CHARACTERS OF JAMBO

This page is for those who have taken part in Jambo activities.
If you want to be part of this fun project, please do the following!

1. Choose a name for yourself, using an adjective which starts with the same letter
2. Choose/send a picture of yourself to be put up with your description
3. Try to answer these 3 questions in two paragraphs:

 a) What has been your experience with Jambo?
b) How has it benefited you?
c) How have you benefited it?

DAFFY DAVE (USA)
Having reached the ripe age of 60 in 2020, I often reflect on what to do with my remaining years here on earth. Giving meaning to my life is
of utmost importance. As director of Jambo, getting people out into natural areas, raising money for groups which are bettering the environment
while helping society, and having fun doing this is perfect to stream purpose into my later years.

My biggest challenge is to satisfy my people-side with my loner-side - both being very important to me. Jambo has helped me to attain this.
Jambo has helped me to attain this balance. I’ve been able to meet people from around the world, both physically and online, and from all kinds
of professions, learning about the world through their various perspectives. And through Jambo, I can feed my introverted side as well, giving me ample
opportunities to write (a book and blogs), research organizations that benefit the natural environment and nature, work with environmental restoration
(alone with my thoughts during the work) and communicate with others online. Contrary to being bored, the biggest issue I have is finding time to do
more of this - feeding body, mind and soul.

GREGARIOUS GARY (USA)
As I approach retirement and my sunset years, I will focus on maintaining my health and minimizing my living expenses. Fortunately, being in Japan,
I benefit from excellent national health insurance and medical care, though my limited Japanese skills require me to get assistance from others when
I request such care.

Jambo has greatly enriched my life, and I’ve been joining the hikes, charity parties, and volunteer events for over 20 years in Japan.
In the spirit of “Having Fun, Doing Good.” I’m a much happier person because of the stunning natural places Jambo has taken me
to under the leadership of David and Miki Howenstein. Not only have I benefitted, but I’ve been able to give back to my community
through joining beach/river cleanups, joining fundraisers for African/Japanese environmental restoration & poverty relief programs,
and participating in social events for disadvantaged children and the visually impaired. In short, I’ve been able to have fun while
helping others, just as the Jambo motto says.

HELMET HELMUT (South Africa)
As I get older, feeling more tired and taking medication has diminished my sense of wonder at being alive. I try to deal with this by doing
regular exercise (of mind and body), appreciating the little things in life with my wife Kazue, and having daily contact on the internet with my
daughter Erika and friends from around the world.

As a youngster, I experienced warm fellowship in the boy scouts and being a gliding club pilot/instructor. With Jambo, I have been able to
re-ignite such camaraderie with people I wouldn’t met otherwise well into my seventies, and in beautiful settings to boot. Others have benefited
from my participation by sharing in the delight of my freshly baked dark homemade bread.

JUMBO JULIAN (Germany)
Staying cool in an increasingly warming world naturally is some challenge. Preserving the incredible and valuable gift of being able to live in
peace and freedom is one more. Even if it's only a small contribution, I try tackle these challenges by following some guidelines when I can:
Avoiding flights by plane, and taking the train instead. Respecting all other people. Being concerned about data privacy and mass surveillance.
Having great times with the wonderful people around me.

Having lived in Japan for only a 6 month period, I had very little time to establish any form of roots in Tokyo. Only a few weeks after my arrival,
I participated on my first Jambo hike and there it was: an amazingly welcoming group of beautiful people, providing new friendships and loads
of laughter in an incredibly joyful atmosphere. This was a great place to discover Japan's culture and nature, giving the feeling of a new place to
establish a new home. Jambo has definitely benefited me more than I have benefited Jambo. Maybe some advertising effort of mine can be counted
as the latter: I am recommending Jambo to anyone I meet and that I know of who comes anywhere near Tokyo, Jambo’s first home.

SASSY SHEILA (Canada)
I have lived the last 55 years of my life making many mistakes, but learning from them (well most of them LOL). Getting older has brought with it a few
health concerns. The biggest being that I have a hereditary kidney condition and was sick for many years. I was blessed to receive a transplant in 2019,
receiving a kidney from my best friend. I have always been quite healthy but struggled with many infections in 2020, due to now being immune suppressed,
resulting in hospital stays. During one of those stays, there was an outbreak of COVID on the floor I was on which resulted in me catching the COVID virus.
I was very sick for over two months but am thankfully doing well now. This experience reignited a fire in me to live life to the fullest and be grateful for all
the good in my life. I continue to find joy in my life and do my best to be a productive part of my community.

I currently live in Canada but was born in Scotland and lived in Japan for six years. I had just separated form my husband and was in a country where I barely
spoke the language. I found Jambo online and started to join their hikes and charity get-togethers. I enjoyed being active and meeting new people so joining
Jambo was a perfect fit. Jambo helped me not only to reconnect with others but reconnect to myself. I have always been philanthropic so being able to support
people in Africa was another benefit of being involved with Jambo. I also met many new friends from around the world and had fun learning more about their
cultures and languages as well as sharing my culture and language with them. I also became a Jambo karaoke queen!