Working towards cross-country collaborative learning [Philippines + Japan]
On the 12th September, SEEDS Asia visited Hyogo Prefectural Himeji Commercial High School.
In the school is Community Development Club with Mr. Yoshikazu Kitagawa as their advisor. The Club carries out a project called “Connect/Communicate/Prepare with Stories of Life: To Bring our Learning from Two Major Disasters to 100 Years Ahead.”
As highlighted in the long-life “Fuwa Hime Bread” brand developed through the course of the Project as emergency food using local products in Miyagi Prefecture and Hyogo Prefecture, the Club engages in activities to bring vitality to communities.
Furthering their engagement in disaster preparedness, they produced a picture storybook based on the stories of disaster experiences from Great Hanshin-Awaji Earthquake and Great East Japan Earthquake and Tsunami. They enthusiastically aim for sharing the book overseas. To support their goal, SEEDS Asia will connect them with a school in the Philippines.
On this day, SEEDS Asia had an opportunity to have a discussion with the students of Community Development Club: Nine Grade 7/8 students. Their high aims and passion impressed us, and SEEDS Asia introduced them the idea of ‘ending up with three happy parties’ where the seller, buyer, and society will be satisfied. This is a common concept identified across the fields of business and international cooperation. SEEDS Asia encouraged the students to learn about the Philippines through research and exchange to begin with their overseas endeavor.
We SEEDS Asia would like to seek support from many people to realize a collaborative project between schools in the Philippines and Japan.