Ambassador Baraka H. Luvanda received on 18th May 2022, the representatives of One Book Association who paid a courtesy call at the Chancery in Tokyo. The delegation of the One Book Association was headed by its President Ms. Akiko Otsuki, accompanied with her Vice President, Ms. Shigako Koyama and Chairman of the Association Mr. Hideki Fukui. One Book Association is a Japanese NGO, dealing with children welfare and gender empowerment for over 50 years, its office headquarter is in Tokyo, Japan.
Ms. Otsuki thanked Ambassador Luvanda for the warm welcome and explained that the purpose of their visit was to greet him as the newly appointed Tanzanian Ambassador to Japan as well as to inform him of their work. She said they have also come to present the gifts for Tanzanian children that reflect an enduring relationship between children of Japan and Tanzania.
The gifts included, among others, 4,000 pencils collected from about 170 kids in Japan to support kindergarten students in Tanzania on their education journey. She hoped that at least three-quarters of the children who collected pencils now knew about Tanzania; and that each of those who gave a pencil has a dream for their fellow children in Tanzania.
To fulfill their desire to support Tanzanian children, in the month of May each year, the NGO celebrate Japan Children's Month to wish the children a happy and prosperous life by doing a remarkable work for them.
In his remarks, Ambassador Luvanda thanked One Book Association for their love for Tanzania and for choosing Tanzanians as their closest friends as well as for the gifts they brought to the children of Tanzania. He thanked Ms. Otsuki and her NGO for a good work of promoting Tanzania by building connections between the children of Japan and those of Tanzania. He wished the friendship between Tanzania and One Book Association will continue to strengthen even in the future. He also commended for their good work in ensuring the well-being of the younger children and pointed out that once you build a foundation for children's education, you build a bridge for their future.
Ambassador Luvanda invited the Japanese children to visit Tanzania so that they could see for themselves the wealthiest in natural heritage and tourist attractions Tanzania has. He also expressed his wishes for Tanzanian children to have the opportunity to visit Japan and experience the culture and hospitality of the Japanese people.
In her final remarks, Ms. Otsuki asked if pictures painted by Tanzanian kindergarten children depicting the richness of Tanzanian tourism and resources using pencils collected from their counterparts, could be collected for Japanese children. She also expressed her joy to see cherry blossom tree also known as Japanese cherry or Sakura that was planted by her NGO at the Embassy premises in 2010. She alluded to the belief that the life and growth of the tree points to the growth and prosperity of the relations between Japan and Tanzania.