[Fellow – Interview]Rosakebia Estela Mendoza
Poetry is a safe space for the transit of the human heart.
Rosakebia Estela Mendoza
Age: 28
Nationality: Peruvian
2nd Generation Fellow
Languages: Spanish, English, Portuguese, French (basic)
Hobbies: reading, writing, hiking
Rosakebia Estela Mendoza graduated from Taipei National University of the Arts, located in Taiwan, with an MA in “Cultural and Creative Industries”, and has interdisciplinary academic training in science, humanities and the arts.
She is an outstanding poet among the younger generation in Peru and has won various literary awards. Rosakebia has represented Peru in international events as a respected scholar and writer in Taiwan, Turkey, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador and Japan.
She has been working with young people in the field of nature conservation, and human and sexual rights, and carries out workshops to promote creative writing and storytelling. By joining different youth volunteering programs and initiatives, she has developed a strong sense of commitment and passion in her approach to global challenges.
As a creative writer, she aims to use the inner power of words to build peaceful societies and explore poetry in motion. To achieve her dream as a writer, she looks for new approaches to promote literacy, create writing and storytelling to strengthen a sense of community identity and belonging.
What is your connection to Japan?
“I’ve been interested in Japan since childhood, considering Japan’s cultural influence in Peruvian society.
This year, Peru and Japan celebrate the 120th anniversary of the arrival to Peru of the first Japanese immigrants, a historic event that marked the beginning of the Peruvian Nikkei Community, which is part of the cultural and ethnic diversity of Peru”.
Why did you apply to AYF?
“By looking for opportunities to pursue Asia Pacific studies in Asia, I discovered Awaji Youth Federation and made my decision to move to Japan to get closer to traditional Japanese culture, language and facilitate the cultural exchange among Latin American countries and Japan.
I consider AYF as a starting point to connect with other cultures of the world and start collaborative projects and critical dialogues addressing best practices, challenges, and lessons learned”.
My contribution to Awaji Island is to celebrate the written word with locals and provide an inside look at the creative process of writing and promote the most significant literary figures from Latin America. To accomplish this, we will need to create self-directed, intergenerational, culturally and politically relevant spaces of learning.”
What do you want to accomplish at AYF?
“I bring an interdisciplinary approach to AYF by combining the creative power of art, science and humanities. As an AYF Fellow, I am willing to learn from successful case studies from different countries and listen to personal stories.
I want to explore the idea to present poetry in different forms: poetry films, photography and poetry installations. By using diverse types of book art and design, the poem itself will become a piece of art. By combining visual arts with poetry, the poem will engage a broader audience regardless of age, gender or nationality. I believe it will awake the interest in reading among contemporary young poets.”
How would you describe the working environment within AYF?
“AYF offers a multicultural environment full of challenges and opportunities where we can learn from successful cases studies from overall the world and reinforce our strengths as a youth.”
How do you think AYF will get you to develop personally and professionally?
“As a second generation fellow and creative writer, I consider AYF as a platform to connect with other talented young people who are willing to face global challenges and create a robust network for collaboration.
For me, Voice of AYF is the suitable medium to exchange visions and strengthen our passion for a better future with an egalitarian outlook. Likewise, I’d like to promote Latin American relations with Japan and personally experience Japanese culture to incorporate those cultural elements into my literary work.”
If you are interested in the Awaji Youth Federation program or would like to be one of next year’s fellows, then please head over to the AYF program website.
There you can find all the information about the program’s admission process for the chance to be selected and join us here in Japan!
