Tsuzuki Botswana Exchange Project

Ben Tema Elementary School in Haborone, the capital of the Republic of Botswana in southern Africa, and elementary school studenｔ at Chigasaki Elementary School in Tsuzuki Ward   interact with each other through paintings.
We will exhibit paintings drawn by elementary school studenｔ, a third-year student from both schools (169 Chigasaki Elementary School and 79 Ben Tema Elementary School, 248 in total) on the following schedule.

・・The distance is about 13,500 kilometers. Children's curiosity connects the world across a number of borders.
Exchanges between Chigasaki Elementary School and Ben Tema Elementary School, Botswana, began with the 4th Africa Conference on African Development held in Yokohama in 2008. The "Tsuzuki Botswana Exchange Children's Painting Exhibition", in which third-year students from both countries draw and send pictures, started in 2014. The Children's Drawing Exhibition is held with the cooperation of many stakeholders, including the Embassy of Ryogoku, JICA Botswana Branch, Nippon Express Co., Ltd., which provides free transportation cooperation.

"Flow of Children's Painting Exhibition"
1 Conduct an international understanding class for third-year students at Chigasaki Elementary School from the Embassy of the Republic of Botswana
2 Chigasaki Elementary School elementary school studenｔ draws a picture ⇒ Transport to Botswana
3 A children's drawing exhibition was held in Botswana, introducing Japan by the Embassy of Japan in Botswana.
4 Ben Tema Elementary School elementary school studenｔ paints a picture ⇒ Transport to Japan
5 Children's Drawing Exhibition in Japan

With the cooperation of the embassies of the two countries, JICA Botswana Branch, Nippon Express Co., Ltd., which provides free transportation cooperation, we visualize children's drawings exhibitions and children's school life in both countries. Was. The contents show the whole picture of the efforts, such as the process leading up to the children's drawing exhibition and the online exchange between the two schools implemented as a 10th anniversary commemorative project.

Please take a look at the exchange of children full of curiosity and smiles, and the practice of valuable multicultural understanding education.

Tsuwana Exchange Anniversary Ceremony (Tsutsu Botsna Exchange Children's Painting Exhibition)

　This year marks the 10th anniversary of the Tsuzuki Botswana Exchange Children's Painting Exhibition, where Yokohama City Chigasaki Elementary School (Tsuzuki Ward  ) and elementary school studenｔ of Ben Tema Elementary School in Botswana interact through paintings. In addition to presenting a letter of appreciation from the mayor to Nippon Express Co., Ltd., who has received a great deal of cooperation for the transportation of paintings for 10 years, we broadcast a 10th anniversary video and looked back on the valuable history of painting exchange .

・Mayor photo diary

Fiscal 2023
・June 19 Visited Nippon Express Co., Ltd. and presented a letter of appreciation for the 9th Tsuzuki Botswana Exchange Children's Drawing Exhibition.！
・June 22 Participated in Chigasaki Elementary School's "International Understanding Class" to learn about the Republic of Botswana!
・June 27 We had a talk with Ambassador Omori of the Embassy of Japan in Hiari Botswana about the exchange project between Tsuzuki Ward   and the Republic of Botswana!

Fiscal 2022
・June 24 Invited Ambassador to Japan Morake, the Republic of Botswana, to conduct an international understanding class!
・From November to March The 9th Tsuzuki Botswana Exchange Children's Painting Exhibition was held!

Fiscal 2021
・July 14 Botswana Athletes and Chigasaki Elementary School fourth graders held Zoom exchange!
・On July 15, Chigasaki Elementary School fourth grader sent support board and support video to Botswana team!
・December 16 The Republic of Botswana, Ambassador Hoziréne Morake and Ambassador's wife watched the children's painting exhibition!
・December 16 Ambassador Botswana and his wife visited Chigasaki Elementary School!

Population: 2.67 million / Language: English / Tsuwana (Japanese) / Area: 567,000 square kilometers (about 1.5 times the size of Japan)
Independence in 1966. Since the discovery of diamonds in 1967, it has achieved rapid economic development and boasts the highest output in the world. With an average economic growth rate of about 9% over the past 30 years, it achieved one of the highest economic growth in the world. (Source: Ministry of Foreign Affairs website)

(Photo left: a flock of elephants, center: sunset on Chobe River, right: Buffalo)

・Embassy of the Republic of Botswana in Japan (outside site)
・International Affairs Bureau, Yokohama, "Interaction with Africa" website