News
ARI Community enjoys participant-led community event!
The other day, a participants-led community event was held with the theme “Enjoy!”Despite having only a short time to prepare, the participants came up with creative ideas and worked hard to organize fun games and delicious food.On the day of the event, the venue was filled with smiles and a warm, welcoming atmosphere.We are truly grateful to all the participants who made this wonderful time possible.Thank you so much!
From 2020: An opportunity, not a crisis – Short-term special training in Ghana
Originally published in 2020, we are republishing this piece to coincide with the upcoming issue of Take My Hand, containing updates from graduates in Sierra Leone. Get to know these four Participants during their time in Ghana. by Yukiko Oyanagi, Associate Director At the end of March 2020, when participants began to arrive in Japan, we heard the news, “Ghana closed the border. Four Sierra Leone students were left behind!” Participants from overseas come to Japan after receiving a visa from the Japanese embassy in their country. Sierra Leone does … Read more
Dignity: Appreciating the Good from Sierra Leone
by Joyce Ray, ARI Volunteer Originally written in 2023, we are republishing this text to accompany the upcoming issue of Take My Hand, containing updates from graduates in Sierra Leone. Get to know Ami from her time at ARI in this article. Aminata “Ami” Conteh’s passion for women’s empowerment shines whenever she talks about her vision for the ten villages where she works. As a Field Officer with the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Sierra Leone, Ami helps develop a feeling of community among the villages of many tribes and cultures, … Read more
This year’s “Class Photo Roster” is available on our website!
This year, we are welcoming a diverse group of 27 Participants and 2 Training Assistants from 17 different countries to our training program. We hope you will support and encourage them by learning about their work in their countries, their expectations for their studies at ARI, and their dreams after returning home.Here’s the link for the website page →This Year’s Participants – Asian Rural Institute
A Conversation Between the New and Former Directors on ARI’s Past and Future
Interviewer: Jack Lichten (Ecumenical Relations) Jack: Tomoko, thank you for your ten years of service. What stands out the most from this past decade? Tomoko: When I became director in 2015, the campus was being rebuilt after the earthquake, and we were working to restart our programs. Five years later, COVID-19 disrupted everything. It wasn’t just a financial challenge—the borders closed, and people couldn’t come. I never imagined such a situation! It wasn’t something I could handle alone, so I had to consult with everyone and find ways to move … Read more
