KURUME City, Japan, Jul 13 – A section of Japanese pupils on Tuesday got a rare opportunity of interacting with Team Kenya’s superstars in a virtual cultural exchange program on the sidelines of the team’s training camp in Kurume.
The 43 pupils aged 11 and 12 years (class five and six) from Kawai Elementary School displayed to the Kenyan team of Malkia Strikers’ trio Jane Wacu, Sharon Chepchumba and Pamela Jepkirui as well as Kenya 7s’ Jeffrey Oluoch, Nelson Oyoo and Vincent Onyala, the rich Japanese culture.
Earlier on, the kids had drawn paintings of Kenya’s historical places with best wishes messages in Swahili to Team Kenya that were stuck around the dining area of the camp in Kurume City.
In return the Kenyan team educated the exited pupils on Kenya’s heritage and surprisingly some of them knew so much of the Kenyan culture.
“Today we have done an online exchange cultural program, the children introduced the Kenyan team about Kurume City and the famous food in Kurume, nature as well as historical places in Kurume,” Kurume City coordinator Maki Wanjiku, who is a Japanese married to a Kenyan said.
The next exchange program is scheduled for Thursday featuring High School students then a training broadcast for schools in Kurume follows on Friday.
The event strengthened Kenya’s relationship with Japan with both the Kenyan Government and Japan using sports to promote tourism for the benefit of social and economic value.
–Alex Isaboke is reporting from Kurume City, Japan.
