[Activity Report] Asian Rural Institute Conducts "Life-Altering" Indonesia Study Tour 2026: 10 Days of Learning About Sustainable Society and Diversity Through Exchange with Rural Leaders

From February 19 to March 1, 2026, Asian Rural Institute conducted a study tour in North Sumatra, Indonesia, themed "Experience! The Lives and Lifestyles of Rural Leaders." A total of 12 people, including 10 participants and 2 accompanying staff, visited Asian Rural Institute alumni active in the region to experience firsthand lives in harmony with nature and the forefront of community development.

Tour Highlights

1. Life at "Kenny's Farm," Harmonizing with Nature (Siborong-borong) The first accommodation was "Kenny's Farm," run by alumni Fenny and Kengo Ishida. In a "food forest" (edible forest) where the entire forest was like a supermarket, participants touched the soil and worked in the fields, sweating together. They experienced daily life where "eating is living," cooking local ingredients themselves and appreciating life.

2. Overflowing Enthusiasm: "Seed to Cup" Coffee Production and Rural Homestay (Nagasari B) Next, they visited the base of operations of alumni Gani and Lampita, who lead a coffee farmer cooperative. They learned about the manufacturing process of a cup of coffee and the struggles of producers. Participants also experienced a two-night homestay with local families. Despite initial confusion due to language barriers and cultural/hygienic differences such as bathing, they enjoyed warm hospitality and cherished once-in-a-lifetime exchanges.

3. Intergenerational "Support for Self-Reliance of Persons with Disabilities" (Hepata) They observed activities by "Hepata," the disability support division of "HKBP," the largest Protestant denomination in Asia. They learned about "community-based self-reliance support activities" passed down from senior alumnus Osten to junior alumnus Ju-Peter, which has now expanded to six regions. They witnessed firsthand the creation of a society where no one is left behind, including Lampita's dedication to people with various disabilities and their families, and a project distributing cocoa seedlings for post-flood reconstruction efforts from last December.

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