AYF’s Participation in UNDOKAI WORLD CUP
AYF has as one of its pillars the desire to make connections with the local community. One of the ways this is done is through hosting and participating in local events. UNDOKAI WORLD CUP is one such event, held annually at the Awaji Kaikyo Prefectural Park. This year, UNDOKAI WORLD CUP was held from 2-4 November.
UNDOKAI WORLD CUP is a unique event based on school sports festivals called ‘un-dou-kai’. The games at the event are similar to those held at these festivals, but also simple enough that people of all ages can participate and anyone can win prizes. At the end of the third day, a grand prix event is held with an amazing price – this year, a trip to Greece. All the events are free to join, and there are many other stalls with food, games, and activities for families to enjoy.
AYF played a key role in this year’s UNDOKAI WORLD CUP, running a series of stalls at Natural Life Festa, a health-and-lifestyle themed market. There the fellows showcased their countries and cultures as well as the projects they have been working on. AYF’s dedicated UNDOKAI team worked for many months to ensure that the stalls ran smoothly.
Altogether, AYF presented seven booths and were visited by around 300 customers. The first booth showcased different types of tea in India, Bhutan, and Kazakhstan. Customers were treated to a free cup of tea and traditional snacks while sitting with the fellows at the stall. At the Spice Challenge booth, the most popular of all, customers tried out four levels of spice, receiving a certificate if they could eat the spiciest one. At the next stall, customers could have their name written in Arabic or Hindi, get a henna design and sample Egyptian dates.
Another AYF booth showcased popular Latin American games, the winners of which were given a cup of Colombian sugar cane drink. Finally, there were two SDGs-related areas run by the Sesa+Me team, to teach customers about SDGs, and one booth run by the YUNGA Japan team where children could plant their own seeds and learn about soil.
As well as running stalls, AYF members also did a number of performances. UNDOKAI customers were treated to performances of Latin American, Spanish, and Russian songs, as well as popular Western favourites. Seven members also performed Zumba, a combination of dance and exercise originally from Latin America, at the Natural Life Festa and UNDOKAI main stages. All the performances were well-received by customers.
All in all, UNDOKAI was a great success, with fine weather ensuring that many customers came and interacted with AYF fellows. We were able to engage with many members of the local community, showcase our countries to people who may not know about them, and have meaningful interactions with both customers and other stallholders. We hope that next year’s UNDOKAI WORLD CUP will be just as successful!
AYF’s participation in UNDOKAI WORLD CUP
For more information about the annual UNDOKAI WORLD CUP, please see: https://undokaiwc.com/
For more information about Sesa+Me, please see: https://www.facebook.com/sesamesolutions/?ref=br_rs
For more information about YUNGA Japan, please see: https://www.facebook.com/yungajapan/
Author: Erin McCullagh
