From February 10th to 20th, 2026, JELA held its India Volunteer Work Camp in Jamkhed, Maharashtra, India, with nine Japanese students (ages 18 to 22) participating. At the Comprehensive Rural Health Project (CRHP), a local healthcare and welfare organization, the students contributed by making, repairing and presenting prosthetic legs to 47 people. Other volunteer activities included gardening and farming, painting preschool facilities while playing with the children, and interacting with social healthcare workers in surrounding villages.
Here are excerpts from three of the participants’ reports detailing their experiences. Two more series of three reports each will be featured separately. (Full reports are available in Japanese on JELA’s Website blog: JELAニュースブログ: 【インド･ワークキャンプ2026】参加者レポートまとめ)
Ten Days Meant to Serve and Give, Instead Received
by Rinka N.
One of the most moving experiences I had in India was my interaction with a young man I met while helping to make prosthetic legs. He was a year older than me and had lost his left leg in an accident; I helped him with his rehabilitation as he learned to walk with his prosthetic leg. Later, I heard that he had said, “I’ve regained my human dignity.” In a society where labor is the foundation of life, losing a leg is tantamount to losing one’s sense of self-worth. This made me deeply appreciate the environment in Japan, where we have a well-established insurance system and access to state-of-the-art prosthetic legs.
Also, on the day of the prosthetic leg presentation ceremony, when our eyes met, he waved at me and asked if we could take a photo together. I had hesitated to speak to him, thinking he probably wouldn’t remember a student who had only provided a little assistance, and because I lacked confidence in my English. However, thanks to this encounter, I found the courage to speak to him and learned to cherish every single moment at camp.
What I Learned About “Living Together” Through CRHP
by D. G. Naw
The ten days I spent at CRHP were an experience not just of “observing,” but of “living together” with others. As a nursing student participating in the camp, I was able to assist with wound care at the facility’s hospital, where I learned that wound healing varies depending on the climate and living environment, and that it is crucial to provide medical care tailored to the local conditions. Unlike Japan’s well-established healthcare system, medical care in India is provided on a one-on-one basis with limited supplies and equipment. Since wounds tend to worsen easily due to the hot and humid climate and living conditions, I was particularly struck by how carefully the medical staff treated patients to prevent infection. I came to realize that healthcare is supported not only by technical skills but also by compassion for patients. I realized that nursing involves not just medical procedures but also supporting a person’s life and background, and I learned that the attitude of respecting others remains constant regardless of the environment.
Ten Days of Self Reflecting and Connecting with My Neighbors
by Lili N.
At CRHP, the organization we visited, their work went beyond medical support. Through initiatives such as women’s empowerment programs, CRHP were directly addressing the root causes of social issues deeply embedded in the local community. One of the most memorable experiences during my time at CRHP was hearing the following at the presentation ceremony for the prosthetic legs we had crafted in our workshop: “People who had lost their legs were made to sit in the corner of the room, weren’t allowed to do anything, and were treated as ‘nobodies.’ ‘But once they received a prosthetic leg and were able to move around, they took on a role within their family and became “Someone.”’ Through these words, I realized that protecting a person’s health is directly linked to preserving their sense of purpose in life. Furthermore, while I had been uncertain about the specific form that my involvement in development assistance would take in the future, my desire to work in the medical field to uphold people’s dignity has grown even stronger.