International SL Testimonials

Silliman University, Philippines

Nayun KIM

The time spent carefully considering questions such as “What is service?”, “What are my own questions and interests?”, and “What are the important elements of service learning?” in the spring term classes made the summer service activities meaningful. I thought it was great that the experience could be sublimated into learning through the phases of pre-activity study, summer activity, and post-activity reflection. Also, during the activities, the weekly Friday reflections allowed us to critically look at our own experiences and impressions through the feedback of the Silliman University faculty.

One of the most memorable moments of the service activities was when we visited the slums during the home visits of the children we worked with. I saw a woman lulling a baby to sleep by playing a lullaby in a house where empty bottles were lined up to serve as windows. I also saw traces of children practicing the alphabet with chalk on the uneven walls, probably because they didn't have writing utensils. A house with a plastic sheet for a roof. I was shocked to see these sights for the first time, but through this experience, I not only deepened my understanding of the children at the activity site, but also became even more interested in social issues in the Philippines, including poverty. It was an experience that made me realize how important it is to go there and see for myself.

Lady Doak College, India

Riko NAKAGAWA

I joined the Service-Learning (SL) program in India because I was attracted to the idea of teaching elementary school children, as I want to be a teacher, but I learned many things beyond just teaching them in English who don't share a common language with the warm welcome of the local people, the strong influence of religion in people's lives, and the differences between public and private schools. During this month, I became more tolerant of different cultures and diversity, and my desire to see more of the world grew stronger. I am grateful to SL for changing my values so much.

What left a lasting impression on me during the service activities was the difference between public and private schools and the close relationship between religion and society. I had assumed these things to some extent, but they were more deeply rooted than I thought, and it also gave me the opportunity to see Japan objectively, such as in terms of compulsory education and religiosity. The disparity between public and private education begins in elementary school, and it seemed unlikely to be easily changed, which made me sad as I had become closer to the children. However, it gave me confidence that there are things I can teach as a Japanese that I wouldn't have realized if I had just stayed in Japan.

Petra Christian University, Indonesia

Rikuto MIHARA

I think the main feature of this program is that you get to do activities that you probably wouldn't be able to do on a trip or while studying abroad, and you get to spend time with students from different countries. Doing manual labor such as repairing water tanks and building steps to the river in a village that doesn't even have a tourist attraction or a high school was a very valuable experience, and at the same time I felt that I was being useful to the people of the village. Also, by communicating with students from other countries and the local people during our work and free time, I was able to gain various surprises and learn things that overturned my values, and I felt that my world had expanded.

For me, who had never been abroad before, it was a stimulating experience. I woke up to rooster crowing, walked to the distant work site, worked with the villagers and students from other countries, interacted with energetic children who ran around barefoot, bathed in cold water at night, and played table tennis at the base camp before going to sleep. Looking back now, I remember every moment of the day so vividly that I feel my life back home is missing something.

University of Cape Town, South Africa

Keita MASUBUCHI

The flow of this program was great. First, deepening our understanding of the history of apartheid and environmental education through workshops, then applying the learning in the service activities at the educational institutions. During the initial learning period, I didn't really feel like I was doing service activities and sometimes I struggled; however, I found that it was important how to put the learning into practice in the service activities at an elementary school.

What struck me the most were the activities in the slums of Cape Town and the educational disparity I noticed when I actually visited the local school. I went to the area with the question, "What is the educational inequality that continues to be a legacy of apartheid?" I was surprised when I arrived at the poor security situation and the disparity between the rich and the poor, where even during the day you can only get around by Uber. I deeply felt that the history of exclusion and persecution during apartheid still shapes the current social structure. In addition, through my service at both a wealthy private school and a poor public school, I discovered the disparity in the availability of educational resources and output-based education and tried to find solutions at the macro and micro levels in my own.