On February 11, 2024, we had another pleasant weather for activity. Tha partcipants of the day were Sagami Women’s University group, Tama Technical High School group, general volunteers, wheelchair professionals, and staff:16 in total. To read more,,,
A mother visited Thailand.
On October 14, 2023, “a mother” in Toyama prefecture delivered two children’s wheelchairs to my house in Fussa, by driving herself. The wheelchairs had been used by her daughter, who passed away two years before.
“I do want to see the children who will use these wheelchairs. If they are sent to Thailand, I can go there. Is it possible to send them to Thailand?” she asked. That’s the beginning of the Mother Project.
Our current partner in Thailand is mainly RICD, and we decided to tell RICD about the mother. We asked if they could follow up on the two recipients of the wheelchairs and if it would be possible for the donor mother to meet the children later.
Mr. Joey Tell, manager of the Wheelchair Project in RICD, gave us consent by saying, “This is a very touching story and we will be doing whatever we can to help on our end.”
Instead of sending the mother alone, we decided to send our director and his wife to support her. Though our NGO has sent wheelchairs to RICD so far, there have been no meetings between representatives of each group.
In addition to the supportive role of the Mother Project, we decided to take this opportunity to make a formal courtesy call to the RICD by the director.
For RICD, which handles many wheelchairs, it must have taken a special effort to give two wheelchairs special treatment. However, it is wonderful that our NGO and RICD were able to make this Mother Project a reality.
February 18, 2024 Hirokazu Morita
<Mother with children who received wheelchairs>
(Left) 11-year-old boy on the donated wheelchair.
The right side of his body is a little limp.
(Right) 6-year old girl on the other donated wheelchair.
Almost blind, but full of energy.
<Mother’s comments>
Thanks to the Mother Project, I was able to meet the children who received the wheelchairs. It was worth the long trip to Thailand. It’s all thanks to RICD and the Wheelchair Sending NGO.
Although it was a short stay, this trip to Thailand was an unforgettable experience for me. Thank you very much.
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We made a tour of the container yard.
On February 1, 2024, we visited the container terminal of CMA CGM JAPAN Co., marine transport company in Honmoku. It was the second time for us to visit the container yard with Sagami Women’s University students. There were 11 participants this time: 8 Sagami Women’s University students, 2 general volunteers, and 1 board member.
The company’s container terminal is located at a place called Honmoku D4 Terminal, where participants gathered at Kannai Station on the JR Negishi Line and were taken to the terminal by the company’s microbus.
The tour consisted of the following, and lasted 2.5 hours with lunch in between.
1. Tour of the terminal premises in a microbus
(the premises are spacious, so the tour was conducted by bus)
2. Introduction of the basics of container transport and the company’s
business in the office
3. Discussion between two of the company’s young employees and students
from Sagami Women’s University
The tour of the premises took us into areas that are normally inaccessible, where we were introduced to the ships that call at the port, the huge cranes, and an explanation of the types of containers stacked high in the yard and the meaning of their movement within the premises.
As for the basics of container transport, the attendant explained it in an easy-to-understand manner, using as a case study a wheelchair that we had cleaned and maintained. She explained how containers are transported by truck to the yard, cleared through customs, and loaded onto ships. She also explained that more than 90% of marine transportation is done by containers and the company’s position in the global shipping industry.
Following lunch, two of the company’s young employees and Sagami Women’s University students were divided into two groups for a small round-table discussion. The main topic of discussion was their experiences and impressions regarding job hunting. The two employees of the company politely answered the active questions from the students. This round-table discussion was one of the most popular among the students during this visit.
When the tour was over, we were once again taken by microbus to Kannai Station. We received generous hospitality from many of the company’s employees. We’d like to express our heartfelt thanks to all of them.
Thank you very much.
February 7, 2024 Secretariat
〇Impressions from Sagami Women’s University students after the tour
It was a very valuable experience for us to be allowed to enter places we would not normally be able to see and to hear from employees. In particular, we were given the opportunity to speak with second-year graduates in the form of a round-table discussion, which was a great opportunity for both third-year students who are currently job hunting and second-year students who are just starting their job hunting.
By participating in the tour today, we learned about a world we had never known before, and by hearing how wheelchairs are transported outside of Japan, we feel that we have broadened our possibilities and horizons. It also made us feel more committed to the wheelchair project.
Thank you to everyone at CMA CGM JAPAN Co.!
〇The tour went like this.
(Left) A projector was used to explain the container yard and the shipping business.
(Right) Sagami Women’s University students ask questions in two groups around two employees who have been with the company for two years. The Q&A session was held in a small group, so it was a meaningful meeting for the students.
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Meeting under mild weather for midwinter.
We had a meeting under mild weather for midwinter. The participants of the day were Sagami Women’s University group, Vietnamese group, general volunteers, and staff members: 16 in total. To read more,,,
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The first meeting of 2024.
We held the first meeting of 2024. Although the morning temperature was cold at 4°C (39°F), once the sun began to rise, it was close to 10°C (50°F) and there was no wind, making the weather mild and comfortable to work. To read more,,,
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Happy New Year!
With the support of many of you, we were able to deliver about 450 wheelchairs to overseas children in 2023. (January – December, 2023)
This is all thanks to special schools providung us with wheelchairs and parents bringing us their used wheelchairs, voluntary members coming to join our refurbishing activities, and companies, organizations and inidividuals making donations to us. Thank you for always supporting us. I thank you from the bottom of my heart.
Since last year, the All-Japan Project for Ukraine, a joint effort of related groups, has sent more than 100 children’s wheelchairs to Ukraine from our NGO. Overall, the project has sent over 1,000 wheelchairs to Ukraine, including the fifth shipment. I pray that even in the harsh environment of war, both adults and children will find some joy in being able to move around, even if only a little.
I think about children’s wheelchairs 365 days a year. I cannot separate it from my life. It is very difficult, but I try to understand the minds of children with disabilities. Based on the children’s feelings, we are promoting the sending of wheelchairs to children living in distant foreign countries where we may never actually see them. The important thing is that we want the wheelchairs to not only support the children’s bodies, but also enrich their minds.
Recipient children need assistance afterwards. This is a problem that becomes apparent when the children grow up and need to change wheelchairs. A long-term commitment to those children must be the most important thing. We are still searching for ways in which we can provide continuous support. We will continue to move forward little by little while thinking of concrete plans. We want to take good care of the children’s hearts.
I try to give the utmost consideration so that those who participate can work together with their hearts. I’d like to resonate with the heart and send wheelchairs with approval and cooperation. The heart, which is all invisible to the eye, is the starting point of our activities. The motto that I cherish in managing our NGO is “Harmony is the key to success. Without the combined efforts of everyone involved in the NGO and your help, I cannot realize my goal of sending wheelchairs to children who are unable to move.
Our challenge will continue as we work to solve problems. Thank you for your continued support this year.
January 1, 2024 Hirokazu Morita
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The fifth shipment for Ukraine departed Tokyo Port.
The All-Japan Project for Ukraine, which started by Mr. and Mrs. Kimura, journalists living in London, has sent five shipments to Ukraine. Six organizations in total have cooperated with the project. Our NGO took part in the second, third, and fifth shipments. The total number of children’s wheelchairs from our NGO is 101, and the total number of units shipped as an All-Japan Project is 1,095.
The fifth shipment of 280 units(40 from our NGO), loaded into the container on December 19, departed Tokyo port on December 30. It is expected to arrive in Poland around February 15, and from there, the wheelchairs will be transported overland to Ukraine.
According to Kimura, Japanese wheelchairs donated to Ukraine so far have already been delivered to and used by children at the National Children’s Hospital in Kiev, elderly and disabled people and at a nursing home in the village of Ivankiv near Kiev, wounded soldiers at a public hospital in western Ternopil region, children at a children’s hospital and orphanage, and evacuees from Lysychansk city.
This brings the total number of units donated to Ukraine to 113, including 12 units in October 2022 (our own project). The total number of units sent abroad so far is 9,665. Click here to view the graph of donation result.
Detailed scenes from the first four shipments can be seen on the website of journalist Kimura, the initiator of the All-Japan Project.
The wheelchairs for the fifth shipment to Ukraine were provided by lots of special schools and other individuals.
December 31, 2023 Secretariat
Container loading took place on December 19 at the Ohi Office of the Tokyo Terminal Department of Sankyo Unyu Co. The wheelchair with yellow tape wrapped around it is thought to be the one from our NGO.
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We had CMA CGM Japan coming to join our meeting.
On December 10, we had CMA CGM Japan K.K. coming to join our meeting besides the regular Sagami Women’s University group, voluntary members, and the staff; 26 in total. To read more,,,
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A cold day for the activity.
On November 26, the coldest day of the year, we had a regular meeting with Sagami Women’s University group, Vietnamese group, Tama Technical High School teachers, voluntary members; 23 participants in total. To read more,,,
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Fussa Blues Festival was held.
Under a crisp autumn sky, the annual Blues Concert was held on November 5. The venue for this year’s event was the large parking lot of Maru Fuji supermarket near Higashi Fussa Station on the JR Hachiko Line.
The Fussa Blues Festival was established in 2006 by Yahachiro Ishikawa, the owner of the Ishikawa Brewery, who called on musicians to support the activities of our NGO. This is the 16th time the event has been held, with well-known professional musicians participating in blues performances.
More than 30 musicians performed a few songs each in support of the festival’s objectives, and the audience of more than 200 people was unified and very excited.
In between performances, Yahachiro Ishikawa, executive committee chairperson Chicco Soma, and Morita spoke about the reality of children with disabilities overseas and the importance of support from Japan. With a wheelchair, a child can go outside, breathe in good air, and lead a healthier life despite his or her disability.
The Festival Executive Committee greatly enlivened the atmosphere at the venue by producing and selling original T-shirts. They also passed around a donation box for our NGO to all visitors. It was a day of seeing, hearing, drinking, and fun.
I would like to take this opportunity to thank everyone involved. See you next year.
November 17, 2023 Hirokazu Morita
Mr. Yahachiro Ishikawa, head of the Ishikawa Brewery(left), and Morita(right) greeted the guests.
From left, Ishikawa Yahachiro, head of Ishikawa Sake Brewery, Morita, and Chicco Soma, chairperson of the executive committee.
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