When I graduated the university, I had no intention to get a job in a company even though I had failed in the entrance exam to the graduate school. But I thought to myself there must be something I can do, when I knocked on the door of NICCO. At the briefing session, Ms.Ono, the President of NICCO, said to me, "NICCO welcomes anyone who wishes to join, and they will do whatever as much as they can but not a half-hearted job." The next day, I started to call on NICCO Kyoto Office. At first there was only menial labor for me, of course, but I remember those days it was enjoyable just to see the other members of interns, fellows and volunteers who wished to engage in international cooperation.

Six months later, I got to the turning point. It was just after I came back from my first mission in Vietnam. As the staff in charge would leave, I was asked to succeed his job in Vietnam. It seemed beyond my ability, but Ms.Ono encouraged me to take on the job. She said, "You may not be able to manage, but you should try." Then I made up my mind and began to tackle the projects in Vietnam. Every night I ran to the station to catch the last train.

I came back to Vietnam one year after my first fieldwork. Our projects were getting through various troubles, helped by many local people as well as us, the Japanese staff. At one time, the bus carrying the local people to the health check site was held by the local police owing to some mistake in the application for permission. There was no NICCO staff on the bus but only the local people - 40 residents awaiting the health check and the health worker to guide them. To persuade the police to let them go, the health worker declared he would take responsibility for whatever happened. We were got known this later when we asked him why the bus was late to arrive. Our projects faced various troubles as such, but gaining supports from local people, our projects were completed successfully.

Before going to Vietnam, I had never imagined the life without electricity or waterworks and regarded poor=pitiful. But such my sense of value totally changed. I came to realize Japanese' life relies on the life of the people of developing countries. We provide aid to them not just because they are pitiful but because their cooperation is essential to our life.

Since I succeeded the projects in Vietnam, for 9 months out of total 2 years of the mission I worked in the field. However the job was busy, I never felt tired as I could always remember the faces I had met in Vietnam and thought I was working for them. Now I think this is the best part of working for an NGO. In fact, there were not many things we, outsiders, could do for them. I was always given advices from the villagers.

I would like to express my sincere gratitude to the people I met through NICCO and the mission in Vietnam, and most of all, to my family and their understanding. I wish to become a person who would be of help to anyone who needs assistance.