Study Tour to India

This was the first time in my life I went abroad..

Inevitably, I came across lots of differences between India and Japan. Sometimes I was surprised and bewildered. However, I tried not to compare things in India with those in Japan. This is because I didn't want to be prejudiced about anything in India. Also, it was a better idea for me to enjoy the cultural gap and accept another culture as it is.

During my two-week stay in India, I couldn't help asking myself various questions. For example, what does it mean ‘to help the poor?' It doesn't mean just to give money but to empower them to get rid of poverty by themselves. I became aware of this. It is not possible for us to help them to solve the problem fundamentally.

Yet, I felt helpless in front of a lot of beggars on the street. I didn't give them anything because it was not a real solution. I felt sorry for them that I was just a bystander to them and left their hand empty. At the same time, I realized how important the role of international co-operation by NGOs is. It will take a long time until all people in the world live in peace without poverty. I feel that I have to do something to improve society so that the wealth may not be grabbed by a few people.

During this tour, I had opportunities to meet disadvantaged children in slum areas and see the destitute on the streets. That made me aware of what I should do in the future. Before I visited India, thoughts came purely from my imagination, However, I faced the reality of the poor in India. The issue of poverty is deep-rooted but there might be some room for my contribution to solving the problem. I would like to work to build a just society using my own approach.

Lastly, I would like write about fair trade, which was the objective of the study tour. I was interested in discussion between the makers of products and those who sell their products. I think it time consuming to start a fair trade program of from scratch.

At the same time I think it important to talk about goods directly with makers and decide just prices of each product. This kind of discussion will have makers improve the quality of products and increase their income, thus bettering their lives. I would like to introduce some well designed products made of banana fibers and Permi-coconut to the Japanese. I think fair trade helps everyone to take part in international co-operation. (Ntki)