Kindai University Students Tour Sri Lanka for Cultural Exchange and Disaster Resilience Learning
From the 24th to the 30th of August, a team of undergraduate students and Professor Megumi Kuwana from Kindai University, Osaka, toured Sri Lanka. A-PAD SL was honored to facilitate the visit, coordinating an itinerary that gave the students a well-rounded understanding of the country and its rich heritage and wildlife. The team also learned about Sri Lanka’s disaster response and resilience efforts, especially following Cyclone Ditwah, by engaging with different organizations working in the space. The visit proved to be an invaluable opportunity for cross-cultural exchange, offering the students a firsthand look at Sri Lanka beyond the classroom while deepening the understanding and collaboration between Sri Lanka and Japan.
Field Excursion to Understand Local Life
Following their arrival from Japan, the team headed to Deniyaya on a field excursion and resided at a homestay to experience local life. They were received by the Pacific Asia Resource Center Interpeoples’ Cooperation, which provided them with insight into the organization’s initiatives and fair-trade practices, along with an interactive session with local tea farmers to understand regional community efforts.
Alongside these informative experiences, the students had numerous opportunities to engage with Sri Lankan culture, beginning with a cultural exchange with local school students and teachers, followed by a lesson in Ayurveda, traditional Kithul tapping methods, and Sri Lankan cooking.
Experiencing Wildlife and Heritage
The itinerary also took the students to Udawalawe National Park, where they had the opportunity to witness the vibrant and vast diversity of fauna and flora while travelling through the park on safari, including close sightings of the wild elephant herds the park is best known for. From there, the group continued on to Galle, where they engaged with the city’s historical landmarks and temples, staying on to spend the day shopping and visiting its attractions at leisure.
Tea Tasting and Understanding the Heritage of Ceylon Tea
Following the Departure from Deniyaya, the group also visited the Kaley Tea Factory, where they observed the tea processing cycle. The students were also able to sample the different teas produced in Sri Lanka during a visit to the Sri Lanka Tea Board in Colombo. There, they learned about the varying quality types and distinctions of Ceylon Tea, the manual tea plucking and tasting processes behind it, and what has made Ceylon Tea a globally recognized trademark.
Team’s Visit to A-PAD Office
On the 28th, the students were received at the A-PAD SL office, where they were introduced to the organization’s activities on an international and national scale, particularly its interventions during Cyclone Ditwah, including the deployment of the Search and Rescue (SAR) team, mobilization of relief items, and support for recovery efforts. The students raised questions and learned more about the disaster response framework, A-PAD’s role as a coordinating platform, and the support rendered by the people of Japan to support its impactful initiatives.
Showing keen interest in the organization’s work, particularly around foreign cooperation, the students also had the opportunity to observe the equipment used in search and rescue operations.
Engagements with Humanitarian Organizations
As part of their engagements in Colombo, the team also visited the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) office, where they learned about ongoing development and disaster resilience initiatives in Sri Lanka and the role of international cooperation in supporting the country’s recovery and long-term preparedness efforts.
The students further witnessed the country’s religious diversity through visits to the Arulmigu Sivasubramaniya Swamy Kovil, the Gangaramaya Temple, and the Jami Ul-Alfar Mosque. The distinct architecture of each site reflected the differing beliefs it represents, offering the students a deeper understanding of the country’s long history of coexistence among various faiths.
