Mr. Takeshi Iwase
Mr. Takeshi Iwase shares his experiences and thoughts on Belize. Mr. Iwase was assigned at the Toledo Development Corporation in Punta Gorda (PG) between April 2005 to September 2006 as a volunteer in Community Development. His main activities were to organize women's groups and generate income in utilizing handicrafts produced in villages where Mayan people live. Mr. Iwase as a politician is presently a council member of the Ward Assembly (City Council) of Nerima, Tokyo, Japan. He wrote and we quote:
"The impression I have of Belize is that it's a country like Rice and Beans. This popular and familiar local food is one of Belize's staple food cooked with many kinds of ingredients such as coconut milk. Rice and Beans reminds me of Belize because it is a country with a diverse culture. Belizeans' way of life is unique. Whenever I walked around, even a stranger greeted me "Hey Men! Straight!" (Hey, how are you?). At first, I was often puzzled by this over familiar greeting since it is not something normal in my culture. I was surprised by Belizeans' uniqueness in hairstyle and fashion. By seeing, everyone accepted everyone's uniqueness. I learnt that a melting pot of culture lies in the background of this amazing country.
In my activities as a volunteer, sometimes I felt delighted and at times sad. The Mayan village where I worked was a challenging environment to live in. No electricity, gas, nor water. Moreover, there was only one bus every three days. Even with such ‘inconvenience', I was able to build close relationships and enjoyed the kindness among people that was so impressive and encouraging. On the other hand, there was a sad episode as well. A Mayan woman, my good friend, was very honest and hard working. She could make Mayan baskets and of great quality. I had a chance to listen to her life story. She told me that she was only allowed to go up to elementary school since she was the eldest daughter and as part of their culture, she was responsible of her siblings, and house chores. For the same reason, she was not allowed to get married so to take care of her parents too. I still remember her sad face when she told me this story.
After finishing my term in Belize, I worked, as a Development Consultant, in more than 20 countries in South America and Africa. I always kept in my mind the things I learnt in Belize including the experiences during my Volunteer program especially those, which I thought were important. Those experiences that taught how to make a change in society, solving local issues together with local people. With this thought in mind, I changed my place of activities from different countries in the world to my hometown in Japan. As a Ward Council member and as a co-representative of a local political party, I work on issues in my town. My belief is "A town where minorities can lead good life is good for everyone". Everyone could become a minority anytime for various reasons. Accepting diverse ways of life (e.g. foreigners, LGBTs, elderly people) will lead to a better society for everybody. I learnt this from my amazing experience in Belize as a JICA Volunteer.
Fifteen years have passed since I left Belize and I can still hear, with my eyes closed, the sound of waves I heard on the beach in PG. I can still remember the scenes of lively discussion with my fellow volunteers in the dormitory in Belize City. I learnt the importance of acting proactively. My message to current volunteer members is "Always think what you can do for others. Do not hesitate to act according to your plans and ideas. Even if they do not go well, it does not matter. Challenge is very important because as time goes by these experiences and challenges will enrich your life".
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