Since October 2020, our working base has moved to a new warehouse in Fussa. We’ve had a mini-meeting twice there mainly with Sagami Women’s University group and Tama Technical High School group, but we couldn’t cover these activities so there’s no report on them. To read more,

  On November 5, I paid a courtesy visit to the mayor of Fussa, Mr. Ikuo Kato. During the visit, I told him that our activities have been supported by many volunteers, companies, private funds, and the government, adding that we have been donating 8,500 wheelchairs to children in 24 countries for 16 years. I also told him that the Council of Social Welfare of Fussa has been of a great help to us and various kinds of assistance from Fussa city has enabled us to donate such large number of wheelchairs to overseas children. Then I promised him that we would continue our activities even harder after we move our working base from Hamura to Fussa city with the great help of ISHIKAWA BREWERY Co.,Ltd.

  The mayor said, “I have known about your NGO since the very beginning and I think your activities considering overseas children are great. I am proud of your having worked for 16 years. Good for you and good luck with your NGO! I am the one supporting you.”

We talked only for a short while but it was a meaningful visit for me.

 The mayor, Mr. Kato(right) and me(Morita).

  The ship loaded with 180 wheelchairs for Myanmar left Tokyo port on October 8, expecting to reach Yangon Port via Port Klang in Malaysia around October 28. The number of wheelchairs donated to Myanmar is going to be 495 in total. 180 wheelchairs are to be provided for four hospitals in affiliation with Myanmar Department of Health; National Rehabilitation Hospital, Yangon Children Hospital, Yankin Children Hospital, and Mandalay children Hospital. The Donation record graph is from here.

  We had difficulty in refurbishing wheelchairs for Myanmar this time due to the spread of New Coronavirus. We had planned 90 wheelchair donation at first, but we were asked to donate more as there are four hospitals which need wheelchairs for their patients. In order to meet their request, we held a mini-meeting several times with many volunteers’ support and finally we made it.

  It was Vietnamese group who played an important part in both cleaning and refurbishing work in those mini-meetings. There were also Sagami Women’s University group, Ethiopian group, and dedicated voluntary members joining the activity. Plus, the members of NGO Youth Support Center, who have been a great support for us, helped to clean, refurbish, and pack so many wheelchairs. All this help made it possible for us to send 180 wheelchairs to Myanmar despite the new coronavirus. We’d like to express our gratitude to everyone who supported us.

  Before the ship’s departure, we did loading 180 wheelchairs into a container on September 29. As we wanted to avoid a big meeting, only a few people, employees of Tama Packing Company and our staff, did the loading work.

Putting wheelchairs stored in the warehouse on a pallet and loading them into the container.

Checking the number of each wheelchair and circling the number on the sheet, making it clear that 180 wheelchairs are surely loaded.

(Left) Putting boards in so that loads will not drop when the door is opened, and loading more wheelchairs.
(Right) Putting the red seal lock after finishing loading, sign of completion.

(Left) Today’s staff.
(Right) The container leaving for Tokyo port.

  September 13, a cool Sunday for a mini-meeting. The participants were Vietnamese group, Sagami Women’s University group, and voluntary members. We all took our temperature, sterilized our hands with alcohol, and started working with a mask on to prevent the new coronavirus infection.
To read more,

  August 30, another very hot day, we had kind of a ‘big’ mini-meeting: Ethiopian group and Vietnamese group, less than twenty participants in total 18.
To read more,

  While we’re having a mini-meeting with Vietnamese group, a father and mother from Yamanashi delivered a wheelchair and a sitting-position aid chair for us. Their daughter had grown out of the chairs and they’d been wondering what to do with them. Then they happened to find the website of our NGO.
  They called our president, Mr. Morita, and decided to deliver the chairs on the day of our mini-meeting, August 23. We told them we’re sure to take care and send them to Myanmar. Both the wheelchair and the sitting-position aid chair are so clean that they need no cleaning nor refurbishing. They say that the father was taking care of the chairs daily and did extra cleaning for this delivery. We feel really grateful to them.

　Father and mother, wheelchair, sitting-position aid chair, and Mr. Morita.

 
(Left) We made entry of the chairs right away. They are in very
good condition. They also have hoods for sunshade and rainproof.
(Right) Sitting-position aid.

  Since the new coronavirus has made us unable to do regular activities, we’ve continued to hold mini-meetings.
  On August 23, when the heat got a little less severe, the Vietnamese group joined our meeting. The three of them are quite helpful as their refurbishing skills have made great progress after they got instructions from Mr. Miyata of Wakuwaku Kobo. They did refurbishing work for Myanmar on that day. Thank you, the Vietnamese group!

The Vietnamese group members.

  On August 9, Sunday, we held a meeting in a small group. Mr. Miyata from Wakuwaku Kobo in Hanno came over to give us refurbishing instructions like the previous time. We did refurbishing work taking care of ourselves to prevent the new coronavirus and heat illness as well.
  We’d like to thank everyone coming today in such difficult conditions. The Myanmar project is going forward little by little. We appreciate your hard work. Thank you!

August 9, 2020    Secretariat

             
Voluntary members exchange front wheels under Mr. Miyata’s guidance.

(Left) There are a variety of tools. Mr. Miyata instructed us on the use of suitable tools.
(Right) Today’s participants.