Friends who share the same values

After the devastating earthquake and tsunami of 2011, 28-year-old Kosuke Katsuki and 26-year-old Jun Tokunaga jointly led Habitat Japan volunteers as they helped with home repairs in the affected region.

The duo first met as members of a Habitat campus chapter at Tokai University. While on a Global Village trip, they built a sturdy, decent house and a lasting friendship.

It was only after their graduation, though — Katsuki graduated in 2009, two years ahead of Tokunaga — that they truly came to appreciate each other. The two founded a campus chapter alumni group to rekindle and strengthen the Habitat connection. Katsuki serves as vice president, while Tokunaga is responsible for organizing events.

“In our daily lives, we tend to only interact with people in our own field,” says Katsuki. “The older you get, friends who share the same values are harder to come by.”