On July 1, 2023, we were interviewed by Tokyo Metropolitan Foundation “TSUBAGARI.” While the group was shown the wheelchairs at our Haijima warehouse, President Morita answered interviews from the foundation members.
As a policy partner of the Tokyo Metropolitan Government, the foundation “to realize a society where each and every citizen can shine, we work to revitalize local communities by promoting the creation of an intercultural society where foreign residents are supported, a volunteer culture is established and town and resident associations play core community roles, “according to the foundation’s website.
As its specific activity, as part of its information provision to foreign residents and their supporters, as well as people interested in multicultural activities, the Foundation publishes articles in both English and Japanese on organizations and groups involved in multicultural activities. This time, our NGO was selected as the subject of the introduction and the interview was conducted.
During the interview, President Morita was asked about how he came to send wheelchairs overseas, how he gathered his friends, and how he found the recipients. Morita said that he started the NGO with the support of many people around him, including his own cancer experience and friends in the community, and that the NGO is celebrating the 20th anniversary thanks to lots of supporters.
Using a wheelchair in the warehouse, he also explained the difference between a wheelchair for adults and a wheelchair for children, especially that a wheelchair for children is a “medical device” and therefore essential for children’s growth, including his own experience in raising a child with disabilities.
The article based on this interview is scheduled to be published in the “Close Up” section of the Foundation’s “TIPS (Tokyo Metropolitan Government Multiculturalism Portal Site)” in September 2023. We will report it again when the article is published.
July 3, 2023 Secretariat
(Left)President Morita, interviewed at the entrance of the warehouse.
(Right)Members of the foundation who came for this interview.
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Mr. Abebe, an Ethiopian who has been a longtime participant in our activities, also appears in the Foundation’s article.
The article, titled “Activities to Support Ethiopians Living and Working in Japan and to Deepen Exchange between Japan and Ethiopia,” describes the Foundation’s support for Ethiopians living in Ethiopian countries and in Tokyo.
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