Countdown to the 50th Consecutive Donation: No. 28 – Japan 08/10/2009

Carillon Children’s House was established as the first children’s shelter in Japan by Carillon Children Center in March 2006. With a focus on nurturing self-reliance, the Center now hosts facilities for both boys and girls, respectively known as Carillon Door’s House (TOBIRA no IE) and Carillon Sunset Villa (Yuyake So).

Carillon Children Center’s Ms. Karin Tsuboi said, “These boys have been mistreated over long periods from a very young age, in some cases living with parents who themselves suffered from mental illness and other problems. Some of them at times fell in with organized crime as an escape. First and foremost, we work to understand the difficulties the boys have faced and show them how to live independently. Children raised in the shelter are able to set firm goals for the future, gradually finding work and becoming self-reliant.”

The presentation was held in the hotel lobby with Mrs Tsubio (director of the charity and a lawyer in Tokyo) and Dot Wilson in attendance.  Importantly, Dot had the big cheque she’d ported half the way across the globe.  Photographs were taken, hands were shaken and speeches were made.

Mrs Tsubio was astonished that a group of football fans would do such a thing, and equally astonished as to how we had found her little charity.  The money, she told us, would go to the general running of the charity, buying food, school books, clothes for the children that would pass through their hands.  “Because people think that Japan is a wealthy country, it can be hard to raise funds”, she said. “Foreign companies are quite good, but Japanese companies want to see what ‘thing’ their money has bought. Getting money for the general running was difficult and the Sunshine Appeal donation would be put to very good use”.  Full Story Here…

Everywhere We Go!