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JICA Volunteers in Palau

◆Alii from Palau!

Satomi Miyazaki
JICA Volunteer
Peleliu Elementary School

　　　Five months ago, one of my long-time dreams came true – my dream to work abroad as a teacher. I have been enjoying my days in smiles at Peleliu Elementary School, trying something new and making mistakes every day.

Everyone greets each other (almost 100%) in Peleliu. Everyone is cheerful, lively and positive. The people have the kindness to look after each other, and are always chatting with others in smiles
Families, relatives and the community are strongly related and supporting each other
Children are very innocent and cute! They are raised in big families and by the whole community so all kids are good friends regardless of their age
People are very relaxed and there is a lot of time to interact with children
The unspeakable beauty of the ocean and abundant jungle
We can observe various expressions of the nature, like the sunrises, sunsets, rainbows, etc.
We can see dolphins and all sorts of fish and shells
People live based on the cycle of the nature, following the moon and the tide
Traditional activities, foods and games still remain in the daily life, etc.

　　　In addition, Peleliu is where one of the most severe battles of World War II took place and there are many war relics remaining around the island. The elderly who have experienced that time are able to speak Japanese and many Japanese words were imported into Palauan language. Although the elders had a hard time during the war, most of them feel some sort of bond to the Japanese as Japan introduced many new customs to Palau. Mingling with the great nature and people’s smiles in this island filled with memories of the war, it makes me rethink the meaning of peace and the true happiness of people.

　　　I am currently working at Peleliu Elementary School, which has 72 students from grade 1 to grade 8 and 17 teachers. I am teaching mathematics in cooperation with Palauan teachers. After class, the teachers get together discussing how to improve the class activities and make suitable teaching materials for students. The teachers are very enthusiastic in improving their class activities, and I am glad that many of my suggestions are utilized in class. I am struggling to make the most of my experience in Japan but at the same time am really enjoying the quest to make the best teaching materials for the children. We have also been working on open-class in order to improve the teachers’ teaching skills and class management skills while gaining a common understanding of the children’s conditions. We are aiming to involve the parents to these activities in the future.

　　　Another issue that I am working towards is recycling of cans and plastic bottles. The biggest treasure of this island is the abundant nature and I hope that the nature stays beautiful until my students grow up.

　　　My other activities include interaction between my original work place (Tenraiji Elementary School, Kita-Kyushu City, Fukuoka Prefecture) and Peleliu Elementary School by communicating in letters. I introduce the life and culture of Palau and Japan, schools and myself. I hope the students from both schools have a chance to interact directly with each other during my stay in Peleliu. Through that experience, I wish the children to broaden their understanding of their hometown and expand their vision, dreams and potentiality.

　　My work has only begun. I came here as a volunteer to contribute to the development of Palau; however, in reality, I am learning so much through the smiles and kindness of the people of Peleliu. I will work hard for the smiles and happiness of the children, always keeping in mind the sense of gratitude and humility in myself. In the meantime, my goal is to improve myself both as an educator and as a person and power up by the time I return to Japan in June 2013.