Tamai Featured on NHK World
Ashinaga is proud to announce that our President and Founder, Yoshiomi Tamai, was featured on NHK World on January 26.
“We provide financial aid, to the children of low-income, single-mother households. Families where, for example, the mother has to work two or even three jobs a day, just to provide the basics for her kids. They have their backs up against the wall, and they are beset by worry. In the 50 years, I’ve been doing this. In giving financial aid to children in need, we’ve never experienced such a grave situation as the current one.” Tamai said in the NHK interview.
To respond to the financial instability caused by the pandemic, Ashinaga issued two emergency relief funds amounting to a total of 24 million USD. The first was issued in April when President Tamai decided to give ¥150,000 to all families with students receiving support from Ashinaga. In November, after seeing the devastating results of the survey and the prolonged financial impact of the pandemic on families, Ashinaga issued the second transfer of ¥200,000 per family.
Bi-annual street fundraising (bokin) in Japan has been moved online due to COVID restrictions, significantly lessening Ashinaga’s income. Both Japanese and AAI Scholars started online fundraisers for Global 100 Challenge Autumn/Winter, for 100 days from November 1 to February 8, to support orphaned children around the world.
Talking about bokin, Tamai says; “At first, the kids don’t understand why they have to ask people for money in public. It’s because they’re receiving financial aid, they say it’s embarrassing for them. ‘You’ve got it wrong,’ I tell them, ‘That isn’t your money. It’s not just for orphaned kids. You’re showing the public you’re resolved, despite the financial circumstances. You’re advocating for yourselves. You’re getting people to understand. And feel a connection with you and others like you. As that connection and understanding grows, you begin to have an impact on public policy’.”
To hear more about Ashinaga’s activities, learn about the Ashinaga Africa Initiative, and the Kyoto Kokorozashi Juku plan, please watch the full video on NHK World’s website, available until January 26, 2022.
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