MY STRENGTHS AND DREAMS

By Ryo Yokoyama
(Age 18, Japan)

What are my strengths? Well, I'm a very ordinary high school student, but if I had to mention something, then I'd probably say that I can keep my cool in a difficult situation and I have the ability to adapt. I acquired these characteristics abroad, especially during the time I was living in South Africa. Africans are different from the Japanese in that they are a very easy-going people. They tend to take an optimistic view of things and never panic. But as for how they live, some live in unbelievable conditions of poverty, while others live in splendid mansions, and the standard "ordinary" as we know it here in Japan doesn't exist there. At first, it was one surprise after another, but I was able to see that many different types of people were living their lives to the full in various environments. From there, I got to the point where I realized, "Anything goes," and I wasn't going to be shocked that easily and even if something did happen, I would be able to cope without panicking and could adapt to the situation. I learned not to be fussy about things and, instead, faced whatever happened in a natural, relaxed way. That made me realize that the Japanese are impatient people. Now back in Japan, I think I'm much more able to stay calm in various situations than I was in the past. My ability to adapt also came from playing soccer, something I've done since elementary school.

Because of the problems in Iraq, Japanese people are gradually getting to know about the lives of the Iraqi people through the news. But what about Africa? It's known widely that poverty is rife in Africa, but do the Japanese really know to what extent? Would people be able to give concrete answers if asked those questions? Don't people tend to think that the lives of Africans will improve if they donate sums of money? Before I went to Africa, I was also almost totally ignorant of the problem. But after living there for three years, I think I have become more aware of the issues. By experiencing life in a place where the language and customs are totally different, I was able to acquire the ability to stay calm in difficult circumstances and to adapt. These have become my strengths, as well as my assets.

In the future, I would like to make full use of these strengths and contribute to society by finding a job that will enable me to become a bridge between the countries of the world, especially Africa, and Japan. To begin with, I think it's important to inform the people of Japan about what is really happening in Africa. By responding to a variety of needs and situations, I would like to convey the wishes and thoughts of African people to the Japanese. Through my experience of living in South Africa, what I came to realize was that what they needed most was not money but education. Of course money is important, but I would like to tell my fellow Japanese that countless South African children and youth are being deprived of an education. At this point, education is more important than money. Many young people cannot even write; as a result, they can't get work. This environment of economic instability and social uncertainty leads to an increase in HIV/AIDS and a very low life expectancy. It may be hard going, but I am determined to stick with it and tell the people of Japan about the situation in South Africa and look for a solution to those problems. And not just to my fellow Japanese; if I could someday get this message across to people in the other advanced nations, it would make me very happy. Taking advantage of my ability to keep my cool, I want to be able overcome the differences in language and culture and get to the root of the problem. And I'd also like to make use of my ability to cope in a wide range of situations and solve the problems one by one, and make myself useful to society.

This is no longer the time to be thinking merely about the prosperity of Japan. We are in the age of globalization and we should be concerned about the health of the world's natural environment, economy and politics; otherwise there will be no future. Of all these, the most neglected is offering help for the development of Africa, and this is where my dream lies.