I finally signed the funding. Since the funding came through, my dream has become real. The moment I filled out that application form, Kiero stopped being just an idea.
@Multicultural Senior group
Today I was invited by a multicultural seniors’ group to talk about Kiero. It was the perfect way to start — with a friendly group of people.
Usually I do my talks online, in Japanese. This was so different. In person, I could see everyone’s faces up close, and I could feel their reactions — pick up their mood and connect it to my story as I spoke. Online, it’s hard to read people in those tiny little squares.
That made me more confident. And each time I reached for a word, the audience kindly offered a better one. I think it’s because all of us had to learn English — so we understand each other. Native English speakers might not feel so comfortable fixing our accents. (Laugh!)
And honestly, I felt so relaxed. These are people from many language backgrounds, so nobody minds my silly Japanese accent! (By the way, I’ve been practising my speech with my AI teacher, Stacy.)
One by one, everyone arrived, and I began my talk with a document on my PC. I’d even made a handout sheet to give away.
Everyone seemed genuinely interested in this unique style of compost — well, it’s not quite compost. (I explained what it really is in [KIERO de KiaZERO.)
They were also drawn to the story of Mr. Matsumoto, the inventor of Kiero. I always include his story.
I also talked about why I have to do this project here in New Zealand. If you read my blog, you already know. Rubbish — especially plastic — is a worldwide problem. I can’t fix all of it, but we can at least compost at home.
So I’m starting this Kiero project — Kia ZERO — here in NZ. But I can’t do it all alone. I need companions. I’m looking for a really good community: permaculture folks, eco-villages… people who care about the earth, but maybe don’t have a garden.
Please subscribe to my email magazine, and you’re warmly invited to join the Kiero Facebook group here in Whanganui.
