Zakaria (From Syria)
Being part of Pathways Japan has been a life-changing experience for me. It has provided the platform I needed to pursue my dreams and goals, something I always believed I had the potential for but didn’t know how to achieve on my own. I always knew I had potential, but there was no one to help me realize it—until Pathways Japan came into my life.
Since arriving in Japan, I have strived to contribute positively to society. Pathways Japan granted me two years of education, followed by a university scholarship. I am now pursuing my degree and actively participating in initiatives to give back to both Pathways Japan and the Japanese community.
Additionally, the opportunity to come to Japan through Pathways Japan has allowed me to support my family back in Syria. I’ve been able to assist my brothers and improve their well-being, which is incredibly meaningful to me.
The support and guidance from Pathways Japan have not only propelled my academic journey but also inspired me to make a positive impact in my community. This experience has given me a strong sense of purpose and a commitment to helping others.
Hameed (From Afghanistan)
I was lecturer at college and also was working with JICA (in developing textbooks project), when Taliban take over the Afghanistan I lost my job also at the moment I lost my brother who I lived with so that is why I decided to move from there , I found Pathways Japan program and joined as language student in 2022. I came to Japan my first one year was the hardest year of my life in Japan. I didn’t know Japanese that is why for 2 months I couldn’t find job also I had no friends to talk. I had very bad depression, finally I got job at the supermarket and packed the fish, it was very hard job but I survived. After 6 months I started to talk daily conversation and could solve my problems, day by day I found many friends from different countries, that was very enjoyable that I could learn many things from different countries. I appreciate all of my teachers who taught me so well that now I can speak Japanese. After 2 years of language school, I got my dream job, I work in a group home which we are taking care of mental disease person, this job is related to my bachelor degree, so now I am working full time job and have very good life in Japan. I hope that I could spend my whole life in Japan.
Solomia (From Ukraine)
My interest in Japan began in childhood when I saw the extraordinary beauty of this country in textbooks and on television. However, my interest deepened when I enrolled at Kyiv University and started studying Japanese from scratch.
When Russia attacked Ukraine, university classes moved online, and the number of Japanese lessons significantly decreased compared to earlier courses. Constant air raid sirens and power outages led to a decline in the quality of education.
Later, I found information about the Pathways Japan program, which actively helps Ukrainians move to Japan and organize their educational processes. I applied, passed the interview with the program staff, obtained a visa, and soon flew to Japan. I will always be grateful to the Pathways Japan staff. It was a great opportunity to improve my Japanese and gain new skills in a completely different country. At the same time, I managed to complete my university studies online.
Even though I was qualified as English teacher, I decided to completely change my career path. While attending language school, I simultaneously took online programming courses every day after returning home from school. I chose programming because I knew there were many good companies in Ukraine where I could work in the future after gaining some experience in Japan. During studying at language school, I used to give private English lessons and also worked part-time in a nearby town as a translator.
After improving my Japanese at the language school, I began job hunting. After sending resumes to more than 100 companies, at the beginning of 2024, I passed an interview and started working at a Japanese IT company.
My goal for now is to improve my programming skills and gain enough experience to lead joint projects between Ukraine and Japan in the future.
I hope that Ukraine will win this war soon, and my family and friends will no longer live in fear of a Russian missile or drone striking their homes.