Celebrating Our Partnership with Global Giving
At YouMeWe, our mission is to support institutionalized children by empowering them to become independent and productive members of society by fostering education. For over a decade, we have worked tirelessly to provide these children with the tools they need for success. This mission has been significantly strengthened through our valued partnership with Global Giving. Their continuous support has enabled us to expand our reach, enhance our programs, and create a lasting impact on the lives of the kids.
Global Giving is the world’s largest crowdfunding platform, connecting nonprofits, donors, and companies worldwide. Since 2002, they have provided nonprofits with the tools, training, and network needed to enhance their effectiveness in fundraising and program delivery. Their mission to foster a community of global changemakers has resonated with our values, making this partnership truly transformative.
Our collaboration with Global Giving has been key in driving our programs forward. Together, we’ve been able to:
Promote Digital Literacy: By equipping children with modern technical skills, we help them stay current with today’s technology, opening doors to better education and career opportunities.
Develop Communication Skills: Through language lessons, writing programs, and cultural exchanges, we empower children to express themselves with confidence and engage meaningfully with others.
Foster Connectedness: Through mentoring programs and online exchanges, children learn to collaborate with peers and adults locally and globally, building a strong support network for their future.
Looking Ahead
As we reflect on our journey, we are filled with gratitude for Global Giving and our community of donors. Together, we are transforming the lives of children who face financial and emotional challenges, enabling them to achieve goals such as attending university, entering technical school, or securing meaningful employment by the age of 18.
Your support can make an even bigger difference. Join us to:
• Volunteer your skills to guide children on their path to independence.
https://youmewenpo.org/how-to-volunteer
• Donate to support programs that foster successful futures for youth.
Together, WE can ensure that more children have the opportunity to thrive as independent and contributing members of their communities.
A Warm Thank You to JLL! ✨
We would like to thank JLL for their generous donation of 20 laptops! This donation will help us open up exciting new learning opportunities for institutionalized children and help them reach their full potential. Learn more about JLL on their website: www.joneslanglasalle.co.jp/
Territory Mapping with Anthony Willoughby
We had an amazing introduction to the territory mapping exercise with https://lnkd.in/g7q3sh-K with Anthony Willoughby at St. Francis.
Sharing and Caring 2024
We were reminded when we doubled our Sharing and Caring Program this year that we are all here to walk each other home.
This year we asked all the friends and supporters of our Donor Circle to participate and the result was not just better, it was spectacularly better.
We are also reminded that children are born as pure love.
We delivered hundreds of boxes to children in Japan, Philippines and Brazil. The love and care that went into each box was only matched by the surprise and joy of each child who opened up and was reminded of the most important message.
We are all here to touch each others lives and that we matter.
The feeling of how they felt this year will be remembered for years to come.
Thanks to You….Me and We.
YouMeWe Joins the Fostering Higher Education Initiative!
We’re thrilled to announce that YouMeWe is partnering with the Fostering Higher Education (FHE) program to support foster youth in achieving their academic dreams!
The FHE program provides critical resources and guidance to youth transitioning from high school or GED programs to postsecondary education, offering unique support through:
Education Goal Planning
Identifying & Overcoming Challenges in Higher Ed
Personalized Mentoring
This event is all about empowering young people to overcome barriers and create brighter futures. At YouMeWe, we believe every young adult deserves a chance to thrive, and we’re proud to stand alongside this impactful program!
Stay tuned for updates from the event and stories of the incredible youth we’re here to support!
December 11
This day was filled with love and giving
We're incredibly grateful to our amazing partners at Titan Consulting and all the dedicated volunteers who helped us wrap up 40 gifts for the kids at Koubo Aijien orphanage in Kanagawa.
We also packed 25 gifts for the children at Hikari no Kodomo in Saitama. And guess what? Our friends at the post office are starting to recognize us!
But the joy doesn't stop there! This year, we're spreading the Christmas cheer all the way to Brazil, with over 30 gifts heading to Viva la Vida orphanage in Suzano.
Want to be part of this magic?
Donate: Your gift can bring a smile to a child's face. https://goto.gg/67562
Volunteer: Join us in spreading joy and making a difference. Email us at hello@youmewenpo.org
Share: Help us reach more children in need.
Together, we can make this Christmas unforgettable!
#YouMeWe #SharingAndCaring #ChristmasJoy #GiveBack #Volunteer #Donate
Pizza Party at Tokyo Katei Gakko!
A huge thank you to Chee Ming Loh and Keiji Nakamura for making pizzas with the kids! With this event, the home received a Brand- new pizza oven, giving the children a space to bake, cook, and share stories together.
We at YouMeWe believe cooking and baking isn’t just about food it’s about connection, creativity, and community. Here’s to more moments of joy and togetherness!
Thank You for Your Generosity on #GivingTuesday!
This #GivingTuesday, you showed us the power of generosity and community. Thanks to your incredible support, we raised over to drive positive change and create opportunities for those who need them most.
Your donations will have a direct impact on [specific goal, e.g., “providing education, resources, and support to young individuals striving for a brighter future”]. Every dollar you contributed brings us closer to achieving our mission and ensuring that [specific outcome, e.g., “these youth have the tools they need to succeed”].
We’re inspired by your kindness and commitment to making a difference. It’s supporters like you who make our work possible and give hope to so many.
Stay tuned for updates on how your generosity is making an impact—we can’t wait to share the stories of change you’ve helped create.
Thank you for believing in us and being a part of this journey. Together, we’re making a difference!
Do you know what the Orange Ribbon means?
The "Orange Ribbon Campaign" is a citizens' movement that calls for the elimination of child abuse by spreading the orange ribbon as a symbol of child abuse prevention .
Through the Orange Ribbon Campaign, we aim to spread awareness of the current state of child abuse,
raise awareness of the issue among many people, and build an abuse-free society through a citizen network.
At YouMeWe, we have a Child Safety Policy. We will also be participating in the Orange Ribbon Event at Tokyo Tower this Saturday.
1/3 of the children in the homes are happy where they are. This is the population YouMeWe is focused on but once learning this, we realized that 2/3rds of the children are also needing attention. 1/3 do not feel they have a voice. Hence we have partnered with IFCA (International Foster Care Alliance) and 1/3 want to be reunited with their families therefore we have partnered with Youkikai which has a program to not only prevent child abuse by taking test and focusing red flags but also how to retrain parents who have a chance to get their children back. We have started the project to create a Social Impact Bond to address this. It costs 100,000,000 JPY to have a child in care from 2 to 18 years old and we strive to get local government approval to allow us to raise the funds, pay back the bond holders with a return not only financially but vis a vis Social Impact return. This can save the government millions in projected costs but also helps break the three generational childhood trauma cycle. We have also partnered with TELL to have a speaker series for the staff in the homes to understand the intricacies of caring for children who are A.C.E. (Adverse Childhood Experience) survivors.
Child Safety Policy
A Child Safety Policy highlights the importance of actions taken in regards to a witnessed incident of abuse. This policy asks for details that can help the organization understand the incident: time, location, child involved, and perpetrator. All of these steps must be followed in a timely manner to ensure the safety and the voice of the child.
児童虐待の状況に遭遇したときに、どのような対応をすればよいのかを知って行動に移すことが重要であると考え、Child Safety Policyを作成することにしました。そのため、Child Safety Policyでは基本的に、虐待がいつどこで発生したかや、虐待をされた子どもの情報など、虐待の詳細をお聞きしています。これらのすべてのステップは、事件の状況下で子供が発言権を持っているかをいち早く確認する方法としてとても大切です
Background from Global Giving:
Introduction The first Child Safeguarding Standards were launched over 12 years ago by a coalition of relief and development charities that later became known as Keeping Children Safe. Since then there has been a growing recognition that, as well as risks to children from staff and associates, inappropriately designed programs and poor operational management can also create the possibility of risks to children. Keeping Children Safe represents a commitment by those working in this sector to ensure that their organizations “do no harm” and that they meet the responsibilities set out in the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child to protect children from all forms of abuse, neglect, exploitation, and violence. Drawing on the knowledge and experience of experts, Keeping Children Safe developed the Keeping Children Safe Standards, which was supported by a comprehensive Toolkit for implementing the Standards. Paulo Sergio Pinheiro, the independent expert for the UN study on violence against children, acknowledged the importance of the Toolkit, stating that: “It offers an excellent opportunity not only for the improvement of the quality and professionalism of those working with children but most importantly, it will help to achieve a greater impact for children.” Since it was first published, hundreds of organizations and thousands of professionals worldwide have used the Toolkit. The increasing demand for the Toolkit reflects the growing recognition by organizations, which work with, impact on, or come into contact with children, that they have a responsibility to keep them safe. What is child safeguarding? Child safeguarding is the responsibility that organizations have to make sure their staff, operations, and programs do no harm to children, that is that they do not expose children to the risk of harm and abuse and that any concerns the organization has about children’s safety within the communities in which they work are reported to the appropriate authorities. “Do no harm” is a principle that has been used in the humanitarian sector but can equally be applied to the development field. It refers to organizations’ responsibility to minimize the harm they may be doing inadvertently as a result of their organizational activities.
グローバル・ギビングの背景
はじめに 最初の子どもの保護基準は、12年以上前に、後にKeeping Children Safeとして知られるようになった 自由と開発慈善の連合によって立ち上げられました。それ以来、職員や関係者による子どもへのリスクだけでなく、不適切に設計されたプログラムや不十分な運営管理によっても子どもたちにリスクが生じる可能性があることが認識されるようになってきました。Keeping Children Safe は、この分野で働く人々が、自分たちの組織が“子供に害を及ぼさない”ことを保証し、あらゆる形態の虐待、ネグレクト、搾取、暴力から子どもを守るために、児童の権利に関する条約（Convention on the Rights of the Child）を果たすことを約束しています。専門家の知識と経験をもとに、Keeping Children SafeはKeeping Children Safe Standardsを作成し、それを実施するための包括的なツールキットによってサポートされています。子どもへの暴力に関する国連調査の独立専門家であったパウロ・セルジオ・ピネイロは、このツールキットの重要性を認め、次のように述べています。"このツールキットは、子どもたちと関わる人々の質と専門性を向上させるだけでなく、最も重要なことは、子どもたちのためのより大きな影響力を達成するのに役立つ素晴らしい機会を提供します”。初めて発表されて以来、世界中の何百もの組織と何千もの専門家がツールキットを使用してきました。このツールキットの需要が高まっているのは、子どもを扱う組織、子どもに影響を与える組織、子どもと接触する組織が、子どもの安全を守る責任があるという認識が高まっていることを反映しています。児童保護とは何ですか？児童保護とは、組織のスタッフ、業務、プログラムが子どもに危害を加えないようにする責任、すなわち、子どもを危害や虐待の危険にさらさないようにする責任であり、組織が活動する地域社会における子どもの安全について懸念がある場合には、適切な団体に報告する責任です。"危害を加えないこと”は、人道的な分野で使われてきた原則ですが、開発の分野でも同様に適用できます。これは、組織の活動の結果として不用意に行う可能性のある危害を最小限に抑える組織の責任を指しています。
CHILD SAFETY POLICY
New Intern! Welcome Ayaan Ali
Hello! My name is Ayaan, and I’m excited to be joining YouMeWe as an intern for the next six weeks. Born and raised in Cambridge, I’m currently taking a gap year before pursuing a degree in law, using this time to contribute meaningfully to causes I’m passionate about. I’m especially drawn to YouMeWe’s mission of empowering students from institutionalised homes through digital literacy, life skills, and a sense of community. Working with a Tokyo-based nonprofit dedicated to child welfare and societal betterment aligns closely with my values, and I’m grateful for the opportunity to learn from the team while supporting young individuals on their paths to independence.
Carbine Club 4th year in a row
We are extremely thankful to the Carbine Club who has made YouMeWe the recipient of their generous fundraising on the day of the famous Melbourne Cup. Not only is it a day to celebrate the coming together of members in Tokyo but also to dress up and watch the race from hats to heels for the ladies and now some of the men…. The funds raised go towards our Life Connection courses which involve sports, team building and the Designing Artists Academy which we hold annually.
A great day was held with many prizes offered for the raffle including Cathay Pacific’s give away of two economy class tickets roundtrip to Hong Kong and a two nights stay at The Regent.
A speech was given by Michael Perry-Clemons, Founder of YouMeWe:
“As many of you may know I was asked to play Santa for an orphanage in 2007 and I never really left.
What really cemented our desire to help the kids was a trip we made to Disneyland where we were paired off with two ten year old boys
When it came time for the visit to the Disney Store, whilst many kids were throwing things over their shoulders into their carts, our kids did not want to go in or ask for anything.
To me this seemed unnatural and at the same time made me want to do more for kids that do not ask for anything.
Those boys would be 27 year old men now. And we are reminded that these are not marginallzed kids but maximizeable children who need to feel like something bigger than themselves.
Over the 17 years we have been working in the homes, it only occurred to my recently that we may be the only consistency these children have as we visit them every week and or have online classes all over Japan and now Philippines and Brazil. as the principals retire and the staff rotate, we are there every single week.
We teach about 3 dozen children weekly; coding or English or helping them in person or online with their homework. We give them scholarships for university and help them find jobs AND are available to coach them into adulthood.
We also have been holding a summer camp since 2008 here they experienced kick boxing, futsal and soon will be going to a Marinos game in December.
Thanks to the Carbine club in our fourth year we have raised well over ¥3,000,000, Last year we were able to give over 350 christmas presents to the kids we support. We hope to double that this year.
In Summary, I wanted to ask:
Did you ever realize that how many orphans are the protagonist in the movies and cartoons we watch?
Harry Potter, Superman, Spiderman, Batman, Elsa from Frozen, even Kung Fu Panda there is something about us as audience where we are cheering for the one making his/her way on their own.
Yet, Harry Potter had various teachers, Superman had his human parents, Spiderman had his aunt....they all also had an adult who looked out for them and helped them become the best version of themselves.
As the future rushes at the children we remind them to to dwell on how their lives started but how they want their lives to end up. And if you do not know what you want, imagine what you do want and then what the opposite of that is.
And come back to the now and focus on what you need to get done in order to happen.
How all any of us have is the NOW...and the depth of our experiences go deeper than the length of our lives. All the more reason to lean into the now....which is another word for the present which is another word for gift.
Thank you very much.”
It’s GameWeek at YouMeWe!
For children in the 21st Century who will live until the 22nd Century, the question of “what is worth learning?” comes to mind again and again. What will never change, however, is communication; collaboration and creativity with an emphasis on`CREATE and being the CREATOR of our own lives. The children we work with did not have a choice about the circumstances they were born into. Yet, we like to help them unlock the ability to imagine the life they want to evolve into by producing games from a blank canvas. When is the last time you did something for the first time?
This week, we’re thrilled to shine a spotlight on the inspiring creations of children who have been learning to code through YouMeWe’s coding lessons! Over the next nine days, we’ll be featuring a different game each day across all our social media platforms. These games are more than just a fun project—each one reflects the hard work, creativity, and new technical skills these young learners have developed.
Each game showcased is a testament to the journey these young people are on—becoming the next generation of digital citizens and tech innovators. We invite you to join us in celebrating their hard work and creativity! Stay tuned to see their unique stories and innovative ideas come to life in their games. Follow along and cheer them on as they take on their future, one line of code at a time!
Capgemini
A big thank you to the Capgemini volunteers for their second visit to St. Francis! Your support in guiding our learners through digital skills has been invaluable. We appreciate your time, expertise, and the positive impact you’re making in our community. Looking forward to seeing what we can achieve together in the future! #CommunitySupport #DigitalLearning #CapgeminiVolunteers #StFrancis
Halloween Event at Christmas Village with JP Morgan!
We joined JP Morgan at a Halloween event they held at Christmas Village, where the kids made Piñatas and learned about various countries! We would like to thank JP Morgan and Christmas Village for having us at the event and are looking forward to participating again in the future.
Bringing Joy to children This Holiday Season: A Heartfelt Thank You to Societe Generale!
At YouMeWe NPO, we believe that every child deserves to experience the magic of the holiday season, especially those without families to celebrate with. That’s why we launched the Sharing & Caring Project, aimed at bringing joy to orphans across Japan through thoughtful gifts and community support.
This year, we are thrilled to announce that Societe Generale in Tokyo has stepped up to make a significant difference. Their dedication and enthusiasm have been nothing short of inspiring. We recently held a workshop at their Tokyo office, and it was incredible to see their team come together to support the children we serve.
Special thanks to Junna Ichiyanagi, Stephane Roger, Joachim Ferrari, Julien M., and the entire team for their hard work and generosity. Your efforts will ensure that orphans across Japan feel the love and care they deserve during this special time of year.
But the work doesn’t stop here—this is just the beginning. If your company is looking for a meaningful way to give back this holiday season, we’d love to collaborate with you. By joining our Sharing & Caring Project, you can make a real difference in the lives of these children.
Interested in learning more about how you can help? Please feel free to message us at hello@youmewenpo.org. Together, we can spread joy and make this holiday season one to remember for every child.
Let’s come together as a community and show these children they are loved!
Decathlon Donation!
🌟 Thank you, Decathlon Japan! 🌟
We are incredibly grateful to our partner @DecathlonJapan for donating 9 computers 🖥️! These devices will empower children in the homes we support, opening doors to digital literacy and new learning opportunities.
Together, we’re helping shape a brighter future, one click at a time! 💙✨ #YouMeWe #DigitalLiteracy #ThankYou #nonprofitorganization #socialimpactorganization #NPO
Meet our new Intern Bárbara!
Hi there! My name is Bárbara, and I’m excited to be joining YouMeWe for the next six months. I was born and raised in Mexico City, and for the past two years, I’ve been living in Berlin, Germany, while pursuing my master’s degree. I am passionate about ensuring that children, regardless of their background, have access to quality education and the right skills to succeed. I look forward to contributing to YouMeWe’s mission and making a tangible impact on underprivileged youth in Japan, an experience I hope to apply to other regions in the future.
CapGemini!
Yesterday @capgemini employees joined us at our weekly orphanage visit in Tokyo.
Currently, at this orphanage, students participate in the Global Identity Program (GIP) that aims to allow the children to self-discover their role in the growing multicultural and technologically advancing Japanese society.
As part of our current unit which is focused on “Identity and Diversity,” students are working on creating their own PowerPoint presentations on a country they have randomly picked which at the end of the month they will be presenting to the rest of the class.
Through a mixture of English and Japanese in the lessons, the children not only gain digital literacy and global citizenship, but English literacy as well, allowing us to cover all three pillars of the GIP program.
Thank you for joining us Capgemini Japan!
Heart Family
This is Sugie-san, he calls me his twin because we are the same age, similar haircut, eyeglasses and there is always a contest on who is fatter or slimmer. I am winning, I just won’t confirm which side!
He runs the training program of how to help abusive parents get their children back with practical and thoughtful training programs.
He comes from a long line of his late father who lived to be 92 having fostered 100 children over the years Sugie-san has 29 people in his house including blood and the concept of Heart Family members.
We talked about how blood feels thicker than water like when I met siblings I didn’t know I had at 48 years old.
We talked about the 250 people who came to his foster son’s funeral who was just 20 years old when we tragically lost him.
The solace is that his friends told him that he called Sugie-san his only father.
How now the young man’s birth mother, who is alone in the world, comes and has dinner daily with the 28 others at his table.
These people, including me, he calls his “Heart Family” and I love that!