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Rural Leaders ― a Travel Log Vol. 0


From August 1-26, ARI staff members, Steven and Kai traveled to Zambia and Malawi, Africa, to visit a total of 23 ARI graduates.

We would like to share with you a series of travel logs written by Steven Cutting.
We hope that through his writings, you will be able to feel the atmosphere, smells, tastes, and people of Africa, and know more about ARI graduates who live and work in their community!

In this first article, I’d like to explain about their purpose of the trip and its overview.

【The African journey to visit ARI graduates Prologue】

August 1-18 – Travel through Zambia and Malawi to meet ARI graduates

August 19-24 – Regional Convening of ARI graduates (sponsored by the American Friends of ARI); this took place in Mponela, Malawi in tandem with an agricultural conference organized by ECHO East Africa

This is a travel log of two intrepid ARI staff members who spent over three weeks traveling through Zambia and Malawi to meet ARI graduates in their local contexts.
We went there to see, and better understand, the communities our graduates work with, in all their beauty as well as their struggles. We wanted to see how our graduates engage with their people, and learn how they are bringing their ARI training back home.
This is crucial in keeping our curriculum relevant to the needs of grassroots rural leaders and ensuring we are fulfilling our mission of preparing these leaders to serve their communities.

I think you will agree that the best way to learn the intricate details of a people and a culture, is by being there, spending time in conversation over a meal of stewed goat or on a long car journey across the African landscape. These personal interactions build strong relationships between ARI and its alumni, and also strengthen networks among graduates throughout the region. Also, they are super motivating! Seeing what comes “after ARI” energizes us in our work and hopefully you, whoever you are reading this travel log, will get that same sense of excitement, that what ARI is doing in this world is truly something good.

Written by Steven Cutting (Graduate Outreach Coordinator)
Travelling with Kai Shinoda (Admissions and Recruitment Coordinator)



Click here to read the series of articles

Vol.0 【The African journey to visit ARI graduates, Prologue】 <== Now, you’re here

Vol.1 【The African journey to visit ARI graduates, Days 1 & 2】



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Men's Dormitory & Guest House

Participants and volunteers live in separate dormitories for men and women. The dormitory includes shared lounges, kitchens, showers, and laundry facilities. Wi-Fi is not available.

Poultry House

The poultry facilities include free-range chicken coops and a brooding house. More than 400 chickens are raised, producing over 80,000 eggs and approximately one ton of chicken meat each year.

Pig Pen

Participants learn a variety of pig farming techniques through hands-on practice. Both deep-litter and concrete-floor systems are used, and manure is recycled into biogas and fertilizer.

Goat House

Goat milk (over 200 liters annually) and meat are used for food, while manure is used as fertilizer. During the day, the goats roam freely in the pasture.

Forest

The forests surrounding the campus are managed through selective thinning for firewood and charcoal production. Leaves and other organic materials are collected for use in agriculture.

Fields

On 2.5 hectares of farmland, approximately 100 varieties of vegetables and crops are grown without chemical fertilizers or pesticides. The entire community helps manage the fields as part of its commitment to learning and self-sufficiency.

Rice Paddies

Rice is cultivated in paddies both on and off campus. Various organic rice-growing methods are studied and practiced, including weed control and fertilization using ducks.

Workshop

The workshop is a space for repair and recycling activities. It contains machinery, welding equipment, woodworking tools, and a variety of materials.

Feed Mixing Room

Livestock feed is produced here using both manual and mechanical methods. Continuous efforts are made to improve feed quality and sustainability.

Administration Building

The first floor houses the reception area and administrative offices, while the second floor contains staff offices and the Director’s office. The Farm Shop (Agricultural Training Room) is located adjacent to the building.

ARI Shop

The shop offers ARI-grown produce, processed foods, books, and handicrafts from the home countries of ARI graduates.

Farm Shop (Agricultural Training Room)

The facility serves as the hub of agricultural activities at ARI. It includes classrooms, storage for tools and farming materials, and facilities for drying and storing crops.

Oikos Chapel

Originally a 100-year-old traditional farmhouse, the chapel has been renovated into a place of worship. Daily morning gatherings are held here, along with meditation, dialogue sessions, gospel choir practice, and other community activities. Oikos is a Greek word meaning “home.”

Manna House (Food Processing Room)

This facility is used for producing and storing processed foods such as cookies and jam. The ground floor also contains a poultry processing facility.

Fish Ponds

Fish are raised for both food and agricultural purposes.

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