Contribution Article: Message from active JOCV in Masunga village

Dumelang!

 My name is Yuya Kanno, and I have been dispatched to the Republic of Botswana as a JOCV since November 2024. I am currently based in Masunga village, where about 6,000 people live, located about seven hours from Gaborone, the capital city. In detail, I work in the community development division under the North East District Council. As a volunteer, I attend community meetings, provide small business owners with business management support, and hold computer classes for children in the village. 

The starting point for my decision to serve as a JOCV comes from a TV program that I watched as a child. It shocked me a lot because some children at my age were working instead of going to school. Later, I came across an advertisement for the JOCV program on the train. This made me want to join the program in the future, and I held onto that feeling for a long time. Finally, I went for it after I became an adult.
   
The most impressive experience during my service was conducting an online collaborative class between a primary school in the village and a Japanese university. In the village, where there are only a few foreigners, and I am the only Japanese person, the children’s facial expressions, showing joy and excitement when they saw the Japanese university and many Japanese people, even on the screen, have stayed with me vividly. Since then, whenever they see me on the street, they greet me in Japanese, saying things like “Ohayou” (Good morning) and “Arigatou” (Thank you). Although the Japanese language has no physical form, I would be over the moon if I could leave a little bit of “Japan” in their lives. On the other hand, I have been impressed that Motswana people always cherish their families and communities and take care of one another. They have inspired me to actively keep in touch with my family, which I rarely did before. Even such a small action, I can feel that “Botswana” is growing inside me.

 One thing that surprised me the most after I arrived in Botswana was the well-organized cityscape. When I heard the word “Africa,” I used to associate it with “liveliness.” In reality, I realized that Botswana is actually associated with “quietness.” I still remember holding a fighting pose to be ready for the chaotic situations that I had expected to encounter, but I soon lowered my fists in a good way. By now living a slow life surrounded by nature, I spend more time facing my inner self, which has allowed me to understand myself more deeply than when I was in Japan. It might also act as a space for mindfulness. 

  The charms of Botswana that I feel while living here are its nature and wildlife. When I open my front door, there are chickens or goats in the yard and cows or donkeys crossing the street. These scenes once felt surreal, but they are now part of my life. In addition, I was deeply moved by the beauty of nature and the animals’ adaptability during a visit to a safari camp in the Okavango Delta, one of the UNESCO World Heritage Sites, last year. I will never forget this wonderful experience that zoos and natural parks in Japan cannot offer.  

  From the bottom of my heart, I hope that the mutual relationship between Botswana and Japan will continue to strengthen and that we will increasingly be able to feel “Botswana” in Japan and “Japan” in Botswana.