Ashinaga Senegal, in collaboration with Jokkokids, organized its second activity with the scholars from the Senegal Primary School Scholarship Program. The activity gathered the children for two days at the Ashinaga Senegal Kokoro Juku and focused on the theme “From Storytelling to Coding “.

On the 7th of August, Dr. Lassina Zerbo, member of Kenjin Tatsujin Council and Executive Secretary at Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty Organization (CTBTO) paid a visit to Ashinaga’s main office in Tokyo. Dr. Zerbo took part in the Hiroshima Peace Memorial Ceremony on the 6th of August and has been just been bestowed with a status of honorary citizen by the city of Hiroshima. In response to congratulations from President Tamai, Dr. Zerbo said, “I am very honored to receive the title of honorary citizenship from Hiroshima city. We have been supporting victims of the atomic bomb so that they could live a stable life in peace and it seems to me that our activity is closely tied to president Tamai’s support of young people. That’s because there is no future for the young generation without peace. I am well aware that Ashinaga has continued their activities for over 50 years and am truly honored to be a member of the Kenjin Tatsujin Council. From now on, too, I would like to participate in this movement, inspiring young people.”

Opening up the world for Tohoku students

The Ashinaga Junior English Camp is an international English education program taking place in the Philippines for elementary- and middle-school-age students from the Tohoku region, which was affected by natural disaster in 2011. English proficiency is a key skill in today’s globalized world, yet Japanese students still lag far behind many other highly developed countries. This is partly due to a lack of exposure to English speakers, and English education in Japan being heavily focused on grammar and reading comprehension instead of speaking and communication.

Matching action with data

A key part of Ashinaga’s work is understanding the academic and financial challenges orphaned students face. Our research then becomes the basis for the support we provide as well as what we campaign for.

Ashinaga’s research and activism was key in the formation of Japan’s 2014 Childhood Poverty Act, which looks to increase government support for children and guardians in one-parent households.

Ashinaga began 50 years ago with orphaned students advocating on their own behalf. This rich tradition of activism continues today. Student-led activism is a powerful means for conveying the situation of orphaned students to the general public and is central in fostering the qualities of leadership and teamwork in Ashinaga students.

Letting orphaned young people know that they are not alone

Every summer, at nine locations across Japan, Ashinaga students gather for four days of games, bonding, and contemplation. Tsudoi has been taking place for over 40 years and is a core component of Ashinaga’s identity. For the approximately 1,700 high school and 650 university students that participate every year, tsudoi is a transformative point in their lives at which they develop a tight-knit social circle and reflect upon their kokorozashi—the future ambitions for their life.