NICE West Office

CODE: NICE-24L-WO13

Work:

Volunteers will mainly 1) Help the work of NICE in the western part of Japan such as Public Relations (Creating short movies of workcamps and spread through SNS and mass media), Organizing promotion events and weekend workcamps, Coordinating the workcamps in the western part of Japan as a camp leader together with NICE and the local hosts and Hosting the training seminars of NICE volunteers. They will also 2) Renovate/ maintain the house and the surroundings and 3) Organize various types of gathering for the local people incl. elders (e.g., just chatting with tea, taking care of small kids to support the parents, organizing international culture/ language classes).

Accomodation and food

NICE House West. Single room can be provided if the number of the residents are not many. Meals will be cooked by volunteers by turns.

Location and leisure

Tondabayashi city is located in Osaka prefecture, 60km south of Osaka city. The house is surrounded by many old houses and a bamboo forest. Exchange parties, experiencing Japanese culture, home stay, etc.

Project hosted by

This project is actively working for SDG 11 (Sustainable Cities and Communities) and SDGs 16 (Peace, justice and strong institutions) organized by NICE itself for the first time.
In 2011-13, the old couple (Kuroda san) kindly rent a traditional house in their land by free to NICE for it office in Osaka, through the connection of the environmental group in this city with which NICE has been co-organizing workcamps to protect satoyama forests since 1999. A staff and a few LTVs lived there to do the daily work and also to maintain the bamboo forest next to the house. Then, the office was moved to Osaka city and the husband passed away, but this year, the wife decided to donate it to NICE to be used as its office again with expectation to create space for local people incl. elders to gather and enjoy exchange. Therefore, NICE decided to recruit long term residents. Together with NICE, let's work on activities to liven up the community with free and colorful ideas.

Directions to meeting point

Additional comments

Volunteers will get knowledge of conservation work in a forest, management of Non-Profitable Organization in Japan, etc.