International Exchange Across the Oceans 2　-Online exchanges with Japanese children. –

A total of 44 Grade 4 students from Sogeri Primary School in Central Province, interacted with students from Japan also in Grades 4 – 6 at Narayama Elementary School on Friday, 16 February, 2024. The online exchange session was the second of its kind organized by JICA Volunteer at Sogeri, Mr. Shota Uchiyama. This time the Japanese students shared the “World Heritage Sites in Japan”, introduced local foods in Nara Prefecture and performed the traditional Japanese dance “Eisa.” In return the students from Sogeri Primary School sang the PNG National Anthem.

As this was the second cultural exchange class, the children from Sogeri were becoming more accustomed to the atmosphere of the onlinecalls. They started asking more questions like, “The Bird of Paradise is the National Bird of Papua New Guinea, but what is Japan’s National Bird?”, “It’s currently the dry season in Papua New Guinea, but what season is it now in Japan?”, and “What’s your favorite local food in Nara?”.

Mr. Uchiyama (JICA Volunteer) who spearheaded these facetime sessions noted a positive change in the children’s attitude through these international exchange classes. There were more questions about Japanese culture, food, and daily life than before, and an increasing number of students expressed a desire to share about their own country.　

The children's exchange across the sea will continue in the future.

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