Graduates of ARI
Rural Leaders
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Rural Leaders for Grassroots People
Graduation Is a New Beginning
Learning at ARI does not end with graduation. After returning to their home countries, graduates bring what they have learned back to their organizations and communities. There, they continue to address local challenges while working alongside others to build sustainable livelihoods and communities.
In this section, we introduce some of the graduates who are actively engaged in their communities.
Who Are “Rural Leaders”?
“Rural Leaders” are not defined by titles or authority. They are people who live and work within their communities, facing challenges together with others and creating change from within. By listening, engaging in dialogue, and taking small, steady actions, they nurture sustainable lives and communities.
Rather than giving orders, they think and walk alongside others. This attitude defines true leadership.
ARI graduates grow into such leaders through the program. They return home and apply what they have learned in fields such as agriculture, health, education, and community development—valuing dialogue and collaboration, and continuing to plant seeds of hope even in difficult circumstances.
Graduates from Asia, Africa, and Beyond
Sowing Seeds of Hope Around the World
Participants invited from regions such as Asia and Africa are required to work with their sending organizations for at least three years after graduation. This reflects the fact that their training is made possible through the support of donors, and is intended not for individual benefit alone, but to contribute to the well-being of their communities.
Cecilia Mpinga
Hygiene Village Project (Malawi)
Standing Strong with Communities
Cecilia works across 102 villages in central Malawi, promoting public health and hygiene. In Chikwinga Village, she met a group of widows facing hardship and launched a goat project. By sharing goats and passing on the first offspring to others, the initiative spread throughout the community, strengthening both livelihoods and social bonds.
Thomas Mathew
Socio Economic Educational Development Service - India (SEEDS India)
Living as a Good Neighbor
Thomas Mathew embodies what it means to be a “good neighbor.” He listens deeply and supports others with compassion. For over 30 years, women with hearing disabilities have sustained their livelihoods by creating handmade leaf art cards. He also maintains long-term relationships with 35 families, fostering mutual support through regular gatherings.
Judith Daka Nyondo
Ecumenical Development Foundation (EDF) (Zambia)
A Mother of the Community
Judy is a leader driven by compassion and action. Together with her husband John, she founded the Ecumenical Development Foundation (EDF), providing training in agriculture, health, and livelihoods. In areas with limited medical access, she helped train 40 community health workers, creating life-saving support systems.
Vijaya Singh Roy David
Coorg Organization for Rural Development (CORD) (India)
Fighting for Adivasi Rights
Roy David has dedicated his life to defending the land rights of India’s indigenous Adivasi people. He supports them in understanding and claiming their legal rights. His advocacy contributed to the Forest Rights Act of 2006, yet the struggle continues today.
Mambud Samai
Single Leg Amputee Sports Association (SLASA) (Sierra Leone)
Restoring Confidence and Independence
After the civil war, Pastor Mambu organized a football team for young amputees, recognizing the power of sport to restore confidence. After ARI, he launched the “Soccer Garden,” combining sports with food self-sufficiency training.
Renuka Gunawardana
Thushara Nilmini
Women’s Development Federation (Sri Lanka)
Ensuring Food in Times of Crisis
Following economic collapse, many faced severe food shortages. However, in villages where Renuka and Tushala teach home gardening, families have enough to eat. Sharing knowledge gained at ARI has become a lifeline for their communities.
Thaung Si
Lisu Theological Seminary
Protecting Seeds and Food Sovereignty
Taung Syi promotes sustainable agriculture by establishing a seed bank and training programs. Working with local Buddhist monks, he supports community self-reliance through seed preservation and education.
About the Book:
"Rural Leaders" - The Work and Community Impact of Graduates of the Asian Rural Institute
By Steven Cutting & Beverly Abma
Published in 2016
This book is based on visits to more than 200 graduates across Asia and Africa. It portrays how they face local challenges and walk alongside their communities.
Through work in agriculture, education, health, and environmental fields, it reveals the essence of leadership rooted in “living together.” It is a quiet yet powerful record that shows hope even in difficult realities.
Available at ARI Shop. For purchase inquiries, please contact us.
English Edition
21 x 29.5 cm, 120 pages
Japanese Edition
21 x 29.5cm, 136 pages
Japanese Graduates
Choosing and Creating New Ways of Living
Japanese participants join the program by their own choice and expense. Their experiences living and learning in a diverse international community profoundly shape their lives and careers. After graduation, they apply their learning in their own unique ways across Japan.
Hiroka Komatsubara
Regional Revitalization Cooperation Team (Tochigi)
Reimagining Rural Japan
Hiroka came to ARI aiming for an international career, but rediscovered her roots in Japan. Now based in Shioya, Tochigi, she connects people by sharing local stories through interviews and events, fostering new relationships and envisioning a “third place” for the community.
Masaru Yamazaki
Task Associates Inc. (Tokyo)
Building Peace Through Agriculture
Masaru Yamazaki works as an agricultural consultant across Asia and Africa. By listening carefully to farmers and working alongside them, he supports self-reliance and resilience. His work is driven by the joy of mutual understanding and collaboration.
Moe Koyama
Gururi Farm (Mie)
Sharing the Value of Rural Life
“Currently, I live in a mountainous rural area of Iga City, Mie Prefecture, where I run a farming-based lifestyle together with my husband. Although the community has fewer than 200 residents and faces many challenges due to an aging population, we are supported by nature and the people around us, and we enjoy our daily lives.
We both grew up in urban areas, but I was inspired by my experience at the Asian Rural Institute, while my husband found his path through working on farms in various regions, which eventually led us here. We now manage about 1.3 hectares of farmland and also plan and run agricultural experience programs for families with children. Skills such as welcoming people and creating a nurturing environment—developed through my time at ARI—continue to play an important role in what we do today.”
Kengo Ishida
Kenny's Farm (Indonesia)
Farming in Harmony with Nature
Another graduate lives in North Sumatra, Indonesia, developing a food forest-based farm with his wife. Their system integrates 30–40 plant species, supporting biodiversity and long-term sustainability, while also running a small home restaurant.
NEW! Rural Leaders "Blog"
By Steven Cutting
Since 2026
For the latest stories from ARI graduates around the world, visit our external blog, where ARI’s Graduate Outreach staff share firsthand reports from visits to graduates in their local communities.
The blog features the challenges, joys, struggles, and hopes of graduates working across Asia, Africa, Latin America, the Pacific, and Japan. Through their stories, readers can discover local wisdom, meaningful human connections, and the power of grassroots leadership—perspectives rarely seen in the news or mainstream media.
We invite you to step into the inspiring world of ARI graduates and explore the remarkable stories they are weaving in communities around the globe.
Graduates of ARI
Although participants come from diverse backgrounds and face a wide range of challenges in their communities, all graduates are expected to return to their home countries as “servant leaders,” bringing back the knowledge and skills they have gained and applying them with strong commitment to address local issues.
The number of countries represented by today:
The number of graduates by today:
Many graduates are creating positive change in their communities around the world.
“We invest in people who dedicate themselves
to sustaining life for the future.
It is a meaningful and lasting investment.”
