<Material>Japan\u27s Official Development Assistance : Promoting Sustainable Development

Official Development Assistance (ODA) is a technical term defined by the OECD. One of the main categories of Japan ODA is bilateral grants which facilitate transfer of technology, skills and knowledge. These transfers, though complex, are a necessary requirement of the technology transfer cycle necessitated by social challenges brought about by new technology. Therefore, it is essential for provision of new technology to be associated with continued professional interaction and training. Developing countries continue to rely on ODA due to various country specific social and developmental setbacks. Therefore, the technology transfer process should be country specific, not based on any preset models or ideologies, and should have support from all the relevant stakeholders. The author is currently undergoing technical or counterpart training facilitated by the Japan International Co-operation Agency (JICA) and Kawasaki University of Medical Welfare. This paper was written to highlight the importance of capacity strengthening to both institutions and individuals. The case for Kenya Medical Research Institute (KEMRI) is to provide encouragement to general public and support to its staff for this kind of successful form of ODA towards sustainable development