Kai Childs
Founder
Kai is a creative education specialist with 10+ years of experience working for educational startups across Asia.
Kai has a passion for collaborating with people from all walks of life and founded SEKAI in 2020 to help facilitate real-world connections that students lack access to.
Having studied at international schools, Kai is passionate about helping students expand their worldview beyond their classrooms, and develop a curiosity for the world around them.
Kai holds a Masters degree in Environment, Politics, and Development from SOAS University of London, and is also the co-founder of The Innovation Fellowship (TIF), a new international high school in central Tokyo.
Nerika 'Nyx' Joy
Program Facilitator
Nerika "Nyx" Joy is an educational facilitator and international relations scholar passionate about bridging cultural understanding.
Raised in the Philippines and now based in Tokyo, Nyx brings a curiosity-driven approach to education. Through her work with SEKAI, she facilitates learning experiences that encourage students to engage deeply with the world around them through meaningful dialogue.
Nyx is also a participant in the Women in Strategic Policy (WISP) program at the Strategic and Defence Studies Centre at ANU and Girls Run the World. Additionally, she is a member of Amnesty International, works with Mirai Minds, and serves as the Podcast Officer for the ASEAN-Australia Strategic Youth Partnership (AASYP).
Our Community Partners
At SEKAI, we have the privilege of working with people from indigenous Ainu communites across Japan, the Maasai tribes of Kenya, and Inupiat community in Northern Alaska. Our partners are at the heart of our programs and the key to creating memorable experiences for students.
AINU PEOPLE OF JAPAN
The Ainu are the indigenous people of Northern Japan, most of whom reside in Hokkaido. Despite a long history of forced assimilation into Japanese society, the Ainu have fought hard to retain their identity as well as their distinct language and culture.
Having made multiple visits over the last few years, we have developed close relations with our partners from Nibutani – one of the only villages with a majority Ainu population – as well as individuals from the wider community who now reside in Tokyo.
Our Ainu partners often speak about their life stories and family history, and give international students a sense of appreciation towards Ainu history and their importance in Japanese society.
MAASAI TRIBES OF KENYA
The Maasai are one of most well-known tribes of Kenya as well as northern Tanzania. Known for their proud identity and fierce independence, the Maasai have held onto many of their warrior traditions as well as their semi-nomadic lifestyle.
We are fortunate to have built a strong partnership through visits to a Maasai community in Kisamis, Kenya, and work closely with their senior tribal elder by the name of Emmanuel Mankura, as well as other leaders and youth from the community.
Our Maasai partners excel in blending education and entertainment to teach students the importance of knowing your values, embracing change, and practicing leadership to serve one's community.
IÑUPIAT PEOPLE OF ALASKA
The Iñupiat are a native people who live along the Arctic coasts of Alaska. Despite the harsh conditions, the Iñupiat continue to practice many of their traditions, including their cultural rights to hunt bowhead whales among other Arctic animals for subsistence.
Within the Iñupiat community, we are grateful to have a partnership with individuals from the Quvan whaling crew in Barrow, Alaska, one of the oldest settlements in the United States where the Iñupiat people have survived for over 4,000 years.
Our Iñupiat partners have spoken to students on the spiritual beliefs guiding their worldviews, as well as the importance of having clear roles and responsibilities to provide for their community.