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Living Kindly on Wounded Land: Our Initiatives ②

What kind of images come to mind when you hear this theme? While everyone’s personal experience with climate change may vary, this spring, we hope to reflect together on global issues and consider what we can do in our daily lives.

Throughout this month, we will be featuring stories of our graduates and ARI’s own initiatives to tackle environmental challenges.

Our second story features Catherine Mtambo (2012 ARI Graduate).

Catherine from Malawi, aims to “move people from dependence to independence.” she works with 102 rural area groups of about 25 members each and regularly visits families in their homes to teach them about sanitation, business, and integrated household farming. One of their creative initiatives is planting trees.

Wandering around the village, we soon found the tree nursery, where they are growing Acacia, Mtete, Ndia, Atanga, and Guava – all local trees. This activity started in 2020, and everyone is happy about how much trees have improved their lives. “Here, every house has a tree” and every household plants five trees a year. They provide shade and serve as windbreaks. Some have fruits or medicinal properties. Branches can be trimmed for firewood, fencing, or roof thatch. Seeds can be sold and leaves become compost! There is nothing bad about planting trees and the only thing that limits their numbers is they don’t have enough tree tubes for the seedlings! “The relationship between people and trees is very important. That’s why we plant.”
Everyone has a backyard garden complete with banana trees, and people readily share the suckers (needed to plant more bananas). Why do they do this? “Because nature was meant to be shared,” they shouted.

(Excerpt from “Rural Leaders: Malawi, Day 15 by Steven Cutting)


☆ Easter & Spring Fundraising Campaign
Join us to support leaders who work to heal wounded land!

https://ari.ac.jp/en/donate/a-time-to-heal-spring-2026

【Series of the articles】
Living Kindly on Wounded Land: Our Initiatives ① Roy David (India)

[Announcement] The Asian Rural Institute official website is being renewed!

To help you feel closer to and more deeply connected with what’s happening at ARI, we have begun a complete renewal of our website. Today, we are thrilled to launch the renewed Japanese version! We will be adding various new pages to the site as we go, so please stay tuned. The English version will also be updated gradually to the new design.

The smell of the soil, the warmth of sharing a meal around the table, and the passionate energy of leaders gathered from all over the world.

Our fresh new design aims to vividly deliver these rich, sensory experiences right to your screen.

What’s New:

Much more mobile-friendly for smartphone users

Easier to read the inspiring stories of ARI and our graduates

Smoother access to volunteering and donation pages

We hope that the spirit of “Foodlife”—which we hold so dear—reaches you even through the screen.

Please check out the new Asian Rural Institute website from the link, and keep an eye out for the upcoming English site!

Renewed Japanese site: https://ari.ac.jp?ari=news

English site: https://ari.ac.jp/en?ari=news

Easter 2026

We celebrated our Easter sunrise service under the beautiful cherry blossoms in full bloom at ARI.

「But he was pierced for our transgressions,

he was crushed for our iniquities;

the punishment that brought us peace was on him,

and by his wounds we are healed.」

(Isaiah 53:5)

Living Kindly on Wounded Land: Our Initiatives ①

What kind of images come to mind when you hear this theme? While everyone’s personal experience with climate change may vary, this spring, we hope to reflect together on global issues and consider what we can do in our daily lives.

Throughout this month, we will be featuring stories of our graduates and ARI’s own initiatives to tackle environmental challenges.

Our first story features Roy David (2003 ARI Graduate).
For many years, he has been working in Karnataka, South India, supporting the land rights of the indigenous “Adivasi” people.

They live harmoniously with their native forests and have done so for a thousand years, taking only what they need and always leaving something behind. When they harvest honey, they do not touch several hives, so the bees still have homes. When they dig roots, they ensure several remain in the soil so they may continue to grow. This is in contrast to the unkind relationship of modern thinking that would cut a whole forest at once for a quick profit. Indeed, the Adivasi have something important to teach about how to live kindly with the land.

Roy says with deep respect, “The Adivasis are the most exploited and pushed to the corner. They are the last people. Actually, they are the world’s first people, but here they are pushed to become the last people. I want to do something for the last people, though it is very challenging.”

(Excerpt from “Rural Leaders: Southern India, Day 12” and Ajia no Tsuchi No. 202 by Steven Cutting)


☆ Easter & Spring Fundraising Campaign
Join us to support leaders who work to heal wounded land!

https://ari.ac.jp/en/donate/a-time-to-heal-spring-2026

Sounds of Life (written by the Farmer Director)

The new academic year has begun, and we’ve welcomed new participants. It’s my second year as director―a role I never expected to take on. Having worked on a farm for many years, I aspire to live like a farmer myself. Touching the soil brings me a sense of calm. In my favorite poem, “Rain” by Jukichi Yagi, there is a line that reads, “I hear the sound of rain―it must have been raining.” Here at ARI, too, there are various “sounds of life”. I wonder what “sounds of life” we will hear this year.

(This new column, “Sounds of Life” will be published irregularly.)

（この新しいミニコラム「いのちの音 by 百姓校長」は不定期でお届けします）

The Becquerel Center ceased operations as of March 31, 2026.

Having opened in January 2012, the Becquerel Center ceased operations as of March 31, 2026. Although we originally aimed for a ten-year run, we successfully operated for 14 years and processed around 8,000 samples. Our sincerest thanks go out to our supporters and volunteer staff. We are honored to have served the community for this long.

[ARI Indonesia Study Tour 2026 Report Vol. 3] A Legacy of Conviction: Self-Reliance Support at Hepata and the End of the Journey

The Indonesia Study Tour 2026, which took place under the theme “Experience the Lives and Lifestyles of Rural Leaders,” has come to a close. This is the final installment of our three-part series covering North Sumatra.
After experiencing life in harmony with nature at “Kenny’s Farm” in Part 1 and the overwhelming passion and homestay experience at the coffee cooperative in Part 2, the participants’ minds and bodies had already fully acclimated to the atmosphere of Indonesia.
In this final Part 3, we focus on the work of Junpiter and Lampita in supporting the independence of people with disabilities.

■ Travel Log: Community Development Passed Down Through Generations
•   Support for Independence through Asia’s Largest Church
Indonesia is home to the “HKBP (Batak Protestant Christian Church),” considered Asia’s largest Protestant church. The HKBP is well known not only for its worship services and evangelism but also for its active social service activities, and many graduates of ARI are actively involved in these efforts. Junpiter, who appeared in Part 1, and Lampita, who appeared in Part 2, both play vital roles in supporting the community-based rehabilitation carried out by Hepata, the HKBP’s disability support division.
On the second day in Nagasaribu, we invited people with disabilities and their families from Nagasaribu to join us and listened to Junpiter and Lampita talk about Hepata’s activities and their passion for the cause.

•   Hepata’s Activities Passed Down from Osten to Junpiter: The disability support organization we visited on the first day (Toba Disability Association), which appeared in the first report, also began as part of Hepata and is now independently operated. Junpiter shared that he didn’t start this alone. Osten, a 2006 graduate of ARI who was originally in charge of Hepata, approached Junpiter, and now Junpiter oversees activities in six regions where the community-based rehabilitation is carried out. In North Sumatra, which is home to many graduates, cooperation among graduates is thriving, and they are joining forces to serve the community.

•   Lampita, A Reliable Field Worker: As the coordinator for Nagasaribu Village, Lampita works closely with people with various disabilities on the ground. She helps each person discover their strengths—whether in bag-making, agriculture, or barista work—and guides them toward self-reliance, but she emphasizes that talking with the family is the most important step. This is because many parents worry about the safety of their children with disabilities and are reluctant to let them try new things. Despite juggling other responsibilities, Lampita dedicates seven hours a week to discussions with the individuals and their families. Seeing her dedication, it was clear just how much people rely on her.

•   Post-Disaster Cacao Project: On the final day, we toured the scenic area of Parapat. That day, Junpeter showed us a new project he is running from his home. There were seedlings densely packed into a small greenhouse. These are cacao seedlings being grown to distribute to farmers affected by the floods on Sumatra last December, so they can resume farming. He also expressed his ambition to eventually commercialize the product and help generate income for the farmers. It is precisely because he is an ARI graduate who works closely with the community on a daily basis that he is able to respond quickly and effectively to needs in the aftermath of a disaster.

•   Visits to a local elementary and junior high school, and sightseeing in Parapat: Toward the end of the trip, we also visited an elementary and junior high school in Siborongborong and toured Parapat. We enjoyed hands-on cultural exchange, such as writing the students’ names in Japanese and running around the school grounds. In Parapat, after enjoying the beach, hiking, and shopping, we held the final night reflection session. Through this festive day, we concluded the study tour by celebrating the connections we had made with one another.

■ Participants’ Voices (from the post-trip survey) Witnessing the history and expanding activities of the graduates, participants engaged in deep reflection on their own relationship with society. Here are some of the inner changes and insights shared in the survey.
“I was moved by the fact that the philosophy and practices of ARI have been passed down from Osten to Junpiter. I felt that the region is improving not just in isolated spots, but as a continuous process.”
“Seeing the self-reliance support at Hepata helped me understand the true meaning of a ‘society where everyone has a role.’ In Japanese society, which tends to prioritize efficiency and speed above all else, this experience made me fundamentally rethink how I should live my life.”
“It’s hard enough to make a single project a success, so I was overwhelmed by Lampita’s broad vision and vitality in expanding activities to other districts. It made me realize that I had been unnecessarily limiting the scope of my own activities.”
“It was precisely because of the nightly reflection sessions that this wasn’t just a ‘trip’—I was able to absorb everything as my own personal experience. The fact that participants of different ages and backgrounds could speak honestly and open up to one another is a treasure I will carry with me for the rest of my life.”

■ Conclusion
True to the theme of “Experiencing the Lives and Ways of Rural Leaders,” the participants were touched by the overwhelming energy of the graduates, and it became a wonderful journey where they reflected the fundamental needs of their own lives.
We would like to express our heartfelt gratitude to everyone in Indonesia who welcomed us so warmly, and to everyone who supported this tour.

We will continue to organize study tours that shake up the way we live. Why not join us on our next journey? 

[ARI Indonesia Study Tour 2026 Report Vol. 1] A Life-Changing Experience! Living at “Kenny’s Farm” Run by Kengo and Veny – Asian Rural Institute

[ARI Indonesia Study Tour 2026 Report Vol. 2] Overflowing Energy: Gani and Lampita’s Coffee Farmers Cooperative and Village Homestay – Asian Rural Institute

[ARI Indonesia Study Tour 2026 Report Vol. 3] A Legacy of Conviction: Self-Reliance Support at Hepata and the End of the Journey – Asian Rural Institute