A couple million years ago, the Congo river formed and divided its valley into north and south. Two tribes of chimpanzees could see each other across the river, but never again meet, as they couldn’t cross it. As years passed, the two tribes have become more and more different. The ones on the south side made females their leaders, while the ones on the north side were ruled by males. The ones on the south side were peaceful, while the ones on the north side fought for territory using force. The ones on the south side have dark faces with pink lips and are slightly smaller, so we call them pygmy chimpanzees or bonobos. They are an endangered species, much rarer than the common chimpanzees from the north side tribe. But that’s another story.

We, humans, can swim across rivers and even cross oceans, but we create our own, invisible borders. Lines on a map, which we all agree to see. We divide into tribes and nationalities and, as time passes, the differences grow larger. The languages we speak, the colors of our skin, the way we pray. These are just river banks, on which we stand, looking at each other. We can’t deny that we are different. It’s normal that sometimes our values or lifestyles don’t match. Often each group feels superior to the other. Better than the other group. But in the end, we are all equally clueless, we have the same needs, make the same mistakes. Maybe we are not so different? Perhaps to the chimps, we all look the same? Happy year of the Monkey!

As 2015 draws to a close, it is a good time to reflect on the kind of year it has been. I find it interesting that Japan has a custom of “forget the year parties” in December. Perhaps there are some things which are better forgotten, but I wish to remember the wonderful things which have happened in JAMBO and express my deep appreciation for your support.

2015 has been a banner year for JAMBO. We continue to hold around 7 events per month on average. This year, we have linked up with LVC (Language Volunteer Co-Talk) and hold a monthly event for language learning and talking about volunteerism. And we are one of the main event organizers (and now managers) for JAPAN Day Trips meetup (with 2,400 members). This has added a large foreign contingent to our hiking events.

Finally, having become an officially registered NPO in the United States, we are now building the foundation for getting donations and setting up JAMBO like groups in the U.S., and, later, in other countries as well.

Japan will always be our home, thanks to the wonderful support we have here, but now you can feel as if you are a part of something bigger, and can look forward to more opportunities coming your way.

May you all have a very fun-filled holiday season!

A young reporter was interviewing people working at a construction site. She asked one of the working men: “Could you tell me about what you do?” He said: “I’m a bricklayer. I take bricks from there and lay them here, in a row. I do this every day. Just lay bricks.” “I see”, she said, “and do you like your job?” The man shrugged. “It’s a dumb job and pays barely enough to put bread on my table. What is there to like?”

A bit disappointed, the reporter approached another of the working men and asked: “How about you, sir? Do you like what you’re doing?” The man smiled and said: “I have the best job I could dream of”. “And what is it that you do?” the reporter asked. “I’m building a hospital, where people will be treated by doctors and visited by their loved ones. Last month, I was building a school, where children’s talents are nurtured and their future is decided. Sometimes I build houses, where mothers keep their babies warm.” “Yes, but what is it that you do, exactly?” asked the reporter. “Oh. I lay bricks. I’m a bricklayer.” the man said.

Anything you do regularly for a long time, even if it seems mundane and small, is laying bricks for something bigger. Jambo has existed for nearly two decades now. Every event, every participant’s donation is like laying a brick. The donations have helped people build farms, learn to read, start family businesses in underdeveloped areas, plant trees and keep orphans off the street. With Jambo having become an official NPO, the future is full of opportunities!

Maintaining and increasing biodiversity is one of JAMBO’s core beliefs. Biodiversity makes all life more resilient and sustainable. This is the reason why we support organizations like Global Giving, a group that “makes it possible for local organizations to access the funding, tools, training, and support they need to become more effective and make our world a better place.”

Last month, JAMBO sponsored the following 8 of their projects with $50 each:

Indonesia – Restoring vital orangutan habitat

South Africa – Inspiring and educating underprivileged children to care for their environment

Cameroon – Empowering local residents to develop projects that build sustainable incomes to replace bushmeat and selling primates

Costa Rica – Support community men and women to plant 30,000 trees (65 species) in biological corridors

Madagascar – Supporting villagers to actively work as re-foresters and caretakers, planting 15,000 trees over the next few years

Sierra Leone – Inspiring youth to create innovative environmental solutions within their local communities

Kenya – Build sustainable livelihoods and food security while regenerating the environment with permaculture

Peru – Plant 1000 Amazonian trees a year on deforested land in the Amazon

All of these projects simultaneously attempt to preserve or improve the natural environment while helping people to improve their lives, which is another primary tenet of the JAMBO philosophy.

Thank you for your support.

I come from a country where summer is short and not always hot. We welcome every fair weather day and try to get out into sunshine and fresh air as much as possible. But we have to carry long sleeve clothes for chilly evenings and always worry about rain. Japan is blessed with more predictable weather and longer summers, but the combination of high temperatures and humidity causes a different kind of suffering. The center of Tokyo, full of concrete and glass, is probably the worst place to stay on a hot, humid day. Many choose to trap themselves in small cocoons of the air conditioned indoors, but is this really how a day off should be spent?

Even in Japan, I kept my love for spending hot days outdoors. Especially in Japan, I highly recommend spending your free time out of the city and in the shade of trees, or in the refreshing water of a river or the sea. Yes, you will sweat. Sweat is natural, it’s good. You will probably get dirty, may get a muscle pain or a light scratch, but that’s what life really tastes like. Oxygen, directly from the trees, feels better than the cold, calculated breeze from the ceiling. Pack a big bottle of water and it will taste better than a double frappuchino with ice. Good hiking boots are a better gift for your legs than an escalator ride in the crowd. See Fuji-san in the distance and just for a while your problems will seem small and far away.

Fortunately, because of the active participation of a large and diverse range of people, JAMBO International is going strong. Unfortunately, the same cannot be said of the icon which JAMBO uses as its inspiration – the elephant. According to the Earth Island Journal magazine (Summer, 2015), the African elephant population is only 2.5% of what it once was (dropping from 20 million in 1800 to 500,000 today). A large part of the reason for this decline is due to poaching and taking the tusks to make ivory products. JAMBO’s donations in July go to African Wildlife Foundation and World Wildlife Fund – 2 groups which are actively fighting against poaching and trying to protect elephant habitat.

It’s surely painful to see the suffering which these majestic creatures experience due to human greed. Yet, as the recent JAMBO School blog states, through our suffering, we can become more compassionate people. And in becoming more loving, we take action and become like Ganesh, the Hindu God which is half elephant and The Remover of Obstacles. Let’s help the plight of the elephant by supporting organizations which protect them, and give Ganesh good reason to dance!

Fatigue has become a chronic condition for many in today’s world. The reasons may be varied but I believe that a primary reason is the loss of fascination and purpose with our lives. In our jobs, others dictate what we are to do. Much of technology and our addictions numb our minds rather than stimulate them, resulting in a feeling of boredom.

Both work and technology are important parts of our lives, and have the potential to enrich them greatly. However, when they veer away from what we consider to be truly meaningful, and, in that case, do them excessively so we have little or no time to spend on our heartfelt purpose, fatigue sets in. As this month’s wonderful Jambo School Blog states, by developing a sense of fascination and purpose in your life and increasing your time with those, energy infiltrates your being and the joy of living returns.

It is truly unfortunate that spirituality and religion have come to have negative connotations for so many. There’s no question that there are people who misuse them for their own purposes. And yet, their deeper significance is meant to provide a strong foundation to uplift the human spirit, and to develop a larger perspective of our existence.

In more simplistic terms, they force us to re-learn – to see with the eyes of a child a world filled with awe and wonder at the natural world around us. And to cultivate appreciation for the many splendid, FREE gifts which come with this life – the air and water we depend on, and the plants and animals which join us in this worldly adventure. When we are able to develop these capabilities, there is less need to make more money or get more things, since we are able to more fully enjoy the deeper pleasures which make life more meaningful. Please look at this month’s Spirituality and Appreciation blogs to give yourself an emotional buzz (without the negative side effects).