Hiroshi Tanikawa helps rebuild a school. Photo: NHK

At the age of 80, Hiroshi Tanikawa, former President of the Asian Education and Friendship Association (AEFA) is still actively campaigning to support the construction of school sites in Vietnam. His dream of building 200 school points so that children in disadvantaged areas of Vietnam have a spacious study place is gradually coming true.

In 2021, despite the difficulties caused by the Covid-19 pandemic, the Thai An school site of Vinh Loi primary school (Son Duong district, Tuyen Quang province) was inaugurated. Through AEFA, the Yokohama Kogin Corporation has built four classrooms, one waiting room, and toilets for the school.

Previously, in the 2019-2020 school year, with the support of AEFA, the Kim Son school site (Viet Yen district, Bac Giang province) was moved to a new location and built five new classrooms, one waiting room, and one living quarters. sanitation and ancillary works. This is a meaningful gift from teachers and students of Japan's Kashiton School through AEFA.

AEFA calls schools in Japan twinned with schools in Vietnam "friendship schools".

Hiroshi Tanikawa was born in Fukui Prefecture in 1943. When he was five years old, his house was totally destroyed due to a great earthquake in Fukui. He learned “consideration” and “good intentions” through how his mother cared for and supported other people although she was suffering from the earthquake as well.

After retiring in 2004, he established AEFA, in order to accomplish his goal, which is to contribute to society. About 320 elementary schools and junior high schools have been founded through the nonprofit corporation for minority ethnic groups in Asian countries such as Vietnam, Thailand, and Laos. Through cultural exchange projects with Japanese elementary and junior high school students, Tanikawa taught “zest for living” and “the core heart as human beings.”

In August 2004, Tanikawa first came to Vietnam to visit a small school in Lang Son. Since then, he often surveys takes photos, draws diagrams, takes detailed notes, then returns to Japan to set up a project to support the construction of new classrooms to help children. Along with his friends, he traveled around Japan giving presentations, calling for the support of businesses, associations, students' parents to sponsor Vietnam, Laos, Thailand, and Sri Lanka, Nepal, China.

Kim Son Kashiton school teachers and students welcome Japanese sponsors to visit in March 2023. Photo: AEFA

From 2005 to now, AEFA has built a total of 176 schools in Vietnam with a total value of about USD 6 million in the provinces of Yen Bai, Tuyen Quang, Quang Binh, Quang Tri, Kon Tum.

In March 2017, the Ministry of Education and Training of Vietnam awarded the medal "For the cause of education" to Tanikawa for his achievements in contributing to the cause of education in Vietnam.

Tanikawa said he's very happy to help Vietnamese students. After building the school, they began to carry out friendly exchange activities between Vietnam and Vietnam. Students from both countries wrote letters, drew pictures, helped and learned about each other More than 50 schools in Japan carried out friendly exchange activities with schools in Vietnam.

"My dream is to build 200 schools in Vietnam,” he shared.

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