On August 18, 2024, we had a monthly meeting and there were many groups coming. One of the Vietnamese group participants spoke to us, “My son has a lower limb disability and needs a wheelchair. We are currently in the process of applying to the Japanese government office, but have been told that it will be a year at the earliest before we can get a wheelchair. Could you please provide us with a wheelchair from your warehouse that you think would be suitable for my son?”
After discussing with the chairperson, we came to the conclusion that although Japanese assistance would be available in the future, if it would take more than a year, providing a wheelchair to foreign residents in Japan until then would not go against the main purpose of our NGO’s activities.
We immediately asked about the child’s size and searched for a wheelchair that might be a good candidate. Fortunately, we found a beautiful wheelchair that was unused and in brand new condition. After the activity, the mother pushed the wheelchair home. She was very happy. She said, “Now my child can move around freely. Thank you so much.”
Although this donation was an unprecedented case, it has become the consensus of our NGO to “provide wheelchairs to children overseas, even in cases like this one.” We are sure that the Japanese mothers who have been donating wheelchairs to our NGO with the promise that we will deliver the wheelchairs to children overseas will agree.
We would like to deliver as many disused wheelchairs as possible to children overseas.
September 2, 2024 Secretariat
From the mother, we received a photo of her smiling child in a wheelchair.
He seems really happy. This is the bond that our regular meeting activities have brought us together.
(Click on the photo to enlarge)