Activity Report: Asian Rural Institute Holds 'Life-Changing' Indonesia Study Tour 2026
The Asian Rural Institute (ARI) conducted a 10-day study tour in Indonesia, where participants learned about sustainable societies and diversity by interacting with rural leaders. The tour provided a hands-on experience of their lives and community development firsthand.
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- 📰 Published: March 27, 2026 at 23:27
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From February 19 to March 1, 2026, the Asian Rural Institute (ARI) conducted a study tour in North Sumatra, Indonesia, under the theme "Experiencing the Lives and Lifestyles of Rural Leaders!" A total of 12 participants (10 guests and 2 staff members) visited ARI alumni actively working in the region, experiencing firsthand the forefront of living in harmony with nature and community development.
■ Tour Highlights
1. Living at "Kenny's Farm" in Harmony with Nature (Siborongborong)
The first accommodation was "Kenny's Farm," run by alumni Fenny and Kengo Ishida. Within a "Food Forest" (edible forest) that resembled a supermarket, participants touched the soil and worked up a sweat together in farm labor. They experienced firsthand "eating is living" by preparing local ingredients themselves and expressing gratitude for life.
2. Overflowing Enthusiasm: "Seed to Cup" Coffee Production and Rural Homestay (Nagasaribu)
Next, they visited the base of operations for alumni Gani and Rampita, who lead a producer cooperative as coffee farmers. They learned about the manufacturing process from bean to cup and the hardships faced by producers. Participants also experienced a two-night homestay with local families. Despite initial confusion with language barriers and differences in cultural/hygienic environments like bathing, they enjoyed unique, once-in-a-lifetime interactions, receiving warm hospitality.
3. Intergenerational "Support for Independent Living for Persons with Disabilities" (Hepata)
They observed the activities of "Hepata," the disability support division of the HKBP, Asia's largest Protestant denomination. They learned about the "community-based support activities for independent living," which have been passed down from senior alumnus Austen to junior alumnus Junpeter and have now expanded to six regions. They witnessed firsthand the creation of a society that leaves no one behind, including Rampita's dedication to people with various disabilities and their families, and a project distributing cocoa seedlings for recovery from the flood in December last year.
■ Deep Learning Through "Night Reflections" and Participant Voices
The tour's most significant feature was the "Night Reflection" session, led by participants on a rotating basis every evening. Through dialogue using Nonviolent Communication (NVC) and walking meditation in the forest, participants of different ages and backgrounds spoke honestly with each other.
[From Post-Tour Survey]
* "The greatest learning was the nobility and beauty of people who work with conviction."
* "Seeing the support for independent living at Hepata, I understood the true meaning of 'a society where everyone can have a role.' In a Japanese society that prioritizes efficiency, I was prompted to fundamentally reconsider how I should live."
* "Learning about the hardships of coffee producers, I could imagine the work process, and my appreciation for coffee deepened."
* "I was moved by the fact that the philosophy was passed from Austen to Junpeter, and the region is improving as a continuum, not just isolated points."
■ Conclusion
Participants had a wonderful journey that led them to re-examine their own "richness" and "way of life" from the ground up, by encountering the leaders working with conviction at the forefront of local issues and the reality of the people living there. Asian Rural Institute will continue to plan such "life-shaking" study tours in the future. For the latest information and detailed reports, please check our website.
[Asian Rural Institute Indonesia Study Tour 2026 Report Vol. 1] Life-Shaking! Life at "Kenny's Farm" Run by Kengo and Fenny - ARI
[Asian Rural Institute Indonesia Study Tour 2026 Report Vol. 2] "Seed to Cup": Overflowing Enthusiasm - Gani and Rampita's Coffee Producer Cooperative and Village Homestay - ARI
[Asian Rural Institute Indonesia Study Tour 2026 Report Vol. 3] Inherited Conviction: Independent Support at Hepata and the End of the Journey - ARI
■ Tour Highlights
1. Living at "Kenny's Farm" in Harmony with Nature (Siborongborong)
The first accommodation was "Kenny's Farm," run by alumni Fenny and Kengo Ishida. Within a "Food Forest" (edible forest) that resembled a supermarket, participants touched the soil and worked up a sweat together in farm labor. They experienced firsthand "eating is living" by preparing local ingredients themselves and expressing gratitude for life.
2. Overflowing Enthusiasm: "Seed to Cup" Coffee Production and Rural Homestay (Nagasaribu)
Next, they visited the base of operations for alumni Gani and Rampita, who lead a producer cooperative as coffee farmers. They learned about the manufacturing process from bean to cup and the hardships faced by producers. Participants also experienced a two-night homestay with local families. Despite initial confusion with language barriers and differences in cultural/hygienic environments like bathing, they enjoyed unique, once-in-a-lifetime interactions, receiving warm hospitality.
3. Intergenerational "Support for Independent Living for Persons with Disabilities" (Hepata)
They observed the activities of "Hepata," the disability support division of the HKBP, Asia's largest Protestant denomination. They learned about the "community-based support activities for independent living," which have been passed down from senior alumnus Austen to junior alumnus Junpeter and have now expanded to six regions. They witnessed firsthand the creation of a society that leaves no one behind, including Rampita's dedication to people with various disabilities and their families, and a project distributing cocoa seedlings for recovery from the flood in December last year.
■ Deep Learning Through "Night Reflections" and Participant Voices
The tour's most significant feature was the "Night Reflection" session, led by participants on a rotating basis every evening. Through dialogue using Nonviolent Communication (NVC) and walking meditation in the forest, participants of different ages and backgrounds spoke honestly with each other.
[From Post-Tour Survey]
* "The greatest learning was the nobility and beauty of people who work with conviction."
* "Seeing the support for independent living at Hepata, I understood the true meaning of 'a society where everyone can have a role.' In a Japanese society that prioritizes efficiency, I was prompted to fundamentally reconsider how I should live."
* "Learning about the hardships of coffee producers, I could imagine the work process, and my appreciation for coffee deepened."
* "I was moved by the fact that the philosophy was passed from Austen to Junpeter, and the region is improving as a continuum, not just isolated points."
■ Conclusion
Participants had a wonderful journey that led them to re-examine their own "richness" and "way of life" from the ground up, by encountering the leaders working with conviction at the forefront of local issues and the reality of the people living there. Asian Rural Institute will continue to plan such "life-shaking" study tours in the future. For the latest information and detailed reports, please check our website.
[Asian Rural Institute Indonesia Study Tour 2026 Report Vol. 1] Life-Shaking! Life at "Kenny's Farm" Run by Kengo and Fenny - ARI
[Asian Rural Institute Indonesia Study Tour 2026 Report Vol. 2] "Seed to Cup": Overflowing Enthusiasm - Gani and Rampita's Coffee Producer Cooperative and Village Homestay - ARI
[Asian Rural Institute Indonesia Study Tour 2026 Report Vol. 3] Inherited Conviction: Independent Support at Hepata and the End of the Journey - ARI