Your donation is a step toward social change! Support the “Kodomo-Takushoku（Food delivery program for children and families）” nationwide!

What impression do you have when you hear the term “child poverty”?

 

The first of the 17 SDGs (Sustainable Development Goals) of the United Nations has the goal of “eliminating poverty”.

 

Living in a developed country may seem like a distant place, but the problem of child poverty is becoming more serious here in Japan as well.

 

 

One in seven children in Japan lives in poverty.

 

You have an image of Japan as a rich country, right?

 

Today, even elementary school students have smartphones, and you may be asking yourself, “Are children poor in Japan? It is not true.” You may think so.

 

 

 

However, according to the Basic Survey of Living Standards published by the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare, approximately one in seven children under the age of 18 is said to be in relative poverty.

 

For every 30 children in an elementary school class, four of them are living in very difficult circumstances.

 

In addition, 48.1% of single-parent households live in poverty, a figure that is significantly higher than in developed countries. Child poverty is a very serious problem in Japan.

 

When you hear the word “poverty,” do you get the image of wearing tattered clothes or not eating enough and being skinny and thin?

 

And since you don’t usually see such children, you think there can’t be so many poor children in Japan.

 

However, it is difficult for people around them to understand the situation of poverty because they can easily get new clothes at a lower price due to the popularity of fast fashion, they are well-fed at school lunches, and they have smartphones to keep in touch with their surroundings.

 

This is child poverty in Japan.

 

Child Poverty Worsened by the COVID-19 Depression

 

According to the survey, about 80% of households that use “Kodomo-Takushoku” have reported that their lives have become more difficult since the spread of the COVID-19. (Data reference)

 

The number of households impoverished due to unemployment and pay cuts during the COVID-19 recession continues to accelerate, and the disaster is likely to have a significant impact on the child-rearing population by increasing the stress at home.

 

 

 

 

 

Recently, there has been sad news of infant deaths due to abuse and reports of a sharp increase in suicides among women and children this year.

 

“Isolation” is also a major factor behind the abuse and suicide.

 

Families with difficult lives are at risk of becoming increasingly isolated from society if they lose their jobs or are unable to leave the home.

 

In fact, it is estimated that about half of all abusive families do not receive government support.

 

If only there was something we could do to help before the risk of abuse increases, if only we could recognize the smallest, smallest “hard” or “help me” opinions, things could be different.

 

 

Many needy families don’t want to say, “I am in trouble,” and they don’t want to be noticed. For this reason, they hesitate to use government support in some cases.

 

In order to solve “hard situations for parents and children” that are difficult to see from the outside, it is necessary for society to connect with them and not overlook help.

 

What makes this possible is the “Kodomo-Takushoku” program.

 

 

What kind of program is “Kodomo-Takushoku”?

 

“Kodomo-Takushoku” regularly delivers supplies to families in need. The supplies to be delivered range from food and household items such as rice and retort pouches.

 

Snacks are especially popular! Many families can’t usually afford to buy even luxury items, so it’s a fun thing for children.

 

“Kodomo-Takushoku” is not just about delivering supplies. The main purpose of the program is to maintain a connection with families through home delivery and regular communication. By connecting, it becomes easier to notice even the smallest changes.

 

Some families say, “I’ve always wanted to talk to someone.”

 

We believe that communication is one of the tools that can remove the “hard” and “trouble” that we feel in our lives, even if only a little.

 

How to procure food and household goods

 

The supplies of the “Kodomo-Takushoku” delivered to each family are mainly donated by companies and other organizations that support our activities. The shortfall in supplies is covered by the funds collected through ” Furusato-Nouzei “(a tax reduction given to tax payers who donate to local municipalities) and other means and delivered to each family.

 

 

Avoid the Three Cs ! (Crowded place, Close-contact settings, Confined and enclosed spaces) A form of support that works in the era of COVID-19

 

“Kodomo-Takushoku” are a good way to help in the new normal. Since there is no gathering of people in a particular place, we can help them regardless of changing conditions while taking measures against infectious diseases.

 

 

“Kodomo-Takushoku”  – Delivered to Families Nationwide!

 

“Kodomo-Takushoku” program was launched in Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo. A model for combating child poverty through the collaboration of NPOs and government, has been a success, attracting attention from local governments and private organizations across the country.

 

Taking advantage of the expansion of support for food delivery to needy families in various regions, we established the “Kodomo-Takushoku-Ouendan”（Food delivery program for children and families network in Japan） to implement the “Kodomo-Takushoku” in various regions.

 

The mission of “Kodomo-Takushoku-Ouendan” is to install the “Kodomo-Takushoku” Model across the country!

 

To this end, we support the establishment of models suitable for each area of the country.

 

We provide local governments and local support groups across the country with the know-how necessary to operate the program and support the creation of a mechanism to secure financial resources so that they can continue their support.

 

As a result of these activities, the “Kodomo-Takushoku” has expanded to 29 organizations across the country, mainly in the Kyushu and Okinawa regions, and as many as 2,600 families with children have been connected through these model.

 

 

Making “Kodomo-Takushoku” a sustainable system! Struggling to become a national policy.

 

In order for these activities to continue, each municipality needs to make a budget for it.

 

“Kodomo-Takushoku-Ouendan” is working with the national and local governments to have this support model recognized as a national system.

 

In September 2020,  “Parliamentary-Association for the Promotion of Kodomo-Takushoku”  was established.

 

Following the inclusion of the “Kodomo-Takushoku” in the second supplementary budget for fiscal 2020, we are calling for financial support to be included in the second supplementary budget for fiscal 2021.

 

 

“Furusato-Nouzei” allowing people to choose how they want to spend their taxes

 

All of the funds needed for the “Kodomo-Takushoku” such as labor and transportation costs are covered by the organization and donations. “Kodomo-Takushoku-Ouendan” is pushing for that to become a national policy, but it will take some time to become a reality.

 

Until it becomes a national program, we will continue our activities for a few years using the donations of “Furusato-Nouzei” entrusted to us by people all over the country. Therefore, we are asking you to support us by using it.

 

There is no return gift, but everything we do will lead to the realization of a society that does not overlook the “hardships of parents and children”.

 

Normally, it is difficult to see where the tax money you pay is going, but by using “Furusato-Nouzei”, you can choose how you want to spend it.

 

While the gifts you receive as returns are attractive, why not consider a form of “solutions to social problems” as well?

 

The reason why donations to “Kodomo-Takushoku-Ouendan” are a home tax payment to Saga Prefecture

 

In fact, the first time the “Kodomo-Takushoku” program, which was so successful in Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo, was launched in a rural area, it was in Saga Prefecture.

 

Saga Prefecture is an “advanced NPO area” for civic activities. They are actively trying to attract not only in the prefecture but also outside of it.

 

We are working to expand the “Kodomo-Takushoku” project from Saga Prefecture to the rest of the country, and all donations to this government crowdfunding campaign will be used to support nationwide support activities regardless of the area.

 

Your donation is a step toward changing society.

 

In addition to economic growth, we need to think about a sustainable society in the future.

 

In order to make the world a better place for everyone to live, it is important to talk to and support each other.

 

 “Kodomo-Takushoku” is a mechanism to ensure that the children of the future do not suffer from poverty and that every parent and child can speak up when they have a difficult time.

 

Why don’t you participate in the activity to spread this system across the country with your donation? Your warm support is the first step toward building a society where people can raise their children with peace of mind.

 

Please cooperate with the “Kodomo-Takushoku-Ouendan”.