Principal Shishido (left) and Ms. Komatsu (right) of Higashitate Elementary School, with Chairman Tanikawa

On November 1, the Asian Education and Friendship Association (AEFA; Hiroshi Tanikawa, Chair) held its fourth forum at Tokyo’s The Nippon Foundation headquarters. AEFA, which builds schools primarily in mountainous Asian regions inhabited by ethnic minorities, celebrated its fifth anniversary this year. To mark this anniversary, representatives of Japanese schools taking part in exchange programs visited schools in Vietnam and Laos and reported on their experiences at the forum.

A teacher from Shiba Elementary School describing the exchange program

The AEFA Cultural Exchange Award, presented to the school that performed the most notable act of exchange, was awarded to Higashitate Elementary School (Principal: Sensuke Shishido) from Fukushima Prefecture, which had presented a Laotian elementary school with a version of its school song.

Approximately 80 people attended the forum, including school representatives, educators, and volunteers. Chairman Tanikawa began by discussing AEFA’s activities to date: the organization has built 77 schools thus far; a total of 56 schools in Japan have taken part in exchange programs; and 45 schools are currently involved in exchange programs.

Principal Seno'o (left) and others from award winner Futamatagawa Elementary School

“Some say that the world today lacks dreams,” he said. “But AEFA’s goal is to encourage children to entertain just such dreams.” He went on to describe the One-Coin School Project, in which Japanese children donate a 500 yen coin to a fund that will help build schools in Asia.

His remarks were followed by reports by school principles and teachers who had visited schools in Asia in September. Teachers described experiences from such places as Vietnam's Thai Binh Province and northern and southern Laos.

Panel display

A visitor to Laos said, “While Laos is an impoverished nation, the children work hard using what is available to them in nature and they strive every day to help the people around them. I think the sense of achievement and the joy of working in nature that these children glean from such efforts are reflected in their sparking eyes.”

A Commemorative Photo

Higashitate Elementary School, selected to receive the AEFA Cultural Exchange Award, launched an exchange program with Natur Elementary School in Laos last April. Its program is regarded highly for its various achievements, including a school project that collected school supplies from around town for presentation to its Laotian counterpart.