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Rural Leaders ― a Travel Log Vol. 3

We are sharing with you a series of travel logs written by ARI staff member Steven, who visited Africa in August.

Day 4 was another long day of travel.
Then, finally, they arrived the final destination for the day!
Guess who was waiting for them..?
Let’s get started on our trip to Africa!

【An African journey to visit ARI graduates, Day4】

Loading the bus for Lusaka
The departure time of our UBZ bus to Lusaka was 7:00 AM, and after many warnings that “this bus leaves on time!” we were sure to get there well before 7:00AM. Normal departure times for busses in Africa are…when the bus is full, which is, in fact, much more efficient from the fuel conservation point of view! It was fun to see what was being transported. Among the many suitcases were boxes of chocolates, mysterious metal cases, and one whole truck engine. Or was that a spare for the bus? Maybe not, because it was a modern vehicle, spic and span clean inside and out.

Meet Mike Chongwe, my seatmate
Kai and Geoffrey sat together, and I had the pleasure of being next to Mike Chongwe, a retired government officer. He worked for many years as a diplomat at the embassy of Zambia in Washington DC and has traveled to more than 40 countries. Five of his six children live in the US. The youngest one is here in Zambia close by! In his retirement he started two NGOs. One is to promote awareness and prevention of prostate cancer, which seems to be a serious problem in Zambia. The death rate is over 60%. He is advocating for the government to build better treatment facilities. The present facilities are horribly inadequate and anyone who really wants to have a chance of recovering needs to travel to India. “It is risky to get sick in Zambia,” were his exact words. I guess he has had some success on this count because one facility is due to be completed next year, in Kitwe, and the following year another will be built in Livingstone.
His other NGO is for vulnerable children. They sponsor 56 kids to go to school and want to get that number up to a hundred. As a future activity they are hoping to build a “transition home,” a place where children coming from abusive home environments can live while they go to school. Mike said he has seen terrible abuse and neglect due to poverty and alcoholism. The big dream is to build a school as well, and he is working with his son’s church in Atlanta to get the funds.
Since all this isn’t enough to keep him busy, he also has several farms raising village chickens, cattle, soybean s, cassava, ground nuts, sweet potatoes, peas, and of course, maize.
As you can expect I told him all about ARI and he was interested in the organic farming aspects, explaining how the additives and chemicals we eat in food these days contribute to cancer. As we were entering Lusaka, he pointed out his golf course and how it is dried up from lack of rain.
Hmmmm. That may be more than you wanted to know about a stranger on a bus, but isn’t this one of the things that travelling is about?

More random Zambia things
En route we had one longer stop where Geoffrey introduced us to a food called shawarma. It is especially designed for travel because they put all the meat, chips, pickles, and everything right inside wrap so you can eat it easily in your hands. Never mind that it drips everywhere. They provide a napkin! From later research, I learned this is a middle eastern food, introduced by Arabs in the region. Some people may not like immigrants, but we all love their food!
The highway follows a train line built in 1902. Apparently, they are still using some of the wagons that were made in 1911! The whole way the landscape was brown and arid, but with the first rain of the rainy season it will turn instantly green.
Near Lusaka we passed a 20,000- hectare sugar cane plantation. Just as in nearly every country in Africa, the Chinese are building highways everywhere. One difference in Zambia, Mike tells me, is that the government is requiring the Chinese companies to use local workers. Normally, they bring all their own engineers, equipment, AND workers!

From chaos to angels
After eight long hours we finally rolled into the madhouse that is Lusaka bus station. The minute the door opened guys started shouting “taxi” into the bus, holding out a key in their hand, as proof, I suppose that a car was in their ownership. The luggage was unloaded in a narrow area with hardly enough space for the owners to get it out, but we managed to get our bags and slip out to a spot with more oxygen. Then Geoffrey called a taxi using an app, muting all the efforts of the ultra-passionate “key guys.”
On the way out of the station our driver stopped to buy water just next to a fight taking place. Next stop, Geoffrey’s church!
The church was where Geoffrey had left his car, which we needed for the hour and a half drive to Chongwe. How sweet it was to see a group of girls in a circle practicing their singing, like a heavenly ascension from the depths of raw humanity at the bus station. Geoffrey grew up in this part of Lusaka and his daughter is staying here now, so we stopped to greet her. Her name is Judy, like her grandmother.
After a snack of barbecued goat meat, we headed to Chongwe, our final destination for the day. At last, we could meet John Nyondo (1983 ARI graduate) and Judy Nyondo Daka (2001 ARI graduate) at the Ecumenical Development Foundation (EDF). John was the first Zambian to go to ARI and Judy is his wife. Together they started the EDF to address the needs of the villagers in this area. Geoffery, their son, went to ARI last year and is continuing his parent’s work. Belvin (2016 ARI graduate) was there to welcome us, too.

The Nyondo homestead
That evening we ate village chicken with tomato sauce for dinner, expertly prepared by Judy’s granddaughter, Luyanda, or Lulu, with plenty of nshima and vegetables. Lulu, by the way, is 16 years old and in her second year of university.
There was much to talk about, but after the long trip my mind was too fuzzy. One of the most pressing topics, though, was the drought. This area was especially affected and there is hunger. The government does not provide much relief, only to mothers with babies. And they are predicting that even underground water will be depleted by September. They are praying for rain in October!
After getting the mosquito nets set up (thank you Geoffrey) we could finally put an end to this long travel day.


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】

Vol.1 【The African journey to visit ARI graduates Day 1-2】 

Vol.2 【The African journey to visit ARI graduates Day 3】

Vol.3 【The African journey to visit ARI graduates Day 4】<== Now, you’re here

Vol.4 【The African journey to visit ARI graduates Day 5】To Be Continued …

What are Japanese Graduates like? Part4

As autumn approaches, ARI is now in full swing to begin recruiting Japanese Participants for the next academic year.

On Saturday, November 30, we will hold a trial enrollment event for prospective participants (More information at the end of this article).

So, here’s a report on the “now” of our Japanese graduate!

【Hiroka Komatsubara, 2020 graduate】

Q1, Why did you become a participant at ARI?

I wanted to acquire practical knowledge and skills in agriculture and was interested in international development.

I stayed at ARI several times before enrolling, and the atmosphere at ARI suited me well, which also encouraged me.

Q2, What was your biggest learning experience at ARI?

The friends who had gathered from all over the world had lived completely different lives from me.

There were too many differences to count, but no matter how different we were, we were all “the same human”.

It may be obvious, but it was the most important lesson I learned while living together with them.

Q3, About your current livelihood and life.

After graduating from ARI, I joined the Community-Reactivating Cooperator Squad in Shioya-town, Tochigi,
and work as an interview writer reporting on the people of the town.

Please follow my Instagram account! → @hiroka_408

Q4, What is your message to those who are considering becoming a participant at ARI?

We never can predict what will happen in the future in which we will live.

A major earthquake might hit tomorrow, we might win the lottery next month, or we might get sick in a year.

In this way, I personally feel that ARI is a place where we nurture in each other a kind of nucleus of ourselves that will remain unchanged even if some major life-changing event happens to us. At least, I was able to spend many rich days learning with people who have a flexible nucleus.

Anyway, if you are interested in, please visit ARI once! I support you!

☆ Are you interested in learning through hands-on experience in International Cultural Exchange × Agriculture × Community Development?

We are hosting an Open Campus event on Saturday, November 30th, where you can learn what it’s like to study at ARI and what the daily life of Japanese participants looks like!

Date: Saturday, November 30, 10:30 AM – 2:00 PM

Participation Fee: 2,000 yen (Cash payment on the day)

How to Apply:

Apply through the link in our bio→ https://ari.ac.jp/entry-form-open-campus2024?ari=news or contact us at [[email protected]]

Don’t miss this chance!

Rural Leaders ― a Travel Log Vol. 2

This past August, ARI staff 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.

The third day was a full-on day of tourism in Zambia…no, they didn’t go there for vacation…!
Anyway, let’s get started on our trip to Africa!

【An African journey to visit ARI graduates, Day3】

A bit of tourism in Livingstone
This morning jet lag wanted me up at 3:00 AM, but I managed to sleep in until 5:00. Then it was only a 2 hour wait for a beautiful breakfast. Jet lag also messes with your stomach clock, so Kai and I were starving! Today was a full-on day of tourism, and I know what you are thinking. We are just out here having fun and not taking our mission to meet ARI graduates, stated so nobly in the introduction, seriously. BUT… the route just worked out best for us to have a rest day at the beginning.

After this, the schedule is packed. So, this “soft landing” gives us a chance to recover from the long journey and get acclimated to African life, especially the time change. At the same time, tourism is a huge part of the Zambian economy, and its citizens are proud of their world-famous Victoria Falls, extensive safari parks, and stunning nature throughout the country. These places are a must see, according to our Zambian friends, and I am not sure if they would forgive us if we skipped them over! Plus, we got to spend the day with Geoffrey, and he filled us in on all kinds of need-to-know things and interesting tidbits about Livingstone and Zambia.

This morning’s agenda was to see the “Big 5” wildlife. That is rhinos, hippos, elephants, lions, buffalo, hyenas, and cheetahs, and maybe tigers. That is the list we got when we asked which animals exactly were members of “the 5.” There seems to be a bit of confusion!! Any of those would be cool to see, however, when we got to the safari/zoo type of place, whoa, it was expensive. The big attraction is that, for that “exaggerated” price you can actually walk with the lions and tigers. Kai and I weren’t into this, so we decided to go zip-lining instead. Yes, much more to my taste.

We drove out to a dry gorge (not the Zambezi River, as I was hoping) where they were set up for multiple activities, including a “gorge swing” where you jump off the side of the cliff and then swing out over the canyon. That…was a bit much for me. I was already nervous about the zip line. To my surprise, Geoffrey jumped right in and did the first zip as a tandem with one of the worker boys. Then Kai strapped up and took leap, followed by…me! That first step off the edge was stomach-sinking, but then it was sheer adrenal fun. They let us go for free a second time, in “flying squirrel” position, where you are hooked in from the back and you can fly like superman. Even Mebin, the driver, got in on the fun. Although he is a Livingstone native, this was his first zip experience, and he was beaming!

Random Zambia things
On the way back into town we saw elephants roaming in the distance. You could say this is one of the differences between here and most people’s homes. Elephants wander around town, zebras graze at the side of the road (we have the photo proof), and baboons as tall as Kai, walk right up to Kai with arms outstretched, trying to steal his Minute Maid Mango juice out of his hand. Watching Geoffrey watch us get so excited and a bit freaked out at the wildlife, I asked him what his most shocking or surprising experience was in Japan. His reply was the subway, just seeing how everything interconnected and flowed in a complex perfect rhythm and all the trains are on time to the minute!
And now, a few random facts learned along the roadside. The regional Chief Mukuni is the richest chief in all of Zambia. He owns several fancy hotels and tourist attractions in Livingstone as well as massive amounts of land and probably lots of other stuff. Just mentioning this, because there was a huge signboard of him on the corner advising folks to get their COVID vaxes! We passed several boys on bicycles with huge boxes mounted on the back, apparently on their way home from Zimbabwe. They carry veggies across the border to sell for dollars in Zim and get a good price. Then they buy dry goods, like pasta, which are cheap and bring it back. FYI the Zim economy is a wreck after they got struck with hyperinflation, and that is why they use US dollars.

Lastly, we stopped at a gas station, I don’t know how many times, with Mebin putting in 100 Kwacha ($4) at a time. Nobody knows why he did that. Maybe it is because most of the station attendants are young girls!

Guinea fowl and chitenge cloth
Lunch was guinea fowl for Kai – tender and juicy, and T-bone steak for me, dry and hard. Lesson learned – always get what Kai gets!
Then it was time to hit some shops. First off was a big Spar supermarket. Geoffrey used to work for a company that supplied this place. He recommended the Guava juice, and it was yummo! Next up was a clothing shop to get something warmer to wear. We forgot that Zambia is in the southern hemisphere and thus the seasons are opposite. Japan’s summer is Zambia’s winter. Being in Africa, it doesn’t get too terribly cold, but the early mornings are very chilly. It’s a nice reprieve from the boiling summer of Japan, but it would have been good to study our geography first. And while we are on the subject of weather, everyone is eagerly awaiting the rainy season in October or November. The drought of last spring has been devastating and caused hunger in several places. The thing is, they are not sure if the rains will come or not. It’s nerve-racking and a matter of survival.
The last stop was at the souvenir market to pick up a sundress for Kai’s mom and some chitenge cloth for Kathy(An ARI Staff). Kai is on a mad hunt for pretty local chitenge (traditional wraps for women). The sellers were assertive, but not aggressive. Still, it’s hard to enjoy it. If your eye touches any one object for a moment, someone is instantly on the push. “What is that painting of tall people with baskets on their heads?” “You like it? What is your name? Where are you from? Take a closer look. What price would you like to pay?” etc., etc. I guess it’s just the game you have to learn to play. It’s quite normal for the locals. The best item of the day was the painting of one of the venders herself, as a green skinned woman, inspired by Gamora (of the Marvel Comic world).

The last, last stop was the bus station for tomorrow’s tickets and then back to the hotel for some rest and note typing. On recommendation we went to the Zest restaurant with Geoffrey for supper and saw the most amazing menu. We totally went for the game meat, trying out the Impala and Alligator. Geoffrey got Vinkubala, a very Zambian dish of Mopane caterpillars; quite crunchy and tasty. Unfortunately, the Kudu(a species of antelope with large horns) was not available. I wasn’t really sure how I felt eating animals I normally see in a zoo, but I have to admit, they were delicious!


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】

Vol.1 【The African journey to visit ARI graduates Day 1-2】 

Vol.2 【The African journey to visit ARI graduates Day 3】<== Now, you’re here

Vol.3 【The African journey to visit ARI graduates Day 4】To Be Continued …

Rural Leaders ― a Travel Log Vol. 1

This past August, ARI staff 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.

Now, it is time to begin the main part of the series.
Let’s trace the long, long way to get to Zambia with them.
Let’s get started on our trip to Africa!

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

Getting to Zambia
I’m setting two dates for the first entry because it all just seems like one long day. With the crossing of multiple time zones over the span of four flights, time and space felt crumpled like a thick blanket.

I met my hearty traveling partner, Kai, in Haneda Airport, weighed down with multiple last-minute gifts from ARI folks for friends in Africa.
The empty airport days of COVID are definitely over. Long lines at security and immigration, plus the fact that my first flight from Oita was late, had us arriving at the gate just as people were boarding.

Our route took us first through Hong Kong where we had enough transit time to enjoy an amazing beef noodle dish, recommended by Kai’s friend.
It’s #701 on the menu at the Masato restaurant, in case you want to give it a try.

Then we jumped on the next plane for a 12-hour flight to Johannesburg. The flight before was three and a half hours, in case you were wondering.
Our row mate was a young woman from China who teaches English and Intercultural Communication at Nan Fang College in Guang Zhou. Kai started talking to her about ARI and she got super interested and wants to volunteer!

Luckily the transfer to the regional airline, Airlink, in J-burg went smoothly enough that these two famished travelers had time for lunch – a huge lunch consisting of a local meat-laden dish called a Braai, and a fancy French toasty thing called Croque Madame!

After an hour and half jaunt across arid Botswana we finally arrived at our destination of Livingstone, Zambia where we were greeted by the smiling face of Geoffrey (2023 ARI Graduate).
This is a spacious and clean town, much prized by Zambians for its tourism appeal and the big bucks it pulls in.
The draw is thundering Victoria Falls, and its 1,500- meter curtain of torrential river, gushing over the cliffs of the mighty Zambezi River, or so I was expecting, but more about that later.

Livingstone and Victoria Falls
We first went to get settled in at our Ngoma Zanga Lodge, with its sloping thatched roofs and prolific display of African art.
Then we went out for some essentials, like malaria medicine and SIM cards. Typical for me, no SIM card worked, but I welcome the chance for some digital detox.

Geoffrey had arranged for a driver to take us around. His name is Mebin, and he speaks the two local languages of Tonga and Lozi. There are 72 recognized tribes in Zambia, each with their own language and traditions. You’ll be hard pressed to find a person who speaks less than three languages around here.

Mebin explained how much the town depends on tourism and how the tourists tend to be of more value than the locals. As an example, from a professional driver’s point of view, if he were to accidentally hit a white person, he could get up to 25 years in prison. If the person is black, the penalty is ten years, and that is negotiable!
A few more things about Zambia – trash is mostly burned or sometimes buried by folks around their own homes. The city will do pickups at the markets, but their capacity is not enough to cover the volume of the whole town. Kai was asking about this because responsible garbage management is a big challenge the world over.
This year Zambia has been experiencing a severe drought and so far, one whole crop has failed, which has led to hunger in some areas. Their main source of power is hydro-electric and the water levels in the rivers these days is just not enough to push those turbines, resulting in strategic power outages called “load shedding.”
It is this drought, which is generally attributed to El Nino, that has tamed the magnificent Victoria Falls. For the time being, there is no thundering to be heard for miles around, no mist so thick you need a raincoat just to stand and take a look. The famous “curtain” of water is divided into multiple strands of narrow falls, with lots of bare rock in between. But it is still a spectacle to behold, and I imagine the days when it will flow in its full glory once again.
Adventure tourism is hot around here, so if you want to try one of the highest bungee jumps in the world, or zip-lining, gorge swinging, kayaking, or swimming in Devil’s Pool right at the edge of the falls, this is the place for you.

Evening was introduced by a dark red sun slowly sinking into the African landscape. As jet lag was taking its toll, we decided to head back to the hotel early, but not before stopping for a Zambian meal eaten in the African style, fingers, that is.

Various meats and vegetables were served with “nshima,” a food made from maize flour and known by different names all across Africa, such as fufu or ugali. Around here, white corn is the main ingredient of choice, but it can also be made from casava, sorghum, or other types of flour. If this description doesn’t give you the slightest understanding of what this dish is, please take a look at the photo, but a more recommended option would be to come and try it!

Well, the only thing left for today is a quick local beer and a date with a soft pillow.
Goodnight.

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】

Vol.1 【The African journey to visit ARI graduates Day 1-2】 <== Now, you’re here

Vol.2 【The African journey to visit ARI graduates Day 3】To Be Continued …

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】