On September 9, 2026, Seibo, together with our Malawian staff, conducted an interactive lesson with the students of Koka Gakuen Elementary School.
The Malawian instructors were young individuals registered on Beehive Talk, based at Beehive—a vocational training center in Blantyre, Malawi, and a partner organization of Seibo.
This project marked the very first online group lesson for both the Malawian participants and the students of Koka Gakuen Elementary School, making it a deeply meaningful and fruitful experience for everyone involved!
The program was divided into two sessions and conducted as follows:
1. Mystery Talk, Introduction to Malawi, and Q&A
First, the instructors joined online with their cameras turned off, and the elementary students did their best to ask questions in English to guess which country they were from.
Questions came from various angles—such as “What colors are in your country’s flag?” and “What continent is it in?”—as the students actively communicated to uncover the mystery country.
After the guessing game, the instructors turned on their cameras to introduce themselves and share insights into Malawi’s geography, culture, and traditional cuisine.
In addition, as part of discussing food culture, we introduced Seibo’s school feeding program, emphasizing the vital importance of school meals for children.
2. Malawian Coffee and Creating Products with Custom Labels
In the second session, our Japanese staff gave a presentation about Malawian coffee and local coffee farms.
The students also learned about Africa’s rich natural environment where coffee and tea are grown, as well as the underlying production processes.
Building on what they learned across the two lessons, the students used colored pens during the second half of the class to design original labels for Warm Hearts Coffee Club drip coffee bags, completing their unique artwork with guidance and feedback from the Japanese staff.
Drip coffee bags featuring these custom labels were produced and subsequently sold during the school’s parents’ association meeting.
Overall, this initiative resulted in a rich and impactful learning experience. It provided valuable experience and employment opportunities for young Malawians, offered Japanese students a unique opportunity for English conversation and cross-cultural exchange, and demonstrated how learning can take shape as a social enterprise—generating proceeds that directly support the people in Malawi whom the students personally connected with.
We extend our heartfelt gratitude to all the teachers, students, and parents for their wonderful cooperation and support!
