Culture exchange led me to become more open minded

Habari? My name is Masami and I participated in an exchange program with NOREC, which

allowed me to stay in Dar es Salaam from January to April. Before that, I attended a one-week

preparatory course in Nairobi, where I had the chance to meet participants from various African

countries. This course was an eye-opening experience, as I could learn about their cultures and

engage in interesting discussions about our cultural differences and similarities.

The concept of culture is vast, encompassing language, food, music, art, customs, values, and more.

By understanding these differences and similarities, we can start getting to know each other better.

However, I noticed that some individuals tend to believe that their culture or country is superior to

others. While this perspective may have some validity, and I learned that it often hinders acceptance

of our individual differences.

Engaging in cultural exchange helped me to realise how different cultures can have contrasting

views on politeness. For example, in African culture, it is considered rude to decline an invitation,

so people often respond affirmatively even if they don't plan to attend. Coming from a Japanese

background, where it is polite to decline and apologise when unable to accept an invitation, I

initially found it rude when people didn't show up after accepting my invitation. Understanding

these cultural nuances made it easier for me to accept and navigate potential conflicts during the

project work. If I hadn't known about their culture, I think it would have been much more difficult

to carry out the project.

Additionally, my experience taught me the importance of interaction and communication with

people during my stay. Tanzanian people, in particular, value long conversations when greeting

others. They inquire about one's well-being, job, studies, health, and extended family. It's

considered rude to simply say "Hi" and leave, as they view this as a lack of interest. I find this

cultural practice endearing, as it demonstrates compassion and genuine interest in the lives of

others. Through this project, I became acutely more aware of the importance of persons with

disabilities being seen and listened to with respect.

My three-month stay in Kenya and Tanzania has been an unforgettable experience. Personally, I

have noticed that I have become more open-minded towards individual differences and have

developed a greater understanding of different perspectives. I am grateful for the opportunity

 toparticipate in the NOREC program and I am eager to apply this experience to my future career as a

social educator. Asante sana!