MRC Youth: Participation at the International Youth Exchange Program 2025

The International Youth Exchange Program (IYEP), hosted by the Japanese Red Cross Society (JRCS), was an opportunity to represent Maldivian Red Crescent (MRC) Youth among peers from across the globe. This program brought together 36 overseas participants from 18 countries, alongside Junior Red Cross members from Japan, in a dynamic exchange of ideas, culture, and friendship. Fathimath Manha Mohamed and Mohamed Alim Aboobakuru represented MRC at the program and recounts their experiences, exploring cross-cultural exchange, leadership and capacity building and hands-on humanitarian action.

The arrival of MRC’s representatives was marked by a warm welcome party, setting the tone for the days ahead. The following morning, the official opening ceremony was held at JRCS headquarters, where the overseas delegation was formally introduced.

Participants were divided into homerooms for the thematic sessions, laying the groundwork for discussions on humanitarian crises and climate change.

Cultural Exchange in Ishikawa Prefecture

The next stage of the program took us beyond Tokyo. Riding the Shinkansen bullet train, our group traveled to Ishikawa Prefecture on Japan’s western coast.

During our stay, we visited three high schools, including a vocational institution, where we interacted with JRC members. We had the chance to present about the Maldives, MRC, and the MRC Youth Network, while also sharing cultural gifts and knowledge materials such as copies of The Girl Who Grew a Beach, and traditional Maldivian treats like haalu folhi and dried fish.

Exploring Ishikawa was eye‑opening. The Noto Peninsula, struck by a 7.6 magnitude earthquake on New Year’s Day 2024 and severe flooding later that year, stood as a reminder of resilience in the face of disaster. JRCS’s response to this “double disaster” was one of the largest in its history.

A highlight of this leg was the homestay experience, where we lived with local families, immersing ourselves in everyday Japanese life.

Thematic Work and Collaboration

Returning to Tokyo, we stayed at the National Olympics Youth Center in Shibuya, a hub equipped with classrooms, gymnasiums, and communal spaces. Here, the program shifted to thematic learning under the guiding principle: “Think globally, act locally.”

Key activities included:

Country Exhibitions: Showcasing our nations in an interactive format.
Corporate Collaboration: Partnering with the Mitsui Group through the Sasugaku Academy to design sustainable youth‑led initiatives.
Homeroom Discussions: Identifying problems linked to humanitarian crises and climate change, and brainstorming solutions.

We shared experiences from the Maldives, particularly the challenges of climate change and MRC’s ongoing awareness and adaptation efforts to foster resilience in a changing climate through early warning, early preparedness and disaster risk reduction.

Lectures enriched these sessions, as JRCS’s Climate Change Department spoke on adaptation strategies, while a nurse from the JRCS Global Deployment Unit shared insights into the humanitarian crisis response and the delivery of emergency aid.

Celebrating Community

The program not only allowed us to learn through formal sessions. Interactive activities such as treasure hunts and physical training built camaraderie among participants, and on the final day, the homerooms presented their projects, followed by a cultural night where countries showcased their traditions through performances. The farewell party, attended by JRCS leadership, was a fitting conclusion to the program.

The closing ceremony and a field trip across Tokyo rounded off the experience before our departure.

Overall, representing MRC Youth at IYEP 2025 was a profound experience — one that combined cultural immersion, thematic learning, and international collaboration. It reinforced the importance of youth voices in tackling global challenges, while also celebrating the diversity and resilience that define our movement.

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