International students attending Shimane University in Matsue, Japan, were gifted parcels of food to help them cope amidst COVID-19.

One hundred and ten parcels were prepared. Every parcel contained a five-kilogram bag of rice, two kilograms of satsumaimo sweet potatoes, large onions, and canned fruits. Attached to every bag of rice was the photo and name of the Ohnan Town farmers who donated it.

This effort was organized by local students from Shimane University (SU). Students reached out to farmers in Ohnan Town, Shimane, who have annually welcomed SU international students into their homes with homestay experiences.

Students left bilingual messages of gratitude and encouragement for the Ohnan Town farmers and organizers.

" Thank you so much! Let’s fight this together!”
“Thank you so much. I won’t give up. "
- Messages from international students.

A student, from Benin in West Africa, expressed his gratitude in Japanese to an NHK reporter::

" I am living with my younger sister, so this is a big help for us. I'd really like to thank the people of Ohnan Town, especially the farmers. Thank you so much. "
- Shimane University student.

Shimane University is home to an average of 218 international students from 29 different countries.

Source: NHK, with additional reporting by Kuniga News.