YUKA NAGATANI
JAPAN
Sponsored by: Rotary Club of Tokyo Josai, District 2750, Japan
Country of Citizenship: Japan
Language proficiency: Japanese, English & Luganda
Undergraduate degree : Tokyo Woman's Christian University - BA Linguistics; University of Tokyo - (working for) MA in Human Security
Areas of Special Interest: Human Security, HIV/AIDS, children’s problem
Background
Yuka graduated Tokyo Woman's Christian University with BA in Linguistics in 1999. Upon graduation, she became a television news presenter in Fukuoka, Japan. She presented the news and hosted numerous variety programs. In addition, she produced several shows that focused on children's issues. In 2004 she left broadcast journalism and decided to move to Uganda, captivated by a country that she had previously visited twice when she was in university.
From 2004 to 2005 she lived and worked in the outskirts of Kampala, the capital city, teaching orphaned children at an elementary school. Yuka returned to Japan in 2005 and set up an NGO called Mukwano (Ugandan for 'good friend') focused on rebuilding and supporting an orphanage and school in the Rakai district in rural Uganda. In 2006 she returned to broadcast journalism as a news presenter. In 2007 she helped produce and was the primary correspondent for a Japanese news documentary on orphans in Africa. In April 2007, she left broadcast journalism again and entered the University of Tokyo's Human Security master's program. She continued to run her NGO and remained an active advocate for children’s issues including organizing exhibitions of the Ugandan orphans’ art as well as a charity concert to raise awareness for them (http://web.worldbank.org/WBSITE/EXTERNAL/COUNTRIES/EASTASIAPACIFICEXT/EXTEAPREGTOPHEANUT/0,,contentMDK:21830960~menuPK:503054~pagePK:2865114~piPK:2865167~theSitePK:503048,00.html)
Her passion and focus is the protection of children's rights and supporting their well-being, particularly those living in troubled areas and deprived circumstances.
