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Name: Itsuo Fujishima [2004/09 - 2005/08] Section: Recruitment Since I came to ARI one month ago, the weeks have slipped like water through my hands. For me, that' one of the most remarkable things here, how the pace of time is changing. As if every day finishes in an instant. And at the same time, I feel as if I' fve been living for months in this unique community. Day by day, I learn and do so many different things, talk with so many interesting people, enjoy good self-produced food... I realize how valuable my time at ARI is and I feel great gratitude for every new morning. God makes me rich through every single experience at ARI! |
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Name: Azusa Miyaki [2004/04 - 2005/03] Section: Food Processing I have come to ARI from Nishinomiya city, Hyogo prefecture. I' m here as a volunteer for one year, from April 2004 to March 2005. I came to ARI because I wanted to get involved directly with food rather than buying food with the money I earn through working. Also, in Japan nowadays, just by living we are depriving the third world of many things. Now I know, I want to live in a way that doesn' t deprive them of anything. I' m working in the food processing section during the day. We mainly bake bread and cookies, and also make jam. We are using flour that is made from the oats we harvested at ARI and the eggs that we collect from ARI chickens. This really brings me big rewards. It is not that ingredients come from the place you don' t know, but here we know who cultivated the crops and from which chickens we get eggs. Another thing that I feel good about here is staying in the dormitory. The presence of roommates is very big especially for me as it was my first time to part with my family. Just my roommates to be there and be there to talk with me, I feel relaxed. It is also fun to go to each other's room from a veranda to a veranda. As you live together for a whole year, there is also a hard time. One time, the opinion differed so much that we clashed over small things, but someone followed me up and from that I became aware of my bad side as well. You cannot earn any money, but a year at ARI is full of new experiences. Just come here for once! |
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Name: David [2004/09 - 2005/08] Section: Food Processing My name is David. I am a 20-year-old volunteer from Germany. I arrived ARI in August and will be staying here for one year. I guess my situation is a little bit different from that of most volunteers. In Germany all young men have to either attend military or social service for about one year. I applied for overseas volunteering in East Asia because I am very much interested in that region. Then I found a sending body which have connections to ARI. And after I got some information about it I was very interested to go there in order to learn about many processes it takes for our food to reach our table every day. After I came to ARI I was very surprised how fast I grew a part of this unique community. Everybody accepted me in a very friendly and kind way that I could not help but feel at home within a couple of days. It is an incredible opportunity and great luck to get to know countless interesting people from all over Japan and from all over the world. My work here is in the Livestock and in the Food-Processing sections. So far I made silage which we will use as feed in the winter, cleaned the pigpens, mixed concentrated feed and weighed pigs. In my daytime section I bake cookies, pie and bread, make different jams and butter. It is sometimes very exhausting but to me this is highly enjoyable work. Everyday I learn something new and everyday I am surprised how fast the days go by. Already I am amazed by all the fascinating and wonderful experiences I made in my four-week stay and I am very much looking forward to the eleven months left. |
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