Activity Report: Asian Rural Institute Conducts "Life-Shaking" Indonesia Study Tour 2026. 10 Days Learning Sustainable Society and Diversity Through Exchange with Rural Leaders.

From February 19th to March 1st, 2026, the Asian Rural Institute (ARI) conducted a study tour in North Sumatra, Indonesia, with the theme "Experiencing the Lives and Lifestyles of Rural Leaders." A total of 12 people, including 10 participants and 2 accompanying staff, visited ARI alumni active in the region and experienced firsthand a life in harmony with nature and the forefront of community development.

Tour Highlights

1. Life at "Kenny's Farm" in Harmony with Nature (Siborong-borong) The first accommodation was "Kenny's Farm," run by alumni Fenny and Kengo Ishida. Within a "food forest" (a forest where everything is edible), which is like a supermarket, participants touched the soil and worked up a sweat together in farm labor. The days were spent experiencing "eating is living," by cooking local ingredients themselves and expressing gratitude for life.

2. Overflowing Enthusiasm: "Seed to Cup" Coffee Production and Rural Homestay (Nagasari B) Next, we visited the base of operations for alumni Gani and Lampita, who lead a producers' cooperative as coffee farmers. We learned about the manufacturing process from bean to cup and the struggles of the producers. Participants also experienced a 2-night homestay with local families. Although they were sometimes confused by the language barrier and differences in cultural and sanitary environments, such as bathing, they enjoyed warm hospitality and cherished the once-in-a-lifetime exchanges.

3. Intergenerational "Support for Independent Living for People with Disabilities" (HEPATA) We observed the activities of "HEPATA," the disability support division of "HKBP," Asia's largest Protestant denomination. We learned about the "community-based independent living support activities" that have been passed down from senior alumnus Austen to junior alumnus Junpeter and have now expanded to six regions. We witnessed the creation of a society where no one is left behind, such as Lampita's dedication to supporting people with various disabilities and their families, and the cacao seedling distribution project for post-flood recovery in December last year.