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)
What I Learned at JELA
by Yamato M.
In addition to the volunteer work, the camp included tours of medical facilities, discussions with social workers, and home visits to families in villages supported by CRHP. The experience of listening to the stories directly from people who needed support, and reflecting on their living situations and family circumstances, was an entirely different and valuable perspective from what I am learning in the classroom. Furthermore, while my studies in Japan had focused primarily on understanding social welfare systems and structures, the work and field trips led me to reconsider the fundamental question: “Who is this support for?” By hearing the voices of those directly affected and observing their expressions and words, I realized that support is not something given unilaterally; rather, an attitude of walking alongside the other person in their life is what matters most.
Working and Living Together
by Ayuto H.
During a devotional where we shared God’s Word with each other through the chaplain’s message, there was a Bible verse that left an impression on me: “Father, hallowed be Your name. Your kingdom come. Give us this day our daily bread.” Throughout the camp, I kept wondering who exactly “us” referred to. At first, it was my family and friends. The next day, camp participants, new friends, and even the people I worked with that day were included, and by the final day, everyone I had met during the camp had become part of “us.” People who at first seemed to be in a distant place were, before I knew it, part of this warm circle of “us”, working together and experiencing the joy of life. I experienced firsthand that we(us) continued to expand and grow—we never diminish.
A Trip to India Blessed by God
by Yurina S.
The daily devotions were a time to reflect on the day’s experiences and to look into my heart, allowing me to gain a deeper understanding of what I felt and what moved me. Furthermore, learning about the thoughts of other members gave me new perspectives and broadened my own insights. From the Scripture, “Go and do likewise,” I learned that love for one’s neighbor is not a matter of emotion or ideology, but something that is expressed through action. This was surprising to me, as I had always believed that loving one’s neighbor meant I absolutely had to love people. Although putting love into action is difficult, I realized that by taking action, God’s love is conveyed through me. As someone who hopes to work on poverty issues in the future, this camp made me think deeply about how I should act to put these words into practice.