About Osamu Arakawa

Mr. Arakawa has overseen the ARI farm from 2001 until 2024, and served as the farm manager from 2003 – 2022. 2015-2024 he was Associate Director and Education Director before assuming the role of director in 2024. Prior to his time at ARI, Mr. Arakawa was posted as a vegetable growing expert in Tanzania through Japan Overseas Cooperation Volunteers. He has also been involved in rural development projects in Nepal and Timor- Leste.

Topic: Training Rural Leaders

In this presentation, I will introduce the unique approach of the Asian Rural Institute (ARI) in training grassroots leaders who are active in rural communities. The purpose is to cultivate servant leaders, equipping them with skills and inspiration to work to uplift their people. At ARI, rural leaders from diverse cultural backgrounds live together in a shared environment, where they come to recognize themselves as part of nature. They learn to revere nature as God's creation and to produce food and live together in ways that do not destroy the natural ecosystem—not only through theory, but also through real-life experiences and mutual learning. ARI is a learning community. Through the practice of community building, Participants learn about servant leadership, embodying the way of life demonstrated by Jesus Christ.