Connect to Africa Pen-Pal Project
Japan – Uganda, Africa
Level: Senior High School or JHS 3rd grade
Schools: Minami High School, and Shougyou High School in Karatsu, Saga

AIM:
Project initiated so that Japanese students could use their English in a practical way to connect to other children in the world. They would also learn about children in the 3rd World, understand their lives, and compare that life to their own lives here in Japan.

Idea:
After going to Africa as a volunteer I wanted to come back and show the students in Japan the life of children in Uganda, Africa. The students here in Japan would learn something and the students in Africa would have a connection to the world outside their area.

Process:
1. Discussion of the idea of having a lesson on Uganda as an English lesson.
2. Received support for idea with Heads of English Departments.
3. Class had a lesson on Uganda, and specifically on the children of Uganda.
- Lesson had video, photos, questions sheets on the daily life of children in Uganda, and items from Uganda were brought into the classroom.
- For most, it was the first time the Japanese students had ever heard of Uganda. However, I felt it did bring to life something they had seen on TV about African people.
4. Students were asked to write their thoughts about Uganda (in Japanese) after the lesson.
5. An interested class from each school was asked to write to the students in Africa.
-They were to include – art, photos, and to write about Japan/local area.
-Some even sent silk handkerchiefs, origami and pamphlets about the area.

Letters arrived in Uganda and warm warmly welcomed by the students there.



Analysis
The students in Japan have understood a little about what life is like for millions of children in the world. They didn’t realize that many children have to walk several kilometres a day to collect water. They wrote that although children were poor they looked happy, danced very well and were ‘genki’.

I guess that children are children it is just that their circumstances that are different.