Tamil Nadu - Dindigul   

Japanese taste rural way of life

DINDIGUL: An 18-member team of students comprising 13 boys and five girls from various universities in Japan have come down to Gandhigram Rural University to see and understand realities in villages and to acquire basic skills in participatory rural appraisal.

Besides lecture, discussion and case study, the team members were exposed to field visit, institutional visits, home stay at villages and interactive sessions.

What the majority of participants liked most was the home stay, field visits and interaction with villagers. Divided into seven teams, they stayed at houses in Natham, adjusting to the minimum comfort and facilities available. They loved the village food. “We were amazed to see the close relationship between sisters and brothers and among family members. Family life here is intertwined with love and affection. Living together is a wonderful experience,” observed one of the foreign guests. Every one in the village knows about all persons living in their village. But we do not know even our neighbours in our apartment, said a Japanese girl. They were not only astonished by the family system and social living at remote villages but also observed several contemporary problems faced by them. One student stated that freebies offered by the government made people depend more on it. More assistance was needed for them to lead life independently. The home stay helped them get first-hand experience of rural affairs. Language never posed a barrier as they expressed their many thoughts through action. They also visited several villages around the university to see implementation of total sanitation, income generation and rural development initiatives. In the valedictory address of the training session, Toshihiro Yoneyama, Director, Live with Friends on Earth (LIFE), a non-profit organisation in Tokyo, said that main aim of the project was to promote international cooperation and mutual understanding through various activities.

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Japanese taste rural way of life

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