[Report] We have conducted the Rwanda Online Study Tour

We have conducted the Rwanda Online Study Tour on 23rd-25th Aug, 1st-2nd Sep. The study tour was conducted in a hybrid format, with the aim of experiencing and learning about life-size Rwanda through live broadcasts, table talk with a TUFS student working there, lectures, and interaction with students from the Protestant Institute of Arts and Social Sciences (PIASS).

A working group was organized with eight students and a program coordinator to conduct the tour. The working group included two exchange students from PIASS and one graduate student from PIASS who is currently enrolled in PCS course at TUFS. From the end of June to the day of the study tour, we held 8 general meetings and 1 to 3 meetings in different subgroups and carefully prepared while sharing ideas. During the preparation, the students made a TUFS introduction video, and the exchange students from PIASS made a PIASS introduction video after returning to Rwanda at the end of July. These were screened at the exchange meeting on the 4th day and were very well received.

In addition, a “spin-off event” was held on 21st September and a student held “Tokyo online tour” on 4th December. Those events were derived from the main part of the Rwanda Online Study Tour. In this way, the Rwanda Online Study Tour has also created opportunities for students to deepen their learning.

■Program (Main part)
23rd Aug 16:00-18:00　Outline of Rwanda, Virtual Tour of Kigali online  (Africa Note)
24th Aug  13:30-15:00　Lecture about the history of Rwanda  (Prof. Takeuchi)
     15:00-15:10　Introduction of Femme Café
     15:40-16:00　Touch Africa (instruments, books)/break
     16:00-18:00　Nyamata Memorial Church online (Africa Note)
25th Aug  13:00-14:30　Table Talk (with Harumi Watanabe from TUFS working for Embassy of Japan in Rwanda)
1st Sep 　16:00-18:00　Online Exchange Meeting: PIASS and TUFS in Japan: Day1
2nd Sep   16:00-18:00　Online Exchange Meeting: PIASS and TUFS in Japan: Day2

■Participants
TUFS　13
Kyoto University  2
PIASS  22

Day 1　23rd Aug　Outline of Rwanda, Virtual Tour of Kigali online  (Africa Note)

On this day, we connected with Mr. Takeda of Africa Note living in Rwanda online, and he gave us an overview of Rwanda from a park in the Kigali. After that, we left the park and were taken online tour to see the sights of Kigali. On the way, Mr. Takeda bought a Kinyarwanda textbook from a young man who peddled texts. He also showed us wall decorations with a motif of cow dung at a souvenir shop, and took us to the places in Kigali where there is a monument called KIGALI that is very instagrammable, and to the places with a lot of people passing by. In the end, we discussed our impressions and questions in a breakout session and Mr. Takeda answered our questions.

other photos of Day1 to Day3

Day2　25th August　Lecture about the Rwandan history (Prof. Takeuchi) , Introduction of Femme Café and Nyamata Memorial Church (Online [Africa Note]）

Lecture about the Rwandan History

The second day started with a history lecture by Professor Takeuchi. He gave a lecture titled “Genocide in Rwanda and Beyond” and had a Q & A session.

Introduction of Femme Café

After that, Satoko Hojo, representative of Femme Café, a student club authorized by TUFS, introduced the activities of Femme Café. Femme Café was founded in 2010 and works to build bridges between Japan and Rwanda through the import and sale of fair trade coffee from Rwanda. In addition to participating in foreign language festivals and external events, the club is also active, holding coffee and African workshops and regular exchange events with Rwanda. Participants of the Rwanda online study tour were given drip bags sold by Femme Café in the hope that they will be able to taste Rwanda with their sense of smell and taste.

Touch Africa

For the purpose of touching Africa tactilely, visually, and aurally, we spent time with instruments such as the talking drum, xylophone, thumb piano, and maracas, as well as African and Rwanda-related literatures. The sounds played by the onsite participants were shared with the online participants, and the project coordinator gave a brief explanation about the instruments.

 

Nyamata Memorial Church (Online [Africa Note])

Mr. Takeda from Africa Note conducted a virtual tour of the Nyamata Memorial Church. When the genocide occurred in 1994, the Nyamata Memorial Church was used as a church.  A staff of the museum show us around the museum and then had a Q & A session. Those were all translated by Mr.Takeda. Some students asked the question directly in English.

What we learned in prof.Takeuchi’s lecture at the beginning of the day was transformed into a three-dimensional image with the virtual tour, and the background of the information we saw and heard at the memorial hall was complemented by the lecture, which deepened our understanding.

Africa Note website　Report of Online Study Tour for TUFS (in Japanese)

 

other photos of Day1 to Day3

Day3　25th Aug　Table talk (with Harumi Watanabe (TUFS) working for Embassy of Japan in Rwanda）

This day, we invited Ms.Watanabe for the table talk. She is a TUFS student but currently works for Emassy of Japan in Rwanda. Based on the topics collected from participants in advance, Ms.Watanabe prepared and gave a frank talk about local life and work. Ms.Watanabe’s choices amid the pandemic and her story about what she wants to do in the future seemed to inspire many participants.

other photos of Day1 to Day3

Day4  1st Sep Online Exchange Meeting: PIASS and TUFS in Japan: Day 1

During the last two days of the tour, we held the exchange meeting with the Protestant Institute of Arts and Social Sciences (PIASS). On the first day and the second day, we set a theme each day and prepared the recreation and discussion by holding a lot of meetings in the working group.

Theme: To get to know each other
16:00-16:05   Opening Remarks (Prof. Takeuchi)
16:05-16:10　Announcement
16:10-16:20    Introduction video of TUFS
16:20-16:30   Introduction video of PIASS
16:30-16:40　Self introduction Game
16:45-17:10 　Recreation  (True or False Quiz)
17:10-17:30　Culture Introduction by using photos
17:30-17:57 　Discussion
17:57-18:00　Summary

ワーキンググループのメンバーが作成した本学、PIASSの動画を視聴した後、Zoomのブレイクアウトセッションを利用した自己紹介ゲームを実施しました。レクリエーションとして参加者が１名ずつクイズを出題して〇×ゲームをおこなった後、グループに分かれて写真を用いた文化紹介と自己紹介をしました。最後にこの日のテーマ「お互いを知る」に即した内容で、グループに分かれてディスカッションをしました。

 

 

４～５日目のほかの写真はこちら

５日目　9/2　プロテスタント人文・社会科学大学との交流会➁

テーマ：文化交流
16:00-16:05　交換留学、展開力アフリカについて
16:05-16:15　元留学生・留学予定の学生からひとこと
16:15-16:35　絵しりとり
16:35-17:00　脳トレ
17:00-17:55　ディスカッション
17:55-18:00　おわりのことば (佐々木先生)

ルワンダ・オンライン・スタディツアーの最終日でもあるこの日は、PIASSとの交流会の２日目でした。まずプログラムコーディネーターが本学における交換留学や展開力アフリカのプログラムについて説明した後、元留学生のアンリさんとテンボさん、これからPIASSに留学予定の福島さんから一言もらいました。アンリさんとテンボさんは「一番印象に残ったこと」、福島さんには「一番楽しみなこと」を話してくれました。グループに分かれて絵しりとり、脳トレをした後、この日のテーマ「文化交流」に沿ったトピックでディスカッションをおこないました。最後にPIASSの佐々木先生におわりのことばをいただき、閉会となりました。

交流会の中や事後に参加者同士でSNSなど連絡先を交換しました。学生たちの交流は今も続いており、今後も続いていくことを願っています。

 

４～５日目のほかの写真はこちら

スピンオフイベント　

９月２１日(火) 16:30-18:30

16:30-17:30　ルンディ語とルワンダ語のレッスン (Elie Rodrigue Icishatse)
17:30-19:15　フイエ・オンラインツアー (福島黎、Henri Fabrice)

スタディツアー本編から派生して、スピンオフイベントを実施しました。
まず、PIASS卒業生で、現在本学のPCSに在籍しているRodrigueさんによるルンディ語とルワンダ語のレッスンがおこなわれました。Rodrigueさんはブルンジ出身のため、ブルンジで話されているルンディ語とルワンダ語を両方話すことができます。それぞれの違いを説明してもらった後、ワーキンググループで用意した例文・単語リストに沿って言語を学び、例文を練習しました。最後に質疑応答の時間を持った後、次のプログラムに移りました。

次のプログラムでは、ルワンダ・オンライン・スタディツアーが終了した直後からPIASSに留学したモンゴル語科３年の福島さんによる現地からの報告と、福島さんとHenriさんによるフィエ・オンラインツアーがおこなわれました。PIASS近くの福島さんの自宅を出発してPIASSを通り、フィエ市街地に着くとスーパーや市場でお店のひとと会話をしながら売られているものを紹介してもらいました。友人がツアーを実施することで、よりフィエを身近に感じられるイベントとなったようです。

参加者：10名

ルワンダ・オンライン・スタディツアー参加者交流会

2021年11月末～12月頭にかけて、コーディネーターがPIASSに出張しました。
その際、ルワンダ・オンライン・スタディツアーに参加したPIASSの学生と交流会を持ち、学生から預かったお土産を渡したり、学生が在籍するフラメンコサークルの動画を上映したりしました。

参加者：10名

東京オンラインツアー

１２月４日(土) 16:20-17:20 (岩本早耶香さん)