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Africa apparently has become the new-found interest for Japs, who are quietly targeting their overseas development assistance (ODA) towards helping African nations create a strong base for
science and technology. In Kenya, for instance, they have collaborated with the government to establish the Kenya Medical Research Institute, the Kenya Forestry Research Institute and the
prestigious Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology. Despite being a newcomer to Africa, Japan's presence in the continent is steadily increasing. Nations like Kenya are
overcrowded with donor agencies, but few have tangible projects that can be associated with sustainable development, environment conservation, disease control or increased food production.
The inability to make an impact is a major failure haunting Western ODAs, which have turned to teaming up with agencies like the World Bank, usually associated with inhuman structural
adjustment programmes. Japan's ODA to Kenya -- aimed to tackle some of the basic causes of underdevelopment -- is therefore significant. The projects in Kenya, mostly organised by the
Japan International Cooperation Agency, include support to research for controlling diseases like bilharzia-schistosomiasis (a parasitic infection that affects about two million Kenyans
annually).