Interviewer(I) : Ms. Murakami, why did you decide to
work as a volunteer?
Murakami(M) : I began to work as a volunteer when I
was 49 years old. Until then I had been a dentist in
Niigata. Since my high school days, I have had an interest
in health care in the developing countries. While
I was traveling in Mali, I saw some UNICEF workers
and thought I myself could become a volunteer there.
I : Wasn't it a difficult decision for you to leave Japan and
start working in a country far from home?
M : Not really. Don't you try to help your neighbors when
their house is on fire ? There's no difference between
these two.
I : What are you and your organization doing to assist the
people in Mali?
M : In the beginning, I just assisted with medical care for
the children. But soon I noticed it's not medical care
alone that's important. We kept looking for ways to
improve their daily living environment. I started
various programs such as reading and writing lessons,
sewing lessons, and a tree-planting program.
I : What are your goals and how are you working toward
reaching them?
M : Our main goal is to help the people find a way to
support themselves. We don't give them things from
Japan. It's important to use things they can get there.
In fact, most things they need can be found in Mali.
You'll understand our idea even more if you see how
we teach reading and writing. The best student in one
class, for example, becomes a teacher for the next class.
That is better because a native person can understand
the difficulties that others may have in learning.
I : Has the reading program been successful?
M : Yes, I believe so. We had a bulletin board set up in
the center of the village. People are really delighted
when they find they can read the board. It gives them
a lot of useful information to make their lives better.
In the rainy season, for instance, . we warn the villagers
about the danger of malaria. The board helps
everyone realize the importance of reading and writing.
