dawn of our history, NVC was organized the following year (1990) for the purpose of sending $10,000 to Laos every year. Over the next ten years, it resulted in an improvement of the living standard in rural areas as well as a decrease in the high child mortality rate in Laos.
In 1994, NVC started a partnership with the Niigata City International Exchange Foundation to partially subsidize health insurance enrollment costs for international students who are studying at their own expense in Niigata City. Through this program, NVC expanded its role in to internationalizing the community.

In 1995, NVC started its own project called “the Vietnam Future Project (VFP)”. We have been cooperating with the WOCA (Woman’s Charity Association in Vietnam) to work on construction of buildings and assist in the operation of elementary schools. Since then, we have already built fifteen schools including one kindergarten there. The VFP has expanded its activities to establishment of a scholarship program for students with both financial needs and special needs, helping street children (the Construction of Open House and the assistance of food, clothing, shelter, education, and vocational training to the “Quan Com Xa Hoi” and the “Ky Quang Blind School”). Since 1996, NVC has been receiving a partial funding every year from the “International Volunteer Savings” which is sponsored by the Ministry of Posts and Telecommunications. In 1999, NVC was awarded “the 3rd Kome Hyapyou Prize” in Nagaoka City. In 1999, NVC started a project for helping the flood victims in Bangladesh.

All of our activities have been supported by not only the effort of NVC members, but also by the cooperation of various other people like yourselves. We deeply appreciate this support, and we would like to ask for your continued cooperation and advice so that we, NVC, which was originally born here in Niigata, can become a more substantial and vital NPO, building on over ten years of experience.

In the year of 2000, a new activity was started on a trial basis at East Africa (Madagascar and Kenya). With the idea of providing both money and labor, NVC dispatch volunteers to assist in JICA's forestation project there.

NVC Chronology

1989 Held the First Charity Bazaar.
Send funds to Laos for the first time.
1990 The Establishment of the “NVC”.
　　　 The first Study Tour. (practiced 25times in ten years)
　　　　 Published the first volume of NVC library series, “Kokkyo wo Koete Tooku” (i.e. Go Far Away Over the Border).（Published up to 9 volumes as of June 2003）
1994 Held a charity concert for the former Yugoslavian refugees.
1995 Set up a team for the Vietnam Future Project（VFP）
　　　 Sent a relief fund to the victims of the Hanshin-Awaji earthquake in Kobe, Japan.
1996 VFP1~3　Built of three elementary schools.
　　 Began receiving the funding from the “International Volunteer Savings”
1997 VFP4~6　Built of two elementary schools and an open house for street children.
1998 VFP7~11　Built of one elementary school, and established a scholarship program.
Started the “Quan Com Xa Hoi”, and “Ky Quang Blind School” projects as well as the “Exchange Illustrated Post Cards with Vietnamese Children”.
1999 VFP12~14　Built of one elementary school
　　　　 Extended the scholarship program and street children assistance program.
　　　　 Started the Bangladesh project.
2000 Started the East Africa project (for Madagascar and Kenya).