Community Road Empowerment (CORE) is a certified NPO that supports the idea that "we repair the roads we use ourselves." Believing that problems in developing countries are best solved by local people in ways suited to their circumstances, it works as engineers to develop appropriate technology and transfer it to residents.
Many developing countries depend on agriculture, yet rural infrastructure such as farm roads and irrigation ponds remains underdeveloped, which contributes to poverty. CORE developed a road improvement method using "do-nou," a traditional Japanese sandbag technique, and shares the old Japanese spirit of "michibushin" (community road repair) along with the importance of maintaining roads sustainably by themselves.
As of the end of September 2026, its record covers 32 countries, 271,283 m of road improved with residents and 25,025 participants in training and works. It has worked in Papua New Guinea, the Philippines, Kenya, Uganda, Myanmar, Tanzania and elsewhere, including embankments in flood-prone areas and bridge construction.
Key points
- Applies Japan's "do-nou" technique and the spirit of "michibushin" to farm road improvement in developing countries
- Shares cases where road repair led to resumed rice farming, children going to school, villagers repairing a bridge on their own, and a young person starting a company
- Active in 32 countries, with 271.2 km of road improved (86.6 km of it with do-nou)
Why this organization's work stands out
Repairing a road is a concrete, familiar activity, and it clearly connects to changes in daily life, such as being able to take crops to market or send children to school. Its emphasis on residents being able to maintain the roads themselves is also a useful reference.
There are ways to take part through donations and membership, and the website gives a guide that 500 yen can repair about 1 m of farm road. It is easy to picture how support is used.
Editor's comment
It was striking to see how fixing a road can draw out people's motivation and confidence and change their lives. It is also moving that a piece of traditional Japanese wisdom is proving useful around the world.
Case studies from each country and details of the activities are on the official website. Please take a look.