Our Class of 2022
Rural Leaders Training ProgramThis year, we were able towelcome many participants fromoverseas for the first time in two
years. Thirty-two in the Rural
Leaders Training Program and fivein the Advanced Training Course
are hard at work on their studies!

RwandaGuatemala
Ester Brito Raymundo

Marta Brito Brito

Guatemala Conference of
Evangelical Churches (CIEDEG)

Guatemala Conference of
Evangelical Churches (CIEDEG)

Agricultural Promoter(Ester) I visit and orient the community families with
agriculture and nutrition projects. We work withvegetable and herb seeds and plants. With the ARI
training, I plan to improve the community’s
products’ quality to sell with better prices by practicing organic farming, making natural fertilizer, andeﬀiciently recycling water.

Agriculturist(Martita) I organize daily agriculture and livestock
work on the farm and in church schools. Agriculture
work and community are an integral part of my life.
After the ARI training, through workshops andworking together in the fields, I plan to teachagricultural practices like making organic fertilizer,
caring for farm animals, and the best practices touse water.

Nigeria
Grace Furaha

Onyekachi Samuel Abugu

Adetunji David Ajala

Free Methodist Church Rwanda

Organization of African Instituted
Churches (OAIC)

Methodist Church Nigeria

Coordinator and Agricultural
Advisor

Associate Pastor, Farm Assistant(Grace) I coordinate projects to help local residents
create kitchen gardens, keep cows, and participate
in savings and credit groups. I supervise farmers andstay informed about their daily lives. At ARI, I hopeto learn new agricultural technical practices andgain more experience in how to work together
eﬀectively.

(Samuel) I was raised in a farm community and now
work at Christ Holy Church International Farm
working with small-scale farmers. At ARI, I want tolearn farming methods to boost food production ata low cost. After ARI, I plan to train seminarians andlocal farmers on agricultural methods and how toraise their farm and earn a living with dignity.

VietnamBangladesh

Archdiocesan Youth President,
ONE Ambassador(David) I work with communities to help solve social
welfare problems, inform them of opportunities,
and plan programs for youth empowerment. I am
interested in sustainable agriculture and community
engagement, most especially that which is anchoredin ending poverty. I believe the training at ARI canhelp in food production and in becoming a genderadvocate.

Dung Ngoc Vo

Satta Mree

Hlachingmong Issac
MurruyDung Krong Nang Farm;
Mekong Organics

Church of Bangladesh (CB)

Basic Development Partners (BDP)

Farmer, Trainer(Dung) When I was young, I wondered why myfamily struggled in the market, although we were
responsible for food production. I want to teachothers why safe crops are important. At ARI, I wantto learn more about farming, teaching, and building
a community to spread knowledge. I have theambition to spread organic farming throughout
Vietnam.

Catechist(Satta) I work to bring peace to the Garo tribal
community through my teachings in church and bylaboring in vegetable fields and animal farms. I also
lead a seed banking project, distributing local seeds
to families and teaching them to save harvested
seeds, reducing their reliance on expensive imports.
At ARI, I aim to learn organic agriculture to protect
the health of my community.

Vocational Education Manager(Dicko) Our focus is child education and empowering women. I care for dropped-out children frommainstream education, providing life-based technical training. We have a long-running project toprovide primary education for all school-aged
children, especially girls. At ARI, I hope to learn
servant leadership, livestock, farming, and stewardship for my community and nation.

Malaysia

India
Mohd Khuzairy Bin Hamid

Ngamshel Ronglo

Kannan Ravichandran

Sri Lovely Integrated Organic Farm

Weaker Sections Development
Council (WSDC)
Volunteer Community Mobilizer
and Trainer

Sristi Foundation

Farm Manager(Jai) Sharing and doing what is best for the community is very important to me. I work in the rice fields,
train students in organic rice-growing methods, andexplain the health and other benefits of avoiding
chemicals. At ARI, I hope to learn about sustainableagriculture, natural farming in tropical areas,alternative marketing, and servant leadership.

(Ngamshel) I help conduct workshops on growing
crops in scientific ways, growing oyster mushrooms,
and raising poultry birds. I also help the organization in relief works. At ARI, I want to learn how to
mainstream organic farming and sustainably
enhance the living standard of farmers, be a good
leader, and learn to be self-suﬀicient.

Farm Trainer(Kannan) At my organization, we provide educationand life-skills training (focused on agriculture) tochildren and adults with disabilities. I help manage
our nine-acre, integrated training farm and teachcommunity members about organic farming. At ARI,I seek to improve my teaching and leadership skills
and organic agriculture knowledge.

India
Zhopovelu Lohe

Gretherson Cheran
Momin

Lungaithui Malangmei

Grace Home Khutsokhuno

Harding Theological College,
Harding Universal Trust

Chingthur Foundation, Rongmei
Baptist Church Association
Project Manager

Campus Supervisor

Assistant Director and Cofounder(Apolu) We have a holistic approach toward
children’s education to build servant leaders in thevillage and church. I oversee all the activities of 24
children: helping with their homework, teachingreading and writing, providing spiritual nourishment,
and teaching sanitation, health, and nature. At ARI, I
want to learn more about agriculture and leadershipto help my villagers and the surrounding community.

(Grether) I supervise farmers, such as in cultivating
guava and banana trees; raising chicks, fish, andpigs; and coordinating training programs. At ARI,I am interested in learning more eﬀective training
and leadership skills to equip future Garo leadersbetter. Also, I want to improve leading worshipservices by deepening my faith and understandingof religion and culture within a diverse community.

Ethiopia(Lungai) I work with several communities in the
Northeast Region of India, with farmers helping to
improve their yields, growing mushrooms, and findmarkets for crops and handicrafts. I came to ARI tolearn more about servant leadership, organic
farming, livestock, and bee keeping. We will begin a
new demonstration farm when I return home.

Ghana
Degaga Wakshuma
GeletaDemissie Solomon
DuferaAlex Kwamla Afeli
Asogli State Council
Teacher,
Volunteer Technical Advisor(Degaga) I studied building construction at a technical college. I am very grateful to have the opportunity to study servant leadership. The three main
goals of ARI’s training—servant leadership, sustainable agriculture, and community building— are thekeys for me and my country. After ARI, I would like toencourage the development and growth of others.

(Solomon) I completed a post-graduation in agriculture in Ethiopia. At ARI, I want to learn aboutsustainable agriculture and living in a community.
I am motivated to help my community learn how tolive sustainably and keep health in mind. Therefore,
I would like to work in the agriculture sector in
Ethiopia. It is my way of contributing to reducing
climate change and poverty.

UgandaKenya(Alex) When the people around you are economically empowered, you can sleep in peace. I train
youth, produce livestock and poultry, and use
manure as fertilizer to grow vegetables withoutchemicals. I will share my ARI skills with otherfarmers and help establish an agricultural center
that trains unemployed youth in sustainableagriculture.

Timothy Sentamu

Hossa Khamis Jefwa

Jacklyne Anyango Owang

Kasenge Riverford Organic
Agricultural Centre LTD,GirlNow Foundation
Chairperson of Youth Project

Institute of Participatory
Development (IPD)

Nomiya Holy Revelation Church(Tim) I am passionate about solving social issues in
Uganda, starting from reclaiming youth to agriculture, hence, focusing on training youth and womenin organic farming. We also train adolescent girls in
menstrual hygiene, education, and skills enhancement. ARI is a place to widen my knowledge inorganic farming, servant leadership and community
development.
2022 Rural Leaders Training Program

Community Coordinator(Hossa) I am a Muslim woman working withwomen’s and youth groups of all faiths. We haveempowerment programs on women in leadership,
land ownership and inheritance, girls’ education,and value addition in farm produce. I would like tolearn how to improve the soil for increased farm
production and my leadership ability to help myentire community.

Team Leader,
Women Farming Project(Jacky) We participate in organic farming, fish
growing, and poultry raising. Our goal is to lift ourcommunity from poverty to self-sustainability infood production and to embrace gender equality inthe community. After ARI, as a trainer, I will be able
to guide farmers more eﬀectively than by theory
done without practice.

Indonesia
Berman Maeda
Situmorang

Tabita Pricillia Rahawarin

Dian Krista Sitepu

Gereja Kristen Protestan Indonesia

Abdi Pusaka Indonesia Foundation

Gereja Batak Karo Protestan (GBKP)

PastorField Manager, Missionary Staﬀ

Pastor(GKPI)(Maeda) My congregations are mostly farmers andweavers, and we exchange ideas to develop theirfarms better. I try to come up with solutions that the
church can provide, so the church and the congregations are really related and complementary to eachother. I want to learn from people all over the worldabout improving rural life, and then share that with
the GKPI leaders and the rural villages.

(Tabita) Our foundation started as an orphanage
and then opened schools in Nias Island. I am
responsible for overseeing the day-to-day coachingof children spiritually and physically. I want to learn
more about farm leadership, and how a community
can produce results that positively impact all thecommunity, starting from the kids in the rural area.

(Dian) I want to help my congregations with spiritualand livelihood needs. At ARI, I want to improve myleadership, time management, and gain practicalskills. Farmers think that organic farming is not easy,
so I will show them how to keep people, land, andthe environment healthy.

Indonesia
Muntilan Hasiholan
Nababan

Ade Puji Hartati

Yan Petric Rajagukguk

Petrasa Foundation

PIDO Company

Huria Kristen Batak ProtestanMarketing and Development Head

Community Development Field
Staﬀ & Data Administration(Muntilan) I work with my fellow farmers to practiceeﬀicient organic farming in raising livestock. At ARI,
I hope to improve my teaching skills; however, I haveexperienced that even true knowledge cannot be
imparted without healthy relationships. Therefore,
I want to learn how to bond with people fromcompletely diﬀerent backgrounds.

(Ade) I work with farmers who tap sap from coconut
and arenga (palms) to make sugar. I assist withquality control and organic certification such asControl Union and Fair Trade. Our challenge ischanging farmers from chemical to organic production. I am passionate about deepening my learningin sustainable organic farming through the cultural
diversity in ARI.

Democratic Republic of the Congo
Shukuru Munigwa
Seraphin

Peace and Conflict Resolution
Foundation

Community of Pentecostal Churches
in Central Africa, Funu Nuru
Agricultural Commission for
Youth Development

Rural Field Economist

Youth Chairman and Media Tech(Petric) I help farmers solve problems in raising andselling their products. I also use my IT training tocommunicate with young farmers to promoteorganic farming through online instructional videos
and to find and analyze markets. At ARI, I want tostrengthen my skills in organic farming and smallanimal husbandry and make a deeper commitment
to servant leadershipJapan

Mordekay Mirindi Jonas(Mordekay) I mobilize young people and plan field
programs with farmers, distribute seeds, and work
together in the fields. I also facilitate rural community meetings and training. At ARI, I want to build myleadership skills, learn from others, share my experience with others, and learn about Foodlife because
our people are dying due to a lack of food.

(HKBP)(Shukuru) My daily tasks include managing farms,
advising young farmers, and organizing new
projects to improve safety, eﬀiciency, and agricultural productivity. Our youth groups have projects
to increase poultry production and integrate beans
with a pig fattening program. At ARI, I want toincrease my knowledge of organic farming,
livestock, and leadership.

Tomoya Furujô(Tomoya) I studied agriculture at university. After
graduation, I reflected on my life and realized I wasinterested in international cooperation, agriculture,and environmental issues. That is why I decided to
study at ARI as a participant. At ARI, I want to findwhat I can do for international cooperation, agriculture, and environmental issues.

Japan
Ayu Suda(Ayu) I majored in international relations andpedagogy. Because of COVID-19, I had many opportunities to think about myself. Therefore, I became
interested in life that emphasizes “healthy living.”
Through practical learning, community life, anddialogues, I would like to think about how people
can build a healthy relationship with nature.

Nozomi Nakashima(Nozomi) After a short stay in ARI, I was fascinatedby the environment, which accepts each otherdespite diﬀerences. I would like to contribute tosociety by practicing a self-suﬀicient agricultural
lifestyle. I also want to seek what I can do by sharing
life with people of various nationalities, values, andreligions so that “we may live together.”

Takumi Tokumaru(Takumi) I learned about ARI through the book
Letters from Allahabad by Yukiko Makino. I was
impressed by servant leadership, doing something“together” rather than “from above” so people canstand on their own feet to live. I want to learn thisservant leadership and the relationship between
food and life at ARI.

Rural Leaders Training Program 2022

Advanced Training
CourseTraining Assistant (TA): ARI invites graduates who
have demonstrated outstanding leadership andaccomplishment in their communities to a year ofadvanced studies.
Graduate Intern (GI): After their first training year,
Japanese graduates are eligible to continue theirstudies to gain more experience in an area of theirchoice.

Indonesia

Nepal
Margareth Marta Roida
SianiparBhim Bahadur Khaling
Rai

Elim Orphanage, Huria Kristen
Batak Protestan (HKBP)National Development
Organization (NDO)
Pastor, Teacher,Community Life Manager

Pastor, Orphanage Staﬀ

(Marta, 2012) After ARI, I taught organic farmingand had a small organic restaurant. Currently, I ama housemother and care for 60 children encouraging them to study hard, dream big, pray, andcontinue their education. We also work together bychanging the garbage station into a small garden,
growing groundnut and lemongrass, and raisingchickens. I came back to ARI to become a more
eﬀective servant leader.

(Bhim, 2015) I teach the dangers of chemical
farming through a bottom-up servant leadershipapproach to help communities work together when
they are religiously, linguistically, and culturally
diﬀerent. It was challenging, so it has taken several
years for staﬀ and community members to understand the power of servant leadership. As a TA, I aim
to deepen my learning of ARI core values tostrengthen the ties between farmers.

Japan
Eri Okada(Eri, 2021) I am motivated to learn the true meaningof international cooperation by solving problems
together and encouraging mutual growth. I believe
servant leadership and sustainable farming are
essential to international cooperation, so I want tolearn about working together, especially throughrice cultivation. After ARI, I want to intern at a
refugee empowerment NGO run by an ARI graduate.

Keisuke KatôHiroka Komatsubara(Keisuke, 2021) Last year, I learned why we need topractice organic farming. It is for healthy food, andfor building healthy human relationships
surrounded by rich nature with biodiversity throughworking together. After ARI, I want to join the Japan
Overseas Cooperation Volunteers (JOCV) and gain
practical experience in the field of education in anenvironment that lacks educational opportunities.

(Hiroka, 2020) Through living together with myclassmates, I realized that no matter how diﬀerent
we are, we are all the same as humans. This year I
am learning about local learning programs because
I want to cherish encounters and connections withpeople. I would like to create a comfortable placeand memories for people inside and outside of ARI.

Rural Leaders Training Program
ARI provides powerful leadership training
for grassroots community leaders: theannual Rural Leaders Training Program.

Our Rural Leaders Training Center empowers
some of the most marginalized communities
on earth, so that they can enjoy and share thewealth of food, land, and community.

Servant
Leadership

Community
Building

Sustainable
Agriculture

Every year, we invite rural community
leaders from grassroots organizationsin Asia, Africa, Latin America, and thePacific to our campus in Japan.
The 9-month training is guided by our
motto, ‘That We May Live Together.’

1368 graduates from 61 countries since 1973
Donatetoday!

It's Time to Invest in Rural Community Leadership!

The costs needed for Rural Leaders to participate in our training are mainly financed
by donations. Tuition and board amount to US$ 17,850, and the average airfare isaround US$ 2,500. We provide financial assistance for these leaders to take part. It is an investment
in people who will bring about lasting community change.
For detailed information, please visit our website or call our oﬀice.

Visit www.ari-edu.org/en/donate/ to find out how to contribute!