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- 国際人権ひろば No.124(2015年11月発行号)
- Japanese Massage and Shiatsu Promoting for Independent Living of People with Visual Impairment in Kenya
国際人権ひろば No.124(2015年11月発行号)
Japanese Massage and Shiatsu Promoting for Independent Living of People with Visual Impairment in Kenya
To Kenya
In September 2009, I was sent to Kenya by the Japanese Overseas Cooperation Volunteer for a two-year program on training people with impaired vision on Japanese massage and digital pressure. I stayed in Machakos, 60 kms away from Nirobi.
Kenya was thrown into armed conflict in the latter part of 2007 in the aftermath of the presidential election. With the intervention of the United Nations and the international community, the conflict ceased after the loss of more than 1,000 lives. When I went there, the country was veiled with a peaceful atmosphere, giving the impression that no such conflict occurred.
Machakos Technical School for the people with visual impairment
Machakos Technical School for the people with visual impairment is only technical school of such type in the eastern Africa. It provides different training courses including leather craft, wooden craft, knitting, computer, braille, cane walking, etc. to trainees coming from around Kenya. I was given assignments to prepare a curriculum on Japanese massage and digital pressure and train four trainees. Japanese massage does not use ointment or oil, and only depends on the sharp sensing of thumbs. With this skill, the visually impaired in Japan have sustained themselves and their families. While in Kenya, I was hoping that I would be of help to nurture such a way of living among the visually impaired in Kenya.
A coursework at Machakos Technical School
A student's notebook written in Brallie
Japanese Massage and Shiatsu Promoting for Independent Living of People with Visual Impairment in Kenya
Those with visual impairment in Kenya face difficulties in their living. The large gap exists between those who have and those who do not have. The poor do not have access to the medical service. Even a slight sickness or injury could develop in a serious health condition that sometimes results in visual impairment. Many of those with impaired vision among the poor are abandoned by their families and driven into street begging. People believe the superstition that "a past misdeed" causes the visual impairment. In fact, one of my colleagues in the school was once told by a security guard at the entrance of a bank, "What the hell are you here? This is not the place for a bad guy like you. Get out!"
Swahili is the official language of the country. Any word relating to a human starts with a certain letter, while any word relating to a thing starts with another specific letter. A word indicating a person with visual impairment starts with the latter. Blind people are considered as things.
Some of my colleagues from the local community had prejudice against them. In attempting to wipe out their prejudice, I held a workshop in my school to change the attitude of school personnel. People who had not been interested were slowly accepting what I was doing. They started to find that the massage or digital pressure had potential for the blind people. Change in the attitude of the staff then helped change the attitude of trainees who were not punctual and lacked concentration and patience. They became punctual and concentrated on the lesson. They gained self-confidence and found potential in what they were learning.
Besides the training, I also engaged in finding job openings for trainees and promotional activities. People did not know about Japanese massage and digital pressure at all. If they did, they mixed it up with oil massage or sex-related service. I went to various places including hotels in the tourist spots for the demonstration, so that people would have correct understanding and become interested to use it. I approached the media including TV stations. To my joy, four trainees successfully completed their course in my first year, and six in my second year.
A demonstration in Machakos
While in Kenya, I was always hoping that massage and digital pressure skill would help change the life of people with visual impairment for the better. After my assignment in Kenya, I came back in Japan and operated a clinic to give therapy to patients in my hometown in Ehime. I wish to continue my support for the visually impaired in Kenya.