Alumni Profiles

Nicholas graduated from the University of Hertfordshire majoring in Philosophy with a focus on language and logic. Since then, Nicholas has gone on to start his own business and develop his skills as a writer and communications advisor by working in emerging markets such as Fintech. While involved with “Distributed Ledger Technology” projects, Nicholas worked globally in locations such as China, France, Kenya and London with organisations like the United Nations, the OECD and the Haiti government.

Being biracial, Nicholas grew up in a multicultural household which sparked interest in examining different cultures and ideologies. Nicholas’s interest in Japan stems from his father, who competed in the 1994 Japan Karate World Championship and shortly after, became the coach of the England team.

By participating in AYF Nicholas plans to improve his language skills and learn more about Japanese culture and communication. In doing so, he hopes to become a bridge; enabling future individuals and countries, such as the United Kingdom and others, to create better business opportunities and develop lasting relationships with Japan.

See our full interview with Nicholas here

Ankit is a 25-year old architect, singer/ songwriter and a visual thinker from Dehradun, a city located in the foothills of the Himalayas in the northern part of India. He holds a bachelor’s degree in architecture from University School of Architecture and Planning, New Delhi.

As an undergraduate, he has worked on the documentation and design intervention of two small towns, Orchha and Bundi, by understanding their existing fabric, culture and heritage.

He also co-founded the college music society – The Tessellate – and has performed in various charity and community events, including gigs for IMA Blood Bank, Doon Youth Centre and a concert for the victims of Leh floods.

Ankit has been interested in music since childhood, composing melodies on his own. He has since been on a solo career and working on numerous songs based on his past, experiences and his reflection on society and self-righteousness.

Through AYF, he aims to establish a connection with the people and wants to empower them by working on projects that create a starting point towards a brighter future.

His previous role as an architect and his experience as a musician has given him clarity and thoughtfulness, he looks forward to contributing to the community and enhancing the art and culture of Awaji Island.

Catherine graduated from the University of Nairobi, Kenya, with a degree in Business, majoring in Marketing in 2012. Driven by her desire to travel, she pursued further studies in Australia, where she obtained a graduate certificate in marketing, and she later completed a Master’s in International Hospitality and Tourism in the United Kingdom, in 2016. She then went on to work in operations for both Hilton and InterContinental hotels for over three years, and relocated to Dubai, where she worked before joining AYF.

Her interest in AYF is driven by her passion to expand her global experience and her fascination with the Japanese culture. Participation in the program will allow Catherine to explore the culture by immersion and make strides in becoming proficient in the Japanese language. The program provides a unique opportunity to further develop skills acquired in her academic and work background and to explore effective methods of creating impactful business in the tourism industry as a tool for development.

She hopes to use the skills acquired through the program to create businesses in an international scope that help in the reduction of poverty, improvement of livelihoods and contribute to the development of individuals and communities in a sustainable way.

Diliara graduated from the Kazan Federal University (Russia) in 2018 with a PhD in international climate change law. Coming from a multicultural and multi-ethnic country, she has always been interested in international communication and foreign languages.

She has been involved in numerous international research projects on climate change law and policy. As a part of her PhD studies, she attended a one-year research exchange at the University of Tsukuba, Japan as an exchange research student. Her experience also extends to practical initiatives in teaching English, translation and environment preservation during the last 5 years.

Diliara has been working in the Chamber of Commerce as a lawyer helping foreign companies to operate in Russia as well as assisting Russian companies with expanding their business abroad. Recently she has co-founded a start-up company called WorldAbroad, which is a platform focused on international academic mobility. The project aims to help people get quality education abroad without letting their financial circumstances stand in the way.

Diliara’s motto is “Think global, act local”. Her life dream is to inspire people to be the better versions of themselves, broaden their horizons and be a person who can contribute to the world. By joining the Awaji Youth Federation, she hopes to learn new skills in regional revitalization and business development, share her experience and apply the knowledge she has acquired.

Erin was born and raised in Canberra, the capital of Australia. She has taken an active interest in Japan since she began learning the language ten years ago. While studying degrees in Languages and International Relations, Erin completed an exchange in Akita, northern Japan, and an internship in Zhejiang Province, China. She has worked closely with the local Japanese communities in Canberra, acting as president of the Australian National University Za Kabuki Club for two years.

While living in Akita Prefecture, Erin experienced another side of Japan – watching and participating in local festivals, visiting small businesses, meeting with people young and old, and engaging with local communities at a grassroots level. Akita is one of the areas most affected by issues of loss of population, and this was something that Erin took a keen interest in.

AYF will provide the opportunity to learn more about the issues facing rural communities and to gain experience working to overcome these issues at a grassroots level. Using her skills developed while working in the local Canberra community, Erin hopes to gain valuable experience in project management and engagement with businesses, while learning about problems also faced by rural Australians.

Flanegan Bainon is a 3rd generation interracial child of Borneo Aborigines and Chinese descendants. Born on Borneo Island, in a very multi-cultural neighbourhood in the city of Kota Kinabalu. Fluent in 5 languages, he spent his 20s travelling across Europe, furthering his education in Melbourne, Australia and living his dream in Tokyo, Japan as a photographer and videographer specializing in Commercial and Advertising.

He’s been working with small and big advertising agencies all over the Asia-Pacific & Oceania region to fulfil their visual aesthetic needs. Additionally, he got invited to give a talk about his journey as Visual Creator and to give advice to up-and-coming startups in his hometown on how important visual art direction is within technology. He believes that most of the effective marketing & branding will take place on digital platforms, especially smartphones.

Having worked almost 10 years as a visual creator and having experienced the Australian and Japanese working life, Flanegan is able to balance his career and personal life in an unorthodox way and would love to one day share the value of his balanced lifestyle. His goal is to strengthen the relationship between Borneo Island and the Kansai region through art, culture and technology. Flanegan will take this opportunity to participate in AYF to get out of his creative box for different international perspectives and learn something new before coming up with an idea in producing something awesome in Awaji Island and its surroundings.

Gehad has always been driven by the passion to challenge and improve herself to change the world around her. In her opinion, if you do not challenge yourself, you will never realize what you can become.

Gehad is a fresh graduate with a Bachelor of Science in Biotechnology and its Applications. She graduated from Mansoura University in Egypt with honours. Her hobbies are photography, swimming, reading novels, manga, and writing psychology articles.

In Summer 2016, she was selected by the US Embassy to represent Egypt in the “Women2Women” leadership program, which took place at Harvard University in Boston, US. In addition to that, she represented Egypt in the Science category in The World Festival of Youth and Students 2017 that was held in Sochi, Russia. In 2018, she was awarded the Bronze award of the Duke of Edinburgh’s International award. That same year she also worked on several research projects focusing on Environmental and Medical Biotechnology.

As a fresh graduate, Gehad is certain that AYF is the right opportunity for her to figure out her life after graduation and that participating in this fellowship will give her a chance to improve her professional work experience and knowledge by partaking in Pasona Group projects that aim at helping the community on Awaji Island.

Irene defines herself as an adventurous girl not afraid to break down borders. She graduated in Asian and African Studies with a specialization in Japan in 2017, with her first vist to Japan in 2013. Thanks to a scholarship for students granted by the Japanese government, she able to continue her education and live in Kagoshima for a year.

With a strong motivation to strengthen the ties between Spain and Japan, she worked for nearly two years at Japan Foundation Madrid, promoting the Japanese language and culture among Spanish people. She supported the Japan National Tourism Office in Madrid to promote Japan as a tourist destination, particularly the areas outside of the well-known tourist cities such as Tokyo and Kyoto.

After these experiences and living in Japan, Irene decided that her future career had to be related to tourism in Japan and to the relations between Japanese and Spanish people – trying to bring these two countries closer thanks to the mutual knowledge of their respective people and cultures.

Enrolling in the Awaji Youth Federation project, she hopes to learn as much as possible about tourism revitalization and sustainable tourism, as well as acquire the necessary tools to develop something related to this in the future.

Having lived and studied in both developing and developed countries such as India, USA and England, she has seen first hand the gap between the two and wants to help to close the distance for developing areas.

Jerusha believes along with her work experience will allow her to contribute and meet the goals put forth by the federation in developing the huge potential of Awaji Island.

“A working chance to develop and conflate ideas, and then implement them to the required projects is one thing that I am looking forward to the most,” – Jerusha.

As part of her previous work experience, she contributed towards writing several chapters in the book: “Quinoa Nutrition & Health Benefits”, which was introduced at the 11th International Food Data Conference conducted by the Food & Agriculture Organization (FAO).

She hopes that by using her expertise in research she will be able to help grassroots level organizations set up shop and support the international development of Japan.

Marcos is an innovator and entrepreneur.  With a bachelor’s degree in Business Administration, specializing in entrepreneurship and skill acquisition. At first, he worked in the finical industry, within the stock-market, but later decided to focus on finding his passion. He changed career and focused on developing innovative models for micro and small businesses in Viña Del Mar, Chile.

His experience in growing, managing and supporting small businesses has allowed him to truly understand the value of ideas and the volition of people as a central axis for success in business.

With his motivation to become a polyglot and a strong belief in the notion of “only giving up is impossible”, Marcos joined AYF to act as a bridge between cultures.

He has decided to come to Japan in order to understand the Japanese entrepreneurship ecosystem, to support locals on their business ideas, to apply his method of “make your dream your lifestyle” and to develop a network of contacts between Japanese and Chilean entrepreneurs.

Matteo graduated with a master’s degree in Language, Economics and Institutions at Ca’ Foscari University of Venice in November 2018. During his bachelor’s degree, his studies were mainly focused on Japanese language and culture; during his master’s degree, he concentrated on management and economics.

As a student, Matteo developed a passion for marketing and in the future, he wishes to seek an international career in this field. He believes his study of Japanese culture has played a vital role in preparing him for realizing this aspiration as he considers intercultural understanding an essential requirement for future business and human progress. He strongly believes that learning from a non-native culture and language enriches a person and makes him a more valuable resource for tomorrow’s society.

While studying at Ca’ Foscari University of Venice, Matteo had two internships: one at the Italian Chamber of Commerce in Japan and another as an e-commerce manager for a local online luxury retailer. Both experiences, together with a 6-month exchange program spent at Momoyama Gakuin University in Osaka, Japan have played a central role in shaping Matteo’s understanding of Japan and business.

Naomi Shibatani graduated from Waseda University with a degree in Social Sciences. Having been interested in other cultures since she was a child, she had a life-changing moment when she heard someone say, “the 21^st Century will surely be the African Century.”

With a passion to contribute to world peace, Naomi took advantage of as many opportunities as she could. She joined a peace march held by students from Korea, China and Japan and, as a member of the “Japan-Rwanda Youth Cooperation”, planned events around the elimination of potential prejudice between Rwanda and Japan through academic discussions and exchange programs.

Naomi studied at the University of Washington, where she focused on African History studies. Afterwards, she started volunteering as an English TA at an organization which promotes integration and self-sufficiency for refugees and immigrants in the United States.

During these experiences, Naomi often encountered boundaries due to people’s already established stereotypical view towards a country. However, she learned that it is possible to overcome those boundaries by sharing “a common purpose” and with mutual respect. The key, she found, lies in dialogue.

Dialogue through which we can create a society of mutual respect and without prejudice.

Sharing the philosophy of “Solutions to Society’s Problems” and with an emphasis on dialogue, Naomi is sure that the youth in AYF, gathered from around the world, can create a microcosm of world peace and become pioneers in spreading that message.

She is looking forward to creating new values, not yet found elsewhere, with brilliant and enthusiastic leaders in Awaji.

Naveed Hussain is a young, enthusiastic fellow who has majored in Aeronautical & Astronautical Engineering and graduated from Institute of Space Technology, Islamabad Pakistan in 2018. He has a  range of deep interests such as Creativity, Innovation, Cross-Cultural relationship, Rural Development, Human Rights, Education, Sports and Youth Empowerment. He has a great passion to learn different languages and loves to insert himself into international communities, where in which he is able to learn and personally develop himself.

Naveed has been working with a welfare society to promote educational awareness and community building. Through this society, Naveed was able to provide assistance in natural disasters, repair and maintenance efforts, school renovations, the establishment of computer labs and clean drinking facilities – all in the effort to help eradicate poverty.

In 2015 he co-founded a tourist club, The Hawks Adventures, that aims to promote peace in Pakistan through sustainable activities. Naveed has been selected as Delegate of Future Leader Congress 2018 held in Bangkok, Thailand. He has a dream to meet people with diverse backgrounds from different parts of the world to share modern ideas, contemporary discourses, and innovative ideas. He is very excited to experience and be part of the diversity of ideas and liberal discourse that the AYF Fellowship offers.

Mhatli Nizar comes from Tunisia a little country in North Africa known for its beautiful green sceneries and golden beaches. Nizar has a big passion for robotics and embedded systems which encouraged him to enrol in ESPRIT: Private School of Engineering of Tunis, where he obtained a bachelor’s degree in Electro-mechanical engineering.

Early on in his career, Nizar worked on many projects involving Artificial Intelligence, Robotics and Embedded Systems in the fields of agriculture, home automation, and industrial improvement. He also interned in international electronics companies like SagemCom and worked on projects involving micromanagement and computer vision.

Nizar is very motivated to continue working on more projects involving modern technologies. His passion for these fields fuels him to pursue more knowledge and improve his skills. He can’t wait to use his skills and experiences to work together with other fellows to come up with more innovative ideas that can help Awaji Island.

Graduated with a degree in Psychology from Chulalongkorn University in 2014. Parnupong Yomprasert started his career at a major online travel agent company, Agoda. He later went back to help his family company, “Podulan International”, which runs an export trading business. He currently takes care of the company’s E-commerce and new product development.

In late 2018 he was doing an internship at Hitachi-ies located in Niigata, Japan, in a business development role which further developed his understanding of Japanese language and culture.

To create an opportunity to solve local issues, Parnupong joins AYF with the goal of improving Awaji Island’s tourism and creating a stronger connection between Japan and Thailand.

Parnupong’s future plan is to set up a business that allows people to enjoy a happy life, inspired by his delightful volunteering experience in the southern part of Japan.

Rina Suzuki was born and raised in Aichi Prefecture, Japan. She graduated from Nagoya University of Foreign Studies majoring in British & American Studies. She became interested in foreign cultures and languages as a junior high school student and her desire to travel overseas became stronger as time went on. When she was 18 years old, she travelled abroad for the first time, visiting the Philippines. There she met children in the slums who, despite their circumstances, treated her with kindness and walked around with smiles on their faces.

She realized how different reality was, or can be, from her own imagination. Inspired to see more of the world and learn from it, she went on to visit nearly 20 different countries and gain a better understanding of the world’s current condition.

Rina entered Pasona after graduating from university, which assigned her to the Innovation Team on Awaji Island. Since coming here a year and a half ago, she has been working in, among others, agriculture, recruitment and event promotion.

Joining AYF is a dream come true for Rina as she gets to work in a global environment. During this year she would like to promote Awaji Island both inside and outside of Japan, make the island a livelier place and make it a well-known location around the world. All in all, the beauty of Awaji is something she hopes to share with the world.

Rosakebia Estela Mendoza is an outstanding young writer and scholar who holds an interdisciplinary academic training in Biological Science, Creative Industries and Higher Education Teaching and Management. She has represented Peru in international events combining the creative power of Art, Science and Humanities.

Rosakebia follows activities that involve innovation, creativity and sustainability. She wants to establish viable networks, stimulate collaboration, enhance market access and promote both Japanese and Latin American expertise.

This unique experience as AYF Fellow will strengthen her leadership skills and support her work as a young leader to provide international experience to local developing areas as a mentor for those who embody a strong sense of responsibility and are prepared to meet global challenges. By incorporating a multidisciplinary approach, the AYF will be enriched with philosophical, ethical and moral concepts for its sustainable integration in our days.

Santiago Martinez is a Colombian with a passion for learning and travelling. He received a degree in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Notre Dame in the United States. He has multiple years of experience doing research in university laboratories and in industry.

His last job was at the R&D Department of AGP, a multinational security glass manufacturer. After graduating from college in 2016, he volunteered with WorldTeach for a year in Micronesia. There he taught high school students English, geometry, and chemistry. This experience ignited his interest in making science and technology more approachable and fun to people.

Santiago has had the opportunity to live in multiple countries on different continents as a result of which he has learned to appreciate the value that diversity can bring to any project. He has an insatiable desire to learn from different cultures and find creative solutions that people develop for all kind of problems. He is always looking for a good story.

Santiago wants to take advantage of the opportunity with AYF to learn firsthand of the work ethic and sense of community in the Japanese culture and from the experiences of every member of the AYF community.

A curious problem solver, Saurabh Nanda comes from Punjab in North India. He has studied Computer Science and Engineering at the National Institute of Technology in Jalandhar and has worked as a Software Engineer for two and a half years. That was when he realised the lack of career guidance he had had. He left his job to find solutions for this social problem of a lack of good career guidance.

He completed his master’s in Clinical Psychology and has been travelling across India, addressing and consulting more than 12,000 students and parents over the past 6 odd years. He has worked with dozens of schools, colleges and education-related organisations. He has provided career-related expertise for major Indian media channels, newspapers and websites. He also runs a personal career consulting company helping young professionals figure out the next move in their career.

Saurabh intends to use the amazing opportunity that AYF provides, for self-growth and rejuvenation, for imbibing the Japanese language and culture and to connect with bright young minds and amazing mentors at the AYF. AYF shall provide him with an opportunity to learn from others, bring ideas to reality and possibly contribute to his peers’ growth.

He firmly believes in the ancient Indian philosophy of Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam, which means ‘the world is one family’. He also has no doubt that the AYF fellows’ efforts for Awaji Island’s revitalisation can form the basis of finding solutions for various problems faced by the world today.

Sevgi Bozdemir is from İstanbul, Turkey, and is a Marine Science Engineer by trade. After graduating from Istanbul University, Faculty of Aquatic Sciences (Fisheries Faculty), she stayed in Japan for one year as a Student-Researcher. Being fascinated by this country and its unique culture, Sevgi spent several months travelling and learning about Japan and its rich culture upon finishing her studies.

Her dream is to study and work in Japan, where she hopes to set up her own business.

She is looking forward to experiencing life in one of Japan’s more rural parts, Awaji Island, and contributing to AYF’s revitalization efforts of the island. At the same time, she is excited by the opportunity to learn even more about the Japanese culture as well as the numerous cultures that this year’s AYF Fellows can introduce her to.

Sheka Choden completed her bachelor’s degree in Sustainable Development at the College of Natural Resources in Bhutan. Making a difference in people’s lives is what Sheka aspires for in her future career. She has worked and volunteered with various social enterprises such as Greener Way, Clean Bhutan and Earth Guardians. Interning in a multicultural organisation like the UN’s World Food Program has made her think creatively and solve problems in new and exciting ways.

Recently, she has been working with Mr “T. Sangay Wangchuk”, the Managing Director of Etho Metho Tours on his Agro-Tourism pilot project (Dhumra Farm Resort), in Punakha Bhutan. During this project, she met and interacted with diverse groups of people with different backgrounds. Working in such a group proved to be challenging at times, however, she learned to adapt and work together effectively with her team members.

Her dream is to put into action the knowledge and skills she has acquired so far through her studies, into upgrading the existing smart-climate agriculture in her country.

With an opportunity given by Awaji Youth Federation project, she thinks she can realise her dream to help the rural communities in Bhutan to achieve sustainable agriculture practices. She hopes to effectively apply her experiences from various activities, in all aspects of work at Awaji Youth Federation.

Svetlana was born in Kazakhstan with a passion for languages, art and culture. After finishing her bachelor’s in Translation Studies at the Eurasian National University of Astana, she continued her education in Scotland, Italy and Spain earning her an Erasmus Mundus Joint Master’s in Crossways in Cultural Narratives – a multidisciplinary program centred on exploring the theme of cultural hybridization through the lenses of Literature, Art History, Film Studies and Gender.

Svetlana recognizes AYF as a unique opportunity to explore one of the world’s most extraordinary and interesting countries with like-minded peers from around the world. From its rich history of art and literature to its contrasting modernism, Japan, in her opinion, is a major influencer and contributor to contemporary society.

Svetlana sees her time in the program as an inquiry into the intricacies of Japanese self-perception and conceptualization and its place in a changing world, where self-identity is becoming less and less dependent on traditional roles of race, gender and geography.

Chee Shan graduated from Nanyang Technological University of Singapore, with a BFA in Art, Design, and Media. He has knowledge in working with interactive digital mediums, traditional fine arts, crafts and prototyping, just to name a few.

In recent years, he’s felt an increased need for traditional arts and cultures to be preserved, especially with the increasing rate of technological advancements and mankind’s reliance on said technologies. Old purist methods of simply embracing and spreading traditional culture have its limits. Especially in this age, where the avant-garde is occasionally overhyped to the point it overshadows many other things of significance.

Chee Shan aims to revive and promote the art and culture of not just Awaji Island, but also the surrounding regions. To bridge the disconnect between the past and the present, meshing aspects of both the traditional and the contemporary together is one way he hopes to achieve that goal.

His long-term goal is to create and maintain a lively arts scene in the region with Awaji Island at its centre. He also hopes that by meeting more people around the region and tracking the relationship Awaji Island has with other parts of Japan, he will be able to make new discoveries about the art and culture that Awaji Island brings to us.

Waheed is a graduate of Water Resources Management and Agro-Meteorology from the Federal University of Agriculture, Abeokuta (FUNAAB). He is a young, dynamic, energetic and passionate Agripreneur. He was one of the pioneer students of University of Ibadan’s School of Business’ MBA in Agribusiness, during which he further developed his knowledge and career in the Agribusiness space. During this time, he undertook an intensive Agribusiness training course at Songhai Farm (Republic of Benin) and IITA Business Incubation Platform (BIP).

He served as Youth-led Capacity Development Officer/Project Coordinator in the International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA). Waheed is a certified Youth Development Educator who has been relentlessly helping young people to identify their strength, develop winning ideas, and future aspirations. He was one of the MTN Foundation Science and Technology Scholarship Scholars (2011-2013).

Waheed envisions establishing an Agribusiness park “Green Innovation Village” through collaboration and partnership with other brilliant minds that will focus on the following area: incubation of agribusiness innovations and other related sector; rural entrepreneurship for youth and women; positive youth development; small-scale enterprise development; capacity building, extension service as well as consultancy to smallholder farmers.

Participating in AYF program will help Waheed to connect and network with brilliant minds as well as identify suitable technologies for agribusiness development in Nigeria.

David was a Canadian master’s student at École Polytechnique in France studying Economics, Corporate Finance and Data Analytics. He graduated in December 2018 and looks forward to executing solar energy-related projects on Awaji island.

Although David has mainly studied finance for the last 6 years of post-secondary studies, he has developed a passionate interest in renewables during his master’s studies in France. From March to August 2018, he did a research internship at Instituto Superior Técnico in Lisbon, where he studied the cross-disciplinary field of blockchain-based household solar energy trading. His work in Portugal further solidified his desire to work in the solar energy industry, and he would like to start here in Awaji by promoting rooftop photovoltaic panels.

David has great faith in the future of solar energy. As a Canadian of Chinese descent who was born in Japan, his international and multidisciplinary experience would aid him in having a global vision on Awaji island.

Yusuke was born and raised in Hiroshima, which is known as the city of peace in Japan. He graduated from Tsukuba University in 2016, where he studied a wide range of subjects, including subjects related to human resource management and the training of people.

During this time, Yusuke did an internship with a venture company in Asakusa. Upon graduation, he joined Pasona and moved to Awaji not long after, trying to solve the problems the island and to some extent, Japan as a whole is facing. Initially, his main responsibilities were agriculture-related. During this time, he experienced everything from project planning to selling the produce. He also gained experience working within growing businesses, was involved in various events and even helped during the start-up phase of a theme park.

Yusuke’s work has since changed and he is now contributing to regional revitalization by playing Taiko in as many places as possible as well as by teaching children the art of the Japanese drum. He wholeheartedly believes that Taiko plays an important role in combatting some of the challenges Awaji Island is facing, such as an ageing and declining population, and a low birth rate.

Amanda has always loved being outdoors. She finds pleasure in absorbing the beauty in the environment surrounding her thanks to her father raising her through many hiking excursions, camping trips, beach days, park barbecues, and other outdoor trips. Her love for the Earth continues to this day.

Amanda graduated with a bachelor’s degree in landscape architecture from California State Polytechnic University Pomona. There, she gained a passion for ecologically-conscious land design. After graduating, she worked as an Associate Account Manager for BrightView Landscape Maintenance. In charge of many crews, together they maintained the landscape of properties such as the Soka University of America, the Montage Resort, various shopping centers, and various home owners’ associations. Her love for California’s native plants led her to become a Regenerative Landscape Designer for a new company called Earth Steward Ecology. In this position, she learned about the medicinal and edible qualities of many of California’s native flora. She designed spaces utilizing gray water as a resource for fruit trees. Her team installed rain tanks that captured rainwater from the roof to be utilized in the landscape. They even designed planting plans in a way in which each species took care of one another.

Joining AYF was a way for Amanda to connect with her family’s heritage by learning Japanese and its culture. She is also thrilled to gain a global community of lifelong friends. Of course, she also saw this opportunity as a chance to grow and explore not only her cultural roots but who she really is inside.

As a member of Team Amami, whose goal is to revamp life not only on Awaji but life for the rest of Japan and the globe, she aims at changing the way people live by allowing homes to become self-sufficient in resources including food, water, and energy. With that long-term goal in mind, Team Amami’s members are increasing their knowledge in the field of regenerative living so that they can create an attractive lifestyle for new residents to live in Awaji. Within this project, Amanda’s planting knowledge is useful for designing food systems.

From there, she intends to follow her passion of establishing regenerative food systems as part of a whole lifestyle of ecological consciousness. Although she will be returning to Southern California, she wishes to return to Japan or work abroad in other countries in the future.

Passionate, persistent and growth and goal oriented, Amani Ouali held the position of President and Co-Founder of a national NGO in Tunisia which promotes and encourages cultural and scientific exchange between Tunisia and the East Asian countries. During her three years Career at the association, which started in 2014, she worked as an event manager and external communications manager. She also participated as a team manager in national and international events as well as being invited as a public speaker at BIL Conference in Tunisia.

Amani graduated in 2017 from the Higher Institute of Languages in Tunisia with a bachelor’s degree in communication English with magna cum laude distinction. She interned at “Tunisia Export Promotion Centre – CEPEX” where she was in charge of market research and the promotion of Tunisian products to overseas countries. Amani believes that with persistency, commitment and a clear idea in mind, everything is achievable.

Hai Anh is deeply in love with languages. For her, languages are not merely tools, but a special sort of musical instrument, which knowing more than one will give a person more flexibility in self-expression and increased joy in communication.
As a result, since high school, she has managed to learn four more languages including: English, Japanese, Chinese and Korean (Vietnamese is her mother tongue). Her interest in languages has enabled her not only to travel with ease but also access more complicated and sophisticated socio-cultural values. Moreover, having a good command of languages has given her more confidence in public speaking and group work, leading to good leadership and smooth plan implementation

In addition to her constant thirst to master new languages, Hai Anh enjoys meaningful outdoor activities such as volunteering or planting crops. Coming to Awaji Island, her long-term goal is to enhance the life quality of everyone including other AYF fellows and the local people. She aims to add more colors to the town by increasing more intercultural exchanges through workshops and business. She hopes that she can contribute in making Awaji a better place for the local people, especially the young ones, and she is trying her best to use her language skills to support people’s lives.

Azman, or Alex as he likes to be called, is an entrepreneur. He loves creating businesses or starting projects. In university, he studied regional and city planning but he eventually went on the road of new businesses development, and eventually met success after starting a coffee business the he still runs to this day.

He decided to go to Awaji because he wanted to learn more about how to expand a business. Driven by the will to leave a better and more important impact on society he considered his expertise in starting businesses would be most useful to revitalize Awaji island.

Now, he joined the music village project. He takes care of the business part of the project. He really enjoys being in this group because one of the purposes is to help people expressing themselves. Even if it is a different industry compared to his previous business, it shares a similar purpose to when he started his coffee business: to help people express themselves and drive them to do whatever they want to do. Making sure the Music Village project will be successful is what he is making sure of.

Empowering the individual through skill building, education, and value-driven action are things David has been passionate about for a long time. He always welcomes new opportunities to learn. As Stacey Simmons said: “Never stop learning because life never stop teaching”. Otherwise, he is ready to share his experience with others.

With scientific background at high school, he studied English linguistics, transport and logistics with two years in business school. After being involved in business consultation for Japanese companies to implement new business in his country, he has discovered some important values shared by Japanese companies which could contribute to his goals of running business with multinational companies in order to solve youth employment problems, poverty and contribute to Africa’s development.

When he heard about the Awaji Youth federation program and the opportunity it is offering, he found it close to his dream and consequently applied being motivated by two main reasons. First, contributing to the revitalization of Awaji Island, and after meeting success make it a model to apply in my country rural area development. Secondly, the program appeared to be a good opportunity to reach his future goals of running business with multinational companies toward his country and Africa in general.

Currently, David works within the Voice of AYF project team which goal is to promote the Awaji Youth Federation both in Japan and abroad. David found the VOA mission fulfilling since he has natural networking skills and that will lay the foundation for his future goal.

Kalesita Fifita Tupou, from Tonga which is under Polynesia and its culture, is a music and dance teacher. She is also involved in activities such as being vice band conductor and also teaching English. Music is what she enjoys the most and is passionate about. By coming to Awaji, this is her first time to be in Japan. There she enjoys the food a lot and the views here in the island. Living in Awaji is like living back at home for Fita. The people are so kind and loving and they help me and the fellows a lot.

The reason why she came to Japan is because she wanted to experience playing new instruments in that her country does not have and go back to teach them in her school. She was also motived by the prospect of promoting Awaji and giving new ideas on how to make Awaji known.

She is spearheading the Music Village project in Awaji. This village is meant to host many kinds of dance and music that people can come and enjoy, and it relates her culture with Japan. Instead of going home she would love to bring her home here and share her knowledge of music with the people of Japan. She chose this idea after she perceived that Japan and its relation to music is not the same as people have in Tonga. “In Tonga music is life, we sing, dance and enjoy music together with the people of the village”.

Freddy is a designer, entrepreneur and entertainer based in Singapore. With graphic design as his specialty, he started his first streetwear label when he was just 16.

He has worked on several startups in different industries since then; thus gaining valuable insights and business experience over the past 15 years. As an entertainer, Freddy does beatboxing and hosting events in and around Asia.

Recently, Freddy has also been known to be a celebrity live streamer on the mobile APP – BIGO LIVE, with more than a hundred thousand people following his shows. Participating in the AYF program, Freddy hopes to create positive sustainable impact to the community in Awajishima. This can include new businesses, events or marketing campaigns with clear numbers to indicate growth and efficiency.

Born and raised in Pontianak, a small town in Indonesia, Zulfadila Hira Permana (Ira) has always dreamed of stretching her horizons further. Having the privilege to travel and be exposed to new and bigger opportunities has made her fully aware of the development gap between cities in Indonesia. People in her hometown are lacking opportunities to develop their full potential, through means of both formal & non-formal education, work experience, and community connections. It has therefore become her ultimate goal to return to Pontianak and initiate a program in the development sector to empower people there.
Her first experience in the development sector was when she joined ‘Dreamdelion Community Empowerment’ during her university years. Ira was appointed as Marketing team leader for creative products made by underprivileged mothers in Jakarta’s underdeveloped areas. The products sold served as a means for them to financially support their families. Through the AYF program, she wishes to learn so much more about regional development and to gain global networks needed to kick start her career that will bring her closer to her goal.

Jacob graduated from the University of Central Florida in 2017 with a bachelor’s degree in Interdisciplinary Studies.
His academic background stems from a compound interest in linguistics, behavioral science, and international cultures. Jacob’s participation in AYF has been an opportunity to study both Japanese culture and language more comprehensively and at its core, building essential experience for a career in the international market of the coming generation. As an interdisciplinary student, the multi-stream nature of AYF and the inclusion of global perspectives on Awaji Island is a suitable context for the application of his academic philosophy.

Jacob now pursues a career in Japanese to English language translation, with the aim of strengthening international exchange. Working with numerous facilities on Awaji Island, Jacob continues to focus on the creation of new channels for foreigners to experience and understand Japan. Through his linguistic contributions, Jacob hopes to preserve Japanese culture and insight by spreading the history and knowledge of locations which have yet to be discovered outside of Japan.

Jamie Yeung graduated from the University of British Columbia in Canada and pursued the MPhil Degree at the University of Hong Kong. Jamie is an Environmental Specialist equipped with sophisticated scientific knowledge and practical experience to tackle various environmental issues, in particular, nature restoration and sustainable development.

Although her educational background and career choices have evolved around academic subjects, she has found enjoyment in learning about agriculture, pop music, and manga. She also dedicated time to volunteering on missionary trips in order to provide basic medical check-ups, perform hymn and share gospels. Jamie’s multicultural educational background and work experiences motivate for her to engage with the world in order to make our planet worth living and depending on.

Through the fellowship program organized by Awaji Youth Federation (AYF), she would like to gain exposure to new areas of sustainable development and expand her professional network to establish a practical framework of sustainable business. Her goal is to take on the challenges involved in alleviating spatial poverty, which is one of the key global challenges due to uneven distribution of resources.

Born and raised in the Netherlands to very loving and caring parents, Jim studied at Erasmus University Rotterdam, Rotterdam School of Management, and graduated with a BSc in International Business Administration and a MSc in Strategic Management. He then joined a start-up company which focused on localizing and publishing Asian mobile games in Western markets. There he enjoyed an environment that granted him with a lot of responsibilities and freedom to develop himself.

There are two ways in which Jim tries to spend his energy: to develop himself and to have a positive impact on others. Contributing as much as possible to tackling the many problems facing our planet and our societies while hoping to encounter people with a similar positive outlook on the future and supporting them is what drove him to the Awaji Youth Federation.

Jim enjoys spending time with the ones dear to him and is a sport enthusiast, in particular soccer (aka football). On top of that he enjoys learning about other cultures and languages to the extent where he wants to have learnt 10 languages by the time he is in his mid-40s.

In AYF Jim is part of the Shotengai Revitalization team which aims to revitalize an old shopping district located in Iwaya (northeastern part of the island). By committing himself to this work he gets the opportunity to contribute to the local community and leave a lasting, positive mark, regardless of the time it takes to achieve it.

From there Jim would love to stay on at AYF and help the programme develop, at least for the foreseeable future. He wishes, in particular, to help the next classes of Fellows achieve great things in AYF. Finally, he will continue to take steps to achieve his dreams and have a positive impact on this world.

Javeria Tariq is a fresh Graduate of M.Phil. in Business Administration, with specialization in Human Resource Management from Kinnaird College, Lahore. She received her BSc. Degree with double majors in Economics and Finance from Lahore School of Economics. Javeria’s previous experiences have helped her in developing her management, research, and skills. She recently moved to Japan to look for employment opportunities with the purpose of polishing her skills further and to find an appropriate platform to practice her abilities. Javeria is hardworking, creative and have been referred as a ‘wise person’ by her peers and colleagues who can think critically and have sound judgments about her surroundings. In a business environment, she likes having constructive and intellectual talk with other employees/ fellows, otherwise as other young ladies she enjoys travelling, watching series, and shopping (of course).

Among her experiences, Javeria has been a teacher’s assistant (TA) of mathematical economics and mathematics while in undergrad program and got opportunity to work with Associate Professor of research methodology in Public Policy and Governance department in Forman Christian College, Lahore. Later, she was an intern in HR department in paint manufacturing company in Pakistan.

Jiya has been visiting Japan from more than 20 years now and she loves it. She always wanted to work in Japan to learn about their business culture and methods. As she joined AYF for regional revitalization, her project focuses on promotion of Awaji Island so that it can have more opportunities for businesses and increase in number of tourists. The Awaji Travel team she belongs to aims at creating a tourist guide for English speakers with all information about transportation, hotels, local eateries, attractions, and historical places of Awaji to make travelling easy for the tourists. Further, they also plan to expand their website to other global languages in future.

Javeria’s goals include providing solutions and ideas to contribute to organizational and individual growth to under-developed communities. When the AYF program presented itself, she felt it was to be an excellent beginning to expand and implement her knowledge and present new approaches to problems existing in Awaji Island. Her future expectation is to help a leading organization that will provide a better future, not only for herself but for others as well.

Originally from the Republic of Korea, Junik Bae first came to Japan to study abroad at Ritsumeikan Asia Pacific University in Beppu. After acquiring a bachelor’s degree in international management, he joined Pasona, excited by the prospect of a diverse and challenging working experience. Beginning in the HR field, he worked for two years as a sales person before being transferred to the entrepreneurship team in Awajishima.
Within this team, his primary responsibility was engaging in market research, PR activities and data analysis, for the development of a new business, ‘Craft Circus’. Following this experience, he took a significant interest in the realm of marketing, and began to aspire to connect the world to the wonders of Awaji island. He looks forward to the opportunities for growth that being part of the AYF program will present.

Graduated from the New Generation University College of Addis Abeba(Ethiopia) in the late 2014, in Global studies and International Relations, Kamil has experiences in different sectors such as marines and international logistics. As his dream is to contribute to the development of his country on a global scale, he believes to broadening his network and skills could best fit his expectations.

However, considering that he is interested in international trade, he would like to create businesses and being a leading international economic operator who creates jobs for young generation. he esteems that joining a program worthy of this namely Awaji Youth Federation, in Japan, would open up doors to accomplish great achievements.

Having been selected among 29 participants from 20 different nationalities, he is proud to be a member of the first generation of this incubation and entrepreneurship program as an international relations officer where he feels also honored to meet with great personalities such as scholars, highly ranked diplomats, influential businessmen and other officials. consequently, he is grateful for all those who put the efforts to make this possible and dedicates himself to grow of younger generation.

A recipient of the prestigious Australian government New Colombo Plan scholarship, Maddison graduated with a specialization in languages and linguistics from Griffith University.
She went on to continue her studies in Japan with an educational exchange opportunity at Seikei University and has since acquired JLPT-N2. Maddison has for the past year been working as a social media intern for the Australian Embassy in Tokyo.

Going forward, she hopes to truly maximize the opportunity to work as part of an internationally oriented company where she will be able to engage her intercultural communication skills and language ability while exploring her great passion for Japanese culture. Maddison has a strong interest in tourism promotion, particularly using the platform of social media.

From Kerkennah island in Tunisia, Maryem is engaged in and committed to making a contribution to the world by promoting a healthy lifestyle, hygiene and food safety. Maryem has eight years of work experience in Hygiene and Food Safety Control, Document Management, Community Development, and Customer Service. She has also been actively involved in cultural, social and health awareness through volunteer activities in Tunisia.

Maryem is a positive-minded individual who is focused on improving the well-being of others through her knowledge of food safety practices.
Her year of experience in Japan demonstrates her ability to adapt to any working environment. By moving to Awaji Island, she aims to further her experience and knowledge and learn more about new methodologies and techniques in food processing.

Maryem is prepared to transmit the inspiration from her experiences in Japan to the rest of the world, and in turn pursue both her own country’s development and the solution to many international issues.

Michele Bezzi is a happy, active, and funny guy from Bergamo, Italy. His passion for permaculture was born throughout his many travels across the globe. One of his major goals in life is to re-establish the connection between mankind and mother nature. He originally came to Japan only to travel, but after few months, Japan conquered his heart, making him want to continue life in Japan. Fun Fact: Michele speaks 5 languages, and he has traveled to over 40 countries worldwide.

He came to Awaji to find what he might be great in, with a lot of passion and energy, and in order to find out the field that might be his career field.

Being part of the Amami team might not be related to his background studies but it is related indeed to his life background. Michele has never been specialized in anything but has always demonstrated a lot of curiosity in everything he saw. For these reasons he has always tried to learn new things, and that’s basically what he is doing now (learning about, plants and the environment, medicinal plants, how to build planters and how to designs with different softwares). This brings back memories of him being at home taking care of his mum’s plants while carefully managing resources and waste. Even though not being specialized he also helps the group with is bookkeeping and budgeting along with business planning, abilities he previously developed while helping volunteer associations.

Muji Li devotes himself to the things he’s passionate about. He has gained valuable experience from both his college life and work. He led a financial study group during college, worked for public department which focus on Taiwan’s international partnership in agriculture field and he also worked on tourist promotion projects in local scenic areas.

Whatever the task at hand, Muji enjoys exploring new and innovative approaches to the development of projects and hopes to contribute his efforts and experiences towards the collective development of Awajishima. Muji’s experience in working within both public and private partnerships to promote the rural areas. For instance, he worked with private companies to develop tourism by applying modern technology in more local areas. All of this has set him in good stead for developing his interest in the local area revitalization of Awajishima.

Muji’s goal is to dedicate himself to create the solution to the underprivileged groups in order to solve the problems that hinder their possibilities in life.

Nessim Cohen, from Paris, France is the artist and environmental designer of the team. His passion is to create simpler ways to have a beautiful and healthy lifestyle. As part of Amami, he hopes to design new living spaces where art meets daily life.

As a hobby, Nessim is deeply committed to the study of the Japanese tea ceremony and he has a daily habit of collecting and telling stories and tales from the silk road.

When he is not somewhere in an antique shop sniffing out the most rustic item around or writing his next blogpost, Nessim likes to prepare matcha in the most incongruous places such as mountains, beaches, Parisian parks or even Thai temples.

Pema Yangchen comes from the North-East of India, state of Arunachal Pradesh, and worked for the development of Zemithang (Tawang), where her family comes from, before joining AYF. In order to achieve her goal of contributing to the development of local communities back in her state she obtained a degree in Business Administration and a MBA in Human Resources and Marketing.

This led her to join the ICIC Bank as Probationary Officer. However, as Pema wanted to be more useful to her people and to her place, she left this comfortable position to start her own initiatives to directly contribute to the region development.

Among her many deeds she used her experience in banking to establish a branch in Zemithang, she developed Self Help Groups for workers in Tea Garden through Micro Finance and was even aiming at boosting the Yak rearing business in the Himalaya by developing new concepts and products made out of Yak wool.

Seeing the bigger picture and long-term benefits for her community she decided to join AYF since she would learn new skills in regional revitalization and business development that will help her region development. By doing so she hopes to achieve her dream to see the younger generations smile as they say they are from Zemithang.

Thanks to her characteristic curiosity, Riho Kato has always found herself involved in a great variety of different things. Throughout her college life, she pursued the path of student, cram school teacher, intern at an international organization, cofounder of a career education program, basketball player, and a coleader/dancer in a traditional Japanese Yosakoi dance team.

Even after entering the workforce at Pasona Group Inc. In 2014, she took on multiple roles as a member of New Business Development division, a founding member of “Global Board” and secretary to the company CEO.

Riho believes in the potential of education. From her experiences within both the Japanese and American education systems, and the activities in her various roles, she has developed a vision, that lifelong education in diverse circumstances is the most important thing to solve many social problems and enrich people’s lives. With this in mind, she believes that participating in the unique and diverse environment of the Awaji Youth Federation will push her to move forward, and endeavor to pursue new goals and ambitions

Takuho is an individual who is always open to finding new paths towards achieving his goals. He believes that there are a multitude of opportunities in life to have new experiences which in turn connect to new ideas and aspirations.

Takuho wishes to be a big contributor and presence within any team he is part of and constantly strives to expand his skill-set. When he was 18 years old, Takuho decided to embark on completing an internship in the UK without, at that time, the ability to speak English. This is proof that anything is possible with the will and determination to do it.

Takuho’s professional journey thus far has seen him involved in event planning and project management of a varying range of projects including international arts festivals, shop management, financial planning and travel planning. As a member of AYF, he wishes to work together with the fellows to connect diverse ideas and support one another in making them become a reality.

Tarang Mathur is a teacher, art enthusiast and yoga lover from New Delhi, India. She has worn many hats as a professional, from working as a technical account manager in software companies, to serving as a UNDP volunteer teacher. She holds a Masters in Computer Science, a diploma in Japanese, a diploma in Romanian from the University of Delhi and a B1 level proficiency certificate in Spanish from Instituto Cervantes, Delhi. Tarang was teaching Hindi language to expats in India and was volunteering as an English teacher in industrial training institutes in India before coming to Japan. She worked in AYF as part of the education team to form a community in Awaji called ‘Manabi no Ki’, where people can learn English and get a global exposure by learning new skills from foreigners.

Tarang is also an avid traveler and a nature lover who feels that it is important to be close to the wonders of nature to enhance a sense of humility in one. In the future, she aspires to work towards the correction of the correlation factor between social inequality and educational opportunities through revision in course curriculums and plans to open schools for skill development in India.

Taro’s passion is to pursue the revitalization of rural areas in Japan. Many local countryside areas are becoming increasingly less inhabited due to residents relocating to larger cities. At present, he is based here in Awajishima and has been working on various projects to promote all that the island has to offer.
At one time, Awajishima was referred to as ‘Miketsukuni’, meaning that the island had the honor of presenting locally produced foods to the Emperor. Through the creation of new social systems and the development of new businesses, Taro hopes that Awajishima will once again become a thriving hub of global opportunity.

Taro believes that education is also highly important in this process. Education and experience are the key to self-development and success. By providing equal opportunities to all, educational and otherwise, the world will become a better place.

Within AYF, Taro looks forward to developing new and innovative strategies for the promotion of Awajishima island and working together with the AYF Fellows to collaboratively make their dreams come true.

Tribhuvan Singh, from New Delhi, India, “Trib” is the mechanical engineer and technology expert of Amami.

His focus is to combine technology, agriculture and infrastructure to create sustainable living systems. His skill set includes race car design, composite materials engineering, and additive and subtractive manufacturing processes.

Trib aims to learn and innovate new agricultural techniques which will help him solve japan’s current food and agricultural problems. After helping Japan, he plans to pave the path towards food security and sustainability back home in India.

He’s a space enthusiast and always enjoys gazing at the stars in the night sky. He also practices Japanese Tea ceremony and loves to spend time in the Nature.

Valentin Defossez Kramarenko, originally from Reims in the northeast of France, has always been interested in Japan and its culture. This is why he later on decided to dedicate himself to this fascinating country, via his studies, in order to understand more about it. In general, learning more about foreign countries, people and culture, developing his knowledge of foreign affairs, immersing himself in the world of video games are some of his passions through which he feels he can grow to become a better being.

After graduating from a Master’s Degree in Japanese language and culture he moved to Ireland to start is career overseas before having the chance the participate to the Awaji Youth Federation program. Driven by the will to contribute to the betterment of the still-rather-unknown island of Awaji he saw in the program an opportunity like no other to use his skills and knowledge to give something back to the country that defined a lot of who he is today.

Within the AYF he is a member of the Voice of AYF team which aims at promoting the organization and by so doing Awaji island in order to have more people interested in what is the mythological birthplace of Japan. To achieve this ambitious goal his team first focused on developing ties with both Japanese and foreign institutions in hope to broaden the possibilities for both AYF and Awaji to develop and thrive. From there the team moved to online promotion by creating a website and providing a steady flow of content.

For Valentin participating in this program means a lot since it shall become the first step toward a longer stay in Japan where he hopes to play a more influential role in developing its ties with foreign countries.

As a graduate of Ritsumeikan Asia Pacific University, specializing in marketing and management, Win was actively engaged in a variety of leadership programs and extracurricular activities during his time spent at university.

Win’s dream is to become a successful entrepreneur in the tourism, hospitality, and transportation industry. He has a career background in Marketing Research and PR with experience working in a large international company here in Japan, working on key projects developing brand image and product advertising.

Win’s passions include worldwide travel and learning new languages. Currently, he speaks four languages including Thai, English, Japanese, and elementary Vietnamese. Win’s strengths include his global and cultural adaptability which he feels will be an integral aspect of the Awaji Youth Federation Program.

Tzu-Yang Wan from Taipei, Taiwan, he is the architectural designer of team Amami. Yang’s vision is to create connections between architecture and permaculture. Through his designs of various households and community buildings, he wishes to create an enjoyable living experience and regenerative lifestyle of the future.

In his spare time, Yang loves to snowboard during the winter and skateboard in the countryside. Yang is talented in communicating his ideas through sketching and photography, and his diverse language background includes Mandarin, Japanese, and English languages.