Contributions from people overseas who are sharing the message of Hiroshima

(9)Peaceful people who don't know war by Atsushi Tsujimoto

Mwabuka buti?

In the African country of Zambia, this means, in the local language, "Good morning, how are you?"

Atsushi teaching his class in Zambia.

Atsushi Tsujimoto

Born in Shiga prefecture. He graduated from Osaka University and then entered the Graduate School for International Development and Cooperation at Hiroshima University. He has been working as a JOCV in Mazabuka, in southern Zambia, while engaging in research on education and culture.

I am a student of Hiroshima University studying at the Graduate School for International Development and Cooperation and currently working as a Japan Overseas Cooperation Volunteer (JOCV). Five years ago, JICA and Hiroshima University signed an agreement to allow graduate students to work as JOCV while maintaining their status as university students. So we can undertake research while working as a volunteer abroad, then after we return to Japan we're able to complete our dissertation and graduate. This program is part of our university's mission to contribute to the international community.

I now serve as a teacher in Zambia. I teach math and science to students in the 8th and 9th grades (second and third year of junior high school). They have a positive attitude toward education, but they aren't really used to studying hard.

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The students are cheerful and energetic at school, but in reality, they have heavy burdens. I have visited their homes and heard their difficulties involving the loss of a parent, parents who aren't married, and parents without work. Other students suffer from HIV and one student quit coming to school after she got married.

Moreover, it's very sad that we seem to lose at least one student every year, out of 200 in total, due to accidents and disease. In fact, one of my students recently drowned. However, even in such a challenging environment, the students enjoy coming to school and spending time with their friends. School is a place for them to be happy.

I have great respect for the fact that Zambia has never experienced war. Even when they were colonized by England, they didn't resort to war to gain their independence. And despite being a multicultural society, they have never had a civil war. It seems to me quite rare for a country to have never been involved in war. But, truly, Zambians are a peaceful people. They hardly ever argue or fight. When a conflict occurs, they resolve it through calm discussion. I think the Japanese could probably learn something from them in this regard.