ECOPLUS conducted its flagship program, Yap-Japan Cultural Exchange Program 2018 from 18 to 29 August with nine students from high school to university in Dechumur village, Tamil, Yap. Provided cooked and un-coocked food like bread fruit, taro, fishes, crabs and others, students learnt a lot of locals skills like, weaving coconuts fronds or fishing in the ocean.
このプログラムは1992年に始めてから今年で27年目。デチュムル村では初めての実施でした。
用意してもらったトイレとシャワーにドアを付ける。
The Program started 1992 and since then ECOPLUS continued the program almost every year. For Dechumur village, it was the first time to host the group.
The base of the program was the women’s house of the village. Next to the concrete building, local toilet, shower room and cooking place were set. Next to the toilet, some trees had very soft leaves called “toilet leaf,” so students used those for their daily use. It was easily degraded rather than toilet paper. Low impact was one of the key words of the program.
プログラムのハイライトは、2泊3日のホームステイ。1人づつ別々の家に引き取られていき、3日間を過ごしました。
ホームステイ先でヤシの葉編みを教わる。
共通しているのは、家族の間の親密な関係。ホームステイ中には親族一同が集まってのお祝いなどもあり、家族の強い絆を日本の参加者たちは強く感じたようです。
One of the most impressive experiences was homestay. Each student was accepted by a different family for 2 nights. Modern economy and culture are changing Yap’s traditional lifestyle but the situations are different family by family. A host family was living in thatched roof houses under a huge tree and another host family has electric washing machine. However, family ties are quite strong in all families. During the stay, some families held a celebrating gathering. Through the stay, student impressed by the strong bond among the family members.
サンゴ礁の海での漁を見学させてもらったり、夜中のカニ取りをさせてもらったり、こうこうと照る月の明かるさに驚いたり、さまざまな体験をもとに、一行は29日午前、成田空港に戻りました。参加者の中からは「プログラムが、ここで終わったという感じがしない。この体験をどう消化して、どのように生きていくのか、じっくり考えたい」という声が相次ぎました。
今後、報告書の作成をみんなで行い、11月前後に報告会を開く予定です。
Having so many new experiences, like going to fish with local boys in the lagoon, hunting crabs in night time, being surprised the brightness of the moon, students safely return to Narita airport in the morning of 29 August. From students, such comments were continued. “It looks like the program is not yet terminated. We will digest so many things we learnt and those will guide us toward the our own lives for long time.”
They will work together to make an activity report of the program and will held a reporting session in late autumn.
