Post date: May 1, 2018 1:03:30 PM
Project Karuiku will be going to Malaysia to host a workshop for Rohingya refugee children.
I must admit, the past few weeks have been really difficult and challenging for Project Karuiku. We have struggled in so many ways, and have been disappointed in multiple different occasions.
One of the main struggles was to find something to do during the project week period here at ISAK. We never thought that the day would come where we would actually have nothing to do for Project Karuiku. We had contacted 7 different high schools regarding the possibility of hosting a leadership workshop, and have either been refused or completely ignored. This was a tough time for all the members in this project, but it was also a crucial learning experience. We had many fights along the way, but from those fights stemmed new ideas and possibilities for our project. The whole idea of Malaysia was a result of a group fight. Some of us were on the brink of giving up, and the others were arguing, until one of us came up with this great and unusual idea of going abroad to spread the ideas of our project rather than just staying in Japan. This whole fight was a way for us to express ourselves, but it also made us more aware of one another, and understand that this project would not work without all of us involved.
As mentioned earlier, the whole idea of going abroad was a revival to our confidence, and the project in general, hence, why it meant a lot to us.
The preparation and work done for the Malaysia was so organized, and the whole process went by in a swift and easy manner because we were all motivated and passionate towards this trip. Tasks were split up, and each person had a clear and specific role. I was in charge of the budget, and the decision of whether we could afford this trip was all up to me. I calculated the expenses, accounting for flights, accommodations, transportation, meals, and many more things, and saw that we actually had an additional 14,000 Jpy that we could spare. This was a relief to the whole group, and from there I would adjust the prices based on any changes, and if any updates occurred. This budgeting task was somewhat familiar to me, as I am also in charge of the Merch club accounting, but I have also developed my patience skill. It is easy to become frustrated when people ask you to update the ledger, due to their faults in estimating, or due to changes in price due to lateness, but I have also learned to become more patient as I understand that all of us want the same thing, and that is for our project to succeed. Some members may be lazy, and some may need an extra push, but we all want the same outcome and so there was no point in getting frustrated at others.
Now that we are two weeks away from the Malaysia trip, I just want to talk about why this trip is important, and why this specific trip rather than just staying in Japan. The children that we will be working with are Rohingya Refugee children. Those children live in poverty, and have little to no rights in the country. They are not typical Malaysian children as they have lived their whole lives in fear. The goal of our workshop is to empower those children to realize their full potential, and to help with their confidence and self esteem. We will be hosting a two day workshop, in collaboration with the YES Malaysia Alumni Association. The first day will be the typical Karuiku empowerment workshop, but designed specifically for those children, and the second day will be about the importance and fun of sports. Our first day will be more about empowerment and the second day will be more about fun and bonding activities. Project Karuiku believes that is is people like us who should step up and improve this situation. We may not have the finances capabilities to remove those children from poverty, but what we do have is the ability to empower them, and the ability to draw smiles on their faces and that is exactly what we will be doing.
We will make sure to keep you updated regarding our trip!