Happy #GivingTuesday-working towards sustainability
Summary
Free charity App that allows people to monetize their time and spend gained points for NPO's!
$25,000
total goal
$25,000
remaining
0
donors
0
monthly donors
6
hours
Challenge
Problem: There are millions of people who don't have money but wants to help different organizations. They need an easy access to support charities that they want to help.
Solution
Solution: Complete one of three tasks (video, minigame, survey) and get points, you can donate them whenever you want. CharityTree will receive money from different advertisers and based on points quantity in particular organizations dispatch funds. Donate your time on behalf of money! It was never as easy as now to help the ones in need. No difficult registrations and credit cards, all you need is just time!
Long-Term Impact
In addition to allowing the NPO to be sustainable, it creates an interesting opportunity for the children living in our homes to be part of the coding team to make this solution a reality.
Happy #GivingTuesday-Testimonial from Volunteer Marie Gray
Dear Friend,
You subscribed to email updates from Designing Artists Academy by YouMeWe NPO, a project on GlobalGiving. Here's the unedited update from the field:
Testimonial from Volunteer
By Marie Gray - Youth Impact Coordinator at Hands On Tokyo
Happy Holidays to our supporters of Designing Artists Academy. We hope that this message finds you with your loved ones and enjoying delicious food. My name is Marie Gray, and I am a volunteer representing the Youth Impact team at Hands On Tokyo. We are a bilingual NPO that organizes volunteer projects for young adults with special needs individuals, senior citizens, and at risk children. We are very much looking forward to our collaboration with the Designing Artists Academy this year.
I am fortunate to manage a monthly English and art session with a children`s home partner in Tokyo. Today I wanted to tell you about the positive impact art has had on the children I work with, and why I decided to link up with the Designing Artists Academy.
For the past 2 years, I have been fortunate to watch my children`s evolution, and develop teaching methods to match their interests. What I have learned is that traditional English teaching methods are not engaging enough. Often times, kids are learning English in schools, and after a long week of studying, they want to try something completely new.
In contrast, what has proven successful are teaching programs that incorporate creative opportunities. I usually teach a theme du jour. We spend 45 minutes learning the new material, and then students spend the reminder of the lesson creating material with their assigned volunteer. At the end of each 2 hour session, the children present their creation to their classmates and volunteers.
This structure is effective for several reasons. The first reason is that students get to put their learning into the action. The second reason is that they can receive one-on-one attention from a volunteer with whom they can practice their English. The third, and most important, is that children are empowered to challenge themselves and practice self-expression. This is particularly important to cultivate for this demographic.
Eventually all of the children`s homes` residents will be forced to leave the homes when they complete high school. They will have to find ways to be self-sustainable without oversight from staff who made major life choices for them their entire lives.
Therefore it is of outmost importance that they feel confident enough to be their own advocate. It is better to begin this process while they are young and have mentors and caregivers who can nurture these skills.
Art is a gentle way to foster these skills in children. For me, I have watched them develop these strategies in my class, and seen how much more confident they have become. Now we have a class full of students proactively engaging with myself and volunteers and taking pride in who they are.
Designing Artists Academy reflects this same model, but with even more creative outlets. Dancing. Yoga. Painting. Drawing. You name it, and Designing Artists Academy is probably offering it. I believe this program has the potential to inspire and impact more children throughout Japan. With 9 successful years under their belt, Designing Artists Academy is constantly finding innovative ways to teach art. It is an incredible privilege to be a part of this program.
We hope that you will also find the goals of the Designing Artists Academy to be inspiring too. We also hope that you will consider an investment in this program, particularly on November 27th. GlobalGiving will match all donations made between Eastern Standard Time November 27 12am and 11:59pm, Japan Standard Time November 27 between 2pm and November 28 1:59pm, and London time (GMT) between November 27 5am and November 28 4:59am.
Any amount will help us ensure that as many vulnerable children will be to join this camp at zero cost to them. Thank you for consideration, and we look forward to keeping you posted throughout the year.
Happy Holidays!
Marie
The #1 reason for increased number of children being orphaned is child abuse.
Children's Home Stats & Stories from homes
Here's some information we can check for new stats. recommended by Port Kanegaya (November 20, 2018).
I tried to simplify but there's quite a lot of data written in complex kanji characters.
1) https://www.mhlw.go.jp/stf/houdou/0000071187.html
Data taken every 5 years by the Ministry of Health and Labour. Next one should be Heisei 30 (Feb 2018) but the data isn't there yet.
2) https://www.mhlw.go.jp/file/06-Seisakujouhou-11900000-Koyoukintoujidoukateikyoku/0000187952.pdf
This one is also by the Ministry of Health and Labor states the following:
The latest data - 2016 (Heisei 28) data shows that there are currently:
615 children's homes across Japan
Room for 32,605 children to live in these homes
Currently 26,449 children living in these homes
Number of staff members: 17,137 (though this is not too helpful since it includes admin staff)
National data on children moving onto 4-year universities, 2-year college, or finding a job.
(dated May 1, 2016 - Heisei 28)
1,818 high school children living in homes -> up from 1,543 in 2012
226 (12.4%) went to a 4-year university -> up from 11% in 2012
211 (11.6% went to a 2-year college) -> up from 11% in 2012
1,280 (70.4%) found jobs -> same as 70.4% (1,087 children) in 2012
101 (5.6%) are defined as "others" -> down from 117 (7.6%) in 2012
* which means that number of orphaned children has increased and therefore the number of kids getting into uni and college have also increased, but the number of children becoming employed has remained the same.
3) http://www.metro.tokyo.jp/tosei/hodohappyo/press/2017/02/24/documents/09_01.pdf
* Data taken every 5 years by the Tokyo Government. next data should be 2022.
According to data taken in 2017, 87.1% of children living in the homes are employed, up from 71.4% in 2012, so Tokyo is doing better than the national data. However, 46% of the job are in the service industry which would include restaurants, izakayas, karaoke stores, coffee shops, pachinko parlours, mobile phone shops (these examples were listed). 45% are full-time employees, 35% are part-timers. 12% temp staffs. More than 50% make less than 150,000 yen per month.
https://note.mu/taejun/n/nd18ce7480911
Slide show recommended by Port K. One important key info I thought was that the the #1 reason for increased number of children being orphaned is child abuse. 38% in 2013 up from 19% in 1998.
Colt raises over €1 million for under-privileged children
![Bike-ride-1-720x450[1].jpg](https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/593719c4725e25a794c424c7/1542781348287-WC0YVHHTJ9HZ1V52ZN3V/Bike-ride-1-720x450%5B1%5D.jpg)
Colt raises over €1 million for under-privileged children
by Louisa Gregory.
19 Nov 2018
This year Colt’s Charity Bike Ride hit an impressive milestone. Not only have thousands of kilometres been ridden for children in need, 2018 was the year that Colt cracked the million Euro fundraising mark.
Now in its seventh year, The Colt Charity Bike Ride started with the goal of riding the entire Colt network, with this year seeing the ride journey from Milan to Rome in Italy.
Over four days this last September, Colt employees and sponsors of the event rode more than 680km passing through five cities along the way. What’s more impressive than the distance covered is that this year the 120 people from 16 countries involved in the ride raised more than €118,000, which was 191% of their target. As with the event every year, Colt matched this amount, taking the total funds raised over the past seven years to a million Euros.
Each Colt office supports a different local cause and this year these funds will go to a myriad of charities including Dottor Sorriso (Clown Therapy) in Italy, Richard House Children’s Hospice in the UK, YouMeWe in Japan, who work with children in orphanages to improve their digital skills and Aldeas Infantiles in Spain, a group that ensures children are given support and a stable environment if their parents are no longer around.
While the amount of money donated to charities is impressive, and not something we anticipated achieving all those years ago, the thing that makes this event even more special is that it is completely organised and supported by Colt employees who give up a lot of their own time to ensure that the event is as comfortable and equipped for the riders as possible. It is now an annual event that shows we live and breathe our values – thinking big and winning together. Thank you to everyone who makes this event possible and to those who are fundraising and riding to support these great charities. Now we’ve cracked the million mark, we are already planning the 2019 ride and we are excited about the possibilities for the future of the event as well as the good it can do for the many communities Colt is part of.
If you are looking for more information about the ride, or how you can support it, please reach out to myself or Danielle Reilly.
Louisa Gregory is the Chief of Staff at Colt
PRESS RELEASE:Knights in White Lycra Celebrates #GivingTuesday and Pledges to Start Partnership with YouMeWe NPO to Help Vulnerable Children in Japan
PRESS RELEASE
Knights in White Lycra Celebrates #GivingTuesday and Pledges to Start Partnership with YouMeWe NPO to Help Vulnerable Children in Japan
Tokyo, Japan November 20,2018 – This #GivingTuesday, KIWL will celebrate giving by formally partnering with YouMeWe NPO in 2019.
#GivingTuesday is a global day of giving that harnesses the collective power of individuals, communities and organizations to encourage philanthropy and to celebrate generosity worldwide. Following Thanksgiving and the widely recognized shopping events [Black Friday and Cyber Monday], this year’s #GivingTuesday will take place on November 27th and will kick off the giving season by inspiring people to collaborate and give back.
About: Knights in White Lycra
The Knights in White Lycra is an amateur international group of men and women of all ages based in Japan who 'get fit and give back' through sport and social events. KIWL chooses a charity to support each year and specifically aims to provide funds to help improve the lives of children living in institutional care (children’s homes) in Japan. These are kids who have been abused, neglected or orphaned.
KIWL was formed in 2012 by long-term Tokyo resident Rob Williams and a few fellow overweight friends, realizing they needed to get fit but also wanted to give back. During a lively karaoke session, the famous 60’s hit ''Nights in White Satin'' gave birth to a name for a bicycle ride they never thought they would repeat.
In April 2013, they completed their maiden 330km cycling voyage to Minamisoma to raise funds for the Tohoku recovery. Six annual rides later, and after many fringe events, the Knights have raised over Y51 million for disadvantaged children in Japan.
Running KIWL in his spare time with Andrew Abbey and William Ramsay, Chair & Founder Rob Williams is often asked why KIWL continues to be so successful. “Seeing participants gain great personal satisfaction from achieving big physical feats, and the people who are moved and inspired by actually meeting the children for whom they are raising funds, are the key factors why KIWL continues to grow and participants keep coming back year after year”.
In 2019, KIWL is delighted to partner with YouMeWe as it helps disadvantaged kids living in children’s homes in Japan. This is a natural pathway for KIWL, given its recent association with Mirai no Mori, another excellent NPO working with Japanese children’s homes. In particular, the manner in which YouMeWe provides children with practical and employable skills for adult life, are the main driving factors behind KIWL’s decision to partner with YouMeWe next year.
“Our flagship fundraising event is the 4-day 500km bicycle ride which will take place between June 13-16 2019” said Williams. “We expect up to 50 people to participate in the ride. Each cyclist is expected to raise funds and the corporate sponsors featured on the official jersey are major contributors to funds raised”. KIWL will also host a walk, quiz, golf, marathon running, and a futsal event as part of its year-long calendar -- a little something for everyone.
KIWL is holding an information night on December 5th at Rapha’s store in Tokyo to allow new riders who are interested in the 500km event to learn more and ask questions. Formal commitment is not requested until end of January 2019, after which the final selection of riders is made if it’s over-subscribed. If you wish to join, please email Rob Williams, info@kiwl.net
About YouMeWe NPO
OUR MISSION
Our primary mission is to help children growing up in institutionalized homes prepare for life outside the home once they reach the age of 18. We offer support programs that increase a child's opportunity to become a productive and financially independent young adult in their community. This means helping kids develop and hone critical skills such as language, writing, digital literacy, etc., and ultimately increase confidence levels that can lead to new opportunities and choices in the future. Providing tutoring support, internship opportunities, as well as guidance on university/technical school options will offer children another critical layer of support as they start to make plans for their future. Developed skill sets, solid communication abilities, and a thorough understanding of their options will help set kids on the right path towards successful independence.
This is no easy task for any child, but it can prove especially challenging for kids without continual 1:1 attention. It is our hope that by providing educational and mentoring-based support, we will be improving their overall chances.
OUR APPROACH
For the past decade we have been working closely with many children's homes in the Tokyo area to better understand each home's needs, unique environments and the interests of their kids. Further, we continue to learn about the various challenges each home faces and try to determine how we can best work together to develop support solutions. It is important to note that without first understanding the dynamic of each home and getting to know the staff and children, we would not be able to create effective and lasting support programs. The other element to achieving our mission is engaging the local community - through volunteering their expertise and time - as well as specific financial donations across the different programs.
#GivingTuesday
Founded in 2012 by the 92nd Street Y – a community and cultural center in New York City − #GivingTuesday inspired millions of people to give back and support the causes they believe in. Over $300 million was raised online to benefit a tremendously broad range of organizations, and much more was given in volunteer hours, donations of food and clothing, and acts of kindness.
“We are incredibly inspired by the way the #GivingTuesday community has embraced this concept for a worldwide movement,” said Henry Timms, founder of #GivingTuesday and Executive Director of 92Y. “As we prepare for November 27, we’re energized and encouraged by the community’s generosity. The levels of creativity, effort and the quality of the new ideas people have contributed and shared are phenomenal.”
Those who are interested in joining this #GivingTuesday initiative can visit Peatix: https://peatix.com/event/444389. For more details about the #GivingTuesday movement, visit the #GivingTuesday website (www.givingtuesday.org), Facebook page (https://www.facebook.com/GivingTuesday) or follow @GivingTues and the #GivingTuesday hashtag on Twitter.
To learn more about #GivingTuesday participants and activities or to join the celebration of giving, please visit:
Website:
Peatix: https://peatix.com/event/444389
#GivingTuesday is November 27th
#GivingTuesday is a global day of giving fueled by the power of social media and collaboration.
Celebrated on the Tuesday following Thanksgiving (in the U.S.) and the widely recognized shopping events Black Friday and Cyber Monday, #GivingTuesday kicks off the charitable season, when many focus on their holiday and end-of-year giving.
One of the best ways to get involved is in your own community. We've created a directory to help you find organizations, charities, events and more in your own community.
Share this URL: http://ptix.at/FMSwZL
November 2018 Newsletter
The finale of the COLT Bike ride.
Kicked off with a 24 hour Spinathon and then
Milan to Rome
- 4 days
- 120 cyclists
- 708km
- 29+ hours cycling time & many mountains climbed
- €200,000 raised as a company for local charities
2,103,240 JPY For YouMeWe!
October 2018 Newsletter
https://us1.campaign-archive.com/?u=1a752eed0a2fcedea08fae5e7&id=ac0157e6a1
The finale of the COLT Bike ride.
Kicked off with a 24 hour Spinathon which HOVR
sponsored prizes for and then
Milan to Rome
- 4 days
- 120 cyclists
- 708km
- 29+ hours cycling time & many mountains climbed
- €200,000 raised as a company for local charities
Colties reaching Rome
Colt Annual Bike Ride
Milan to Rome
San Consulting offering employment opportunities to kids leaving the homes.
SANコンサルティングは、2005年より日本の様々な人気のリゾート施設(北海道、軽井沢、白馬、沖縄など…)に、人材紹介を行っております。
・新しい仲間との出会い
私たちはリゾート施設に世界10か国以上の様々な国の出身のスタッフを紹介しています。
・英語の上達
仕事の後や、休日など仲間たちと一緒に過ごしていく中で、きっとあなたの英語力もすぐに上達することでしょう。
・世界トップクラスのスキー場とビーチ
休日には、無料でスキーをすることもできますし、南国沖縄では、美しいビーチで好きなだけ泳ぐことができます。
・経験を活かせる
リゾート施設での接客業で得た経験は、あなたの将来の可能性をさらに広げることでしょう。
また、希望があればスキーやスキューバダイビングのインストラクターの資格を習得することも可能です（有料）。
・様々な職種
スキーリフト、レストラン、お土産売り場、インフォメーション、ホテルのフロントデスク、など様々なエリアで働くことができます。
質問？ 何でもいつでも聞いて下さい: support@sanconjp.com , 080-2445-0138
YouMeWe in the Philippines
So happy to see the children in Boracay, Philippines joining YouMeWe class using the NightZooKeeper. This is part of our program to connect the Digital Citizens in Japan with the children overseas. We use NightZooKeeper as a tool to share English writing with each other but through SKYPE we are also looking to teach Japanese online as well as collaborate on Coding programs.
Rosetta Stone CEO visit
We were hosted at the Link and Motivation headquarters in Ginza Six yesterday by Dean Rogers, CEO of Rosetta Stone and Noriko Yamakoshi of the Premium Club. Dean explained about the company and helped inspire the children to meet someone who has started and grown his own business in Japan. The children said they were inspired to meet someone who was a success at their young age as it motivates them towards their goals.
Apple Field trip
Their time to shine.
Take your students or fellow teachers on an Apple Field Trip for an unforgettable learning experience. During the hands-on session, your group will take their imaginations to new heights using Apple products. And the work they create can complement existing classroom projects.
We visited Ginza yesterday and were taught by the very talented Masa who taught us how to use GarageBand and add the music to videos and photos and create our own movies.
Sharing and Caring Event
The “Sharing and Caring” event was hosted at a week long event at the Hikarie Gallery space on the 8F Aiima from August 6-12th.
Sharing with people during the bad times and caring during the good times.
The idea is that the NPOs in Tokyo who are focused on the same population both as a volunteer base as well as the beneficiaries can help host and event for the week with a daily showcase of the work they have done. For instance, with the orphan population in Japan.
We set up the gallery space with artwork and information about the NPOs and homes we support.
Press Release:YouMeWe NPO Succeeds in GlobalGiving's Accelerator, Becomes Recognized Partner of GlobalGiving
YouMeWe NPO Succeeds in GlobalGiving's Accelerator, Becomes Recognized Partner of GlobalGiving
(July 6, 2018) YouMeWe NPO announced today that they have graduated from the GlobalGiving Accelerator program, gaining entry into the GlobalGiving marketplace and becoming a recognized partner of GlobalGiving. As part of the Accelerator, YouMeWe NPO successfully raised $5,520 from 63 unique individual donors to support their project, "Digital Citizens."
"We're thrilled to have YouMeWe NPO as part of our community. YouMeWe NPO has met our rigorous vetting standards for trust and community support, and we're committed to providing tools, training, and support as they learn, grow and become more effective," said Mari Kuraishi, President and Co-Founder of GlobalGiving. "GlobalGiving donors value the opportunity to support nonprofits like YouMeWe NPO, knowing that they'll get regular updates about how their donations are put to work."
"Starting with career assessment tests for the future, we have several programs where the children living in group homes in Japan can choose to sign up & pursue the skills we are helping them with. 1) NightZooKeeper English training which is a game and online 2) Helping connect children with elderly to teach them ICT Skills (how to Skype, how to use a smart phone and order online as career training 3) Train them to be Japanese language instructors for the future and 4) Robotics courses & coding.", said Michael Clemons, project leader at YouMeWe NPO. "Visit our project, 'Digital Citizens' to learn how even $10 can make a difference: http://goto.gg/33595. We're $4,480 away from our overall goal of $10,000."
About YouMeWe NPO
OUR MISSION.Our primary mission is to help children growing up in institutionalized homes prepare for life outside the home once they reach the age of 18. We offer support programs that increase a child's opportunity to become a productive and financially independent young adult in their community. This means helping kids develop and hone critical skills such as language, writing, digital literacy, etc., and ultimately increase confidence levels that can lead to new opportunities and choices in the future. Providing tutoring support, internship opportunities, as well as guidance on university/technical school options will offer children another critical layer of support as they start to make plans for their future. Developed skill sets, solid communication abilities, and a thorough understanding of their options will help set kids on the right path towards successful independence. This is no easy task for any child, but it can prove especially challenging for kids without continual 1:1 attention. It is our hope that by providing educational and mentoring-based support, we will be improving their overall chances.
About GlobalGiving
GlobalGiving is the first and largest global crowdfunding community that connects nonprofits, donors, and companies in nearly every country around the world. GlobalGiving makes it possible for local organizations to access the funding, tools, training, and support they need to become more effective and make the world a better place. Any registered nonprofit is welcome to apply for the GlobalGiving Accelerator Program: GlobalGiving.org/accelerator/
WE HAVE 24 HOURS LEFT TO JOIN GLOBAL GIVING AS A FULL MEMBER
PLEASE DONATE HERE:
I wanted to share a personal story and why we do what we do.
I was the product of a teenage pregnancy. My parents were just out of high school.
For numerous reasons I never met my biological father so while I was not technically an orphan, I always wondered.
I had a name and a name of his sister. That is all. In those days, we just had the phone book. So I went through the phone book and never could find anyone.
My mother, when she became sick the first time, turned to creating her legacy of genealogy the analogue way of tracking the family tree and sending photocopied newsletters to all of the relatives on a monthly basis.
Once I moved to Japan, we relied on fax machines and then eventually the “internet” to keep in touch.
When the internet came along, I realized I could continue to look for my aunt with the unique name and so did searches, paid for info, looked all over the country but never was quite successful.
Years went passed. My mother unfortunately did not live passed 49 and so me having just turned 50 has been a eye opening experience.
Yet it was in 2007 when I was asked to play Santa in one of the children’s homes in Japan so over the many years tried to do what I could. I was offered to be the director of Living Dreams, as many of you know.
And it was a donor, who had moved on to another company but came up to me at a party and said, “You should contact the Masons. They give $1,000,000 a year away to charity.” I told him my great grandfather had been a mason. Another friend said, “If your great grandfather had been a mason, you should try to be one.”
I went online that night to the now digitized version of our family tree on Ancestry.com.
I updated the names of my twin daughters and while I was about to close the site, I scrolled over my mother’s name and the data has been improved quite a bit since 2010 when I was on the site last. If fact, it had the marriage records of her marrying my biological father and while I had thought he had passed away by then, he hadn’t.
And by doing those Internet searches way into the night I found that he was remarried an living in Fresno, California and that I had sisters I did not know about.
So, I made a copy of my baby photo and business card and sent it to the address online and received a message from one of my new found sisters via LinkedIN (very modern) meeting one’s siblings on LinkedIn!?!
I have since met almost everyone in the family on that side. I met the aunt who I couldn’t find and found that there are two more.
I have nieces and nephews and very happy to have them in our lives along with my own siblings from birth.
The phone book couldn’t take me to where I wanted to go. My paternal grandparents are buried in the same mausoleum as my great grandfather in Napa…yet our paths never crossed.
If I had never been invited to play Santa, I would never have known there are 30,000 children living in homes in Japan.
I would have never met that donor.
The conversation would never have taken place.
And now my life is quite complete.
Technology and connectivity matters.
That is why we do the work we do with the kids in Japan.
To connect them to a future or information so that they don’t just rely on a phonebook.
When is the last time you left your phone at home and went without wifi for a day.
Imagine going 18 years...
....or in my case 48 years.
Global Giving Bonus Wednesday
Dear All, TO DONATE TO OUR CAMPAIGN, CLICK HERE
Sharing & Caring 2008 artwork & photo by Jårg Geismar
The June Accelerator is off to a great start! We're impressed with this group's energy and enthusiasm. So far, over 200 organizations from more than 50 countries have secured their first donor. Bravo!
No matter where your organization is on the main leaderboard, next week is going to be a game changer. Why? Because the Accelerator Bonus Day is Wednesday, June 20th!
Bonus Day is an exhilarating opportunity to get ahead; to use matching funds and cash prizes to leverage additional funding for your vital work.
When: The Bonus Day will last 24 hours, from 00:00:01 to 23:59:59 EDT on Wednesday, June 20th.
How can we win matching? The $10,000 Incentive Fund will be proportionally divided between organizations that activate during the day.
Example: If your organization raises 5% of the total amount raised by all Accelerators on Bonus Day, you will receive 5%, or $500, of the Incentive Fund.
Too much math? Don't worry! GlobalGiving will run the calculations for you every 3 minutes on the special Bonus Day leaderboard.
How can we win a cash prize? At the end of Bonus Day, the project with the most funds raised will win a $1,000 cash prize; the project with the most one-time donors will win $500; and the project with the most recurring donors on Bonus Day will win $500.
Important Note: Only online donations up to $5,000 per donor per project will count towards winning Bonus Day prizes.
Will Bonus Day results count towards the Accelerator goal? Absolutely! The Main Accelerator leaderboard will be capturing all of your donor activity throughout Wednesday Bonus Day. Incentive prizes from GlobalGiving on Bonus Day, however, are considered extra and will not be reflected in your total count towards graduating.
Please join us in our campaign on Global Giving
“It was in 2007 when I returned to Japan from Australia and was asked by my friend Richard to play Santa at an orphanage in Hiroo that I first learned that there were orphanages in Japan.
At the same time, I learned that my roommate in college who invited me to Japan in 1989 had his first child and happened to have Down’s Syndrome.
These two things were in the back of my mind when I started my new role at Barclays as COO. I quickly started the Lunch Club where we would invite different speakers to the firm for a lunch with the Operations group.
One of the speakers happened to be Taniguchi-san who had also had a child with Down’s Syndrome and decided to start a support group for families who have children with disABILITIES and to this day the Palette Bakery is running in Shibuya. We will be hosting them in next week at our sponsor COLT’s colleague appreciation day; where people buy cookies and attach notes to express their appreciation for support during the year. At Barclays we sold $7,000 in cookies, in one day.
Later in 2008, Amy and Miho (now YouMeWe board members) had approached me about a summer camp idea for orphans living in Japan. Barclays funded the summer camp Designing Artists Academy (DAA) the first two years.
Over the past ten years through Living Dreams and now YouMeWe, we have been building up the network with the homes in Japan.
While in the beginning it was about a top down approach of offering Digital Citizenship training, we stepped back and decided to look at things from a bottom up perspective.
The staff were very concerned about how the children would find jobs after 18 when they leave the home. At the same time we started learning more about the children’s individual stories. This the reason we started the Career Assessment tests so the children can see what their possibilities are based on their aptitude.
This has helped fuel the programs that YouMeWe are focused on.
The children who are not 100% Japanese and had English in the beginning of their lives but slowly losing it as they are now in a pure Japanese environment.
K-san whose father does not live in Japan and his mother died of cancer now lives at St.Francis much like Y-san who lives at St.Joseph’s lead us to reach out to NightZooKeeper and start the English in the Cloud program. The enthusiasm for this course has been initially good but as children with many programs, they need to be paired with dedicated teachers to keep the enthusiasm and participation up.
T-san who lost his grandmother in the tsunami in Sendai in 2011 and came to one of the homes suffering from nightmares and as soon as we gifted the computers and he was able to focus on the infinite of the software programs, the nightmares stopped and he has recently graduated high school and landed a job programming.
The half Filipino or Indonesian or Bangladeshi child, lead us to start labs in the Philippines, Indonesia as well as Malaysia and now the refugee community center in Greece to eventually connect the kids with children from different parts of the world in preparation to help them become Japanese Language instructors should they wish to do so.
A san who build his own computer from parts and is heavily into coding will join a program in August connecting the elderly with youth to learn IchigoJam coding. In a country with more people over 65 per capita and less under 15 per capita we envision “Obaa-chan” in the cloud as a program that can connect the youth with the elderly and lead to a sustainable job teaching ICT skills, how to SKYPE with their family and order taxis and groceries online using that SmartPhone which still perplexes them.
Recently met with a Waseda MBA class to discuss over 100 ideas that were compiled on how to connect them in the future.
A san is also the reason we recently created a Code Club in Japan to embrace his passion for coding and collaborate with volunteers to bring coding to children as part of their inevitable future which will require it.
When I first arrived in Japan 25 years ago, I did not have a computer or a mobile phone. I cannot even imagine the technology that my own children will use because it has not been invented yet nor can I advise them on what job to focus on as 60% of jobs in the next ten years have not been created yet.
Communication, collaboration and looking at the world holistically is the formula for children’s success in the 21st century and we try to offer all in a creative way at YouMeWe.
With donations, we provide computers where necessary for 18 year olds graduating high school and going on to employment or higher education.
We are focused on rolling out a Robotics course to teach the children as young as possible about skills they may find not only useful but more importantly, employable in their future.
Please join us in our campaign on Global Giving to become a partner with them in helping raise the remaining $4,800 USD from 39 unique donors over the next 17 days until the end of June.
Thank you,
Michael
Link to our project: https://www.globalgiving.org/projects/digital-citizens/”
Obaa-chan in the cloud project with Waseda Business School
Cindy, Chee Ming, Michael and Naveen,
Just want to say THANK YOU for giving an wonderful opportunity to our students.
Most of them have never done "design thinking" exercise, so I believe they learned a lot --- although it was an extremely condensed version.
Hope ideas generated through the exercises gave some insight to Michael.
I am enclosing photos we took. Feel free to use/upload the photos if you want!
Thank you again, for everything!
___________________________________________________________
Hiroshi Kanno
Professor
Waseda Business School
（Graduate School of Business and Finance）
Waseda University
