NICCO Mail Magazine

NICCO was founded as Kampuchean Refugee Relief Program (KRRP) in December 15, 1979. KRRP's first project was a fundraising campaign for Cambodian refugees. Students and housewives responded to the call and collected donations on the streets of Kyoto. Members of KRRP, however, keenly sensed that giving money and goods would not ensure the refugees' life security for the future, so they began a "self-reliance support". As Cambodians in refugee camps were not permitted to have jobs or return home, they needed some sources of income to support their livelihood. Therefore, KRRP provided a "Livestock/Fowl Bank" and a "Fabric Bank" to loan piglets, mulberry seedlings for silk worms and others. Farmers could borrow and reimburse capital up to a loan limit. KRRP enabled refugees' self-reliance as a community and improved their income by implementing these ideas alongside a committee which was organized by community inhabitants. In 1993, KRRP changed its name into Nippon International Cooperation for Community development (NICCO). The needs of people may change depending on the period, state, region and other factors. However, the fundamental goal of NICCO is to free people from poverty and conflict and to help people realize their potential for harmony with the global environment. NICCO therefore runs projects based on humanitarianism without discriminating by race, religion or politics.