Our Town Inagi 2023: Hideyuki Honda

Sent to Bolivia as part of the JICA Youth Overseas Cooperation Volunteers to convey the joy of physical activity through sports!

Mr. Hideyuki Honda (29), a resident of Oshitate, has been dispatched to Bolivia in South America as a member of the JICA Youth Overseas Cooperation Volunteers for a period of two years starting from August.
Mr. Honda worked as a physical education instructor for five years, but when his work came to a halt due to the COVID-19 pandemic, he began to think about his future, saying, "While it is good to refine a single skill, I want to acquire skills and a mindset that can adapt to any situation." He then applied to the JICA Youth Overseas Cooperation Volunteers as an opportunity to immerse himself abroad and reassess his values and fixed concepts.

Regarding the Dispatch to Bolivia

During the dispatch, the training held for two months at the Komagane Training Center in Nagano Prefecture included long hours of language classes, which Mr. Honda, who enjoys studying languages, did not find burdensome. Additionally, during the free time after classes, the trainees deepened their interactions by teaching each other in self-organized courses where they took turns being the instructor in their areas of expertise, and before they knew it, the training period came to an end.
Currently, Mr. Honda is dispatched to the city of Sucre, located in the heart of Bolivia, where he is providing physical education instruction. He hopes that the local children will learn the joy of physical activity and lead a rich sports life throughout their lives.
Additionally, it seems that they want to leverage their experience in specializing in "freestyle football (a sport showcasing skills like juggling a soccer ball)" to showcase their performance and expand their interactions.
In addition, Mr. Honda wants to promote Japanese food culture with his specialty cooking. Japanese cuisine, which brings out the flavors of the ingredients, is well-balanced in nutrition and very appealing. He mentioned that he would like to bring Japanese seasonings and prepare Japanese dishes with local ingredients to serve to the people of Bolivia.

I want to be a bridge to Spanish-speaking countries!

When asked about his future aspirations, Mr. Honda strongly expressed, "I want to fully utilize my experience in sports instruction in Bolivia while interacting with the local culture and people. After returning to Japan, I hope to engage in interpreting work that can convey this experience not only to children but to many others, becoming a bridge to Spanish-speaking countries."
I hope that Mr. Honda, who is struggling in a foreign land, meets various people, gains a lot of experience, and spreads his wings to the world.