Appreciation of UNHCR's activities (UNHCRの活動に対する評価)

 It was a day filled with appreciation when I received a letter from United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR). The UNHCR is a United Nations agency dedicated to protecting and supporting refugees and, in certain cases, internally displaced persons. I remember the day I was invited to donate for UNHCR, and the fliers and letter I received today reminded me of their best efforts for the refugees. 

The primary mandate of UNHCR is to safeguard the rights and well-being of refugees. Refugees are individuals who have been forced to flee their home countries due to persecution, war, or violence. UNHCR works to ensure that refugees are provided with basic human rights and protection. This includes the right to seek asylum, access to healthcare, education, and the right to work. The organization provides essential humanitarian assistance to refugees, including shelter, food, water, and healthcare. They often work in collaboration with governments and other humanitarian organizations. UNHCR seeks durable solutions for refugees, which typically involve one of three options: voluntary repatriation to their home country when it becomes safe, local integration into the host country, or resettlement in a third country. UNHCR engages in advocacy and diplomatic efforts to promote international cooperation and support for refugees. They work with governments, NGOs, and other partners to address the root causes of displacement and to find lasting solutions. UNHCR plays a crucial role in responding to emergencies, such as conflict or natural disasters, that result in the displacement of people. They provide rapid assistance to meet the immediate needs of those affected. UNHCR also works to prevent and reduce statelessness, advocating for legal frameworks and policies that protect individuals from becoming stateless. 

The organization operates globally, working in various regions to address the diverse challenges faced by refugees. UNHCR is funded by voluntary contributions from governments, intergovernmental organizations, and the private sector. The work of UNHCR is critical in addressing the humanitarian needs of displaced populations and finding sustainable solutions to their plight.

Volunteering at Persatuan Kebajikan Rakan Lutheran in Selangor, Malaysia August 2023 (マレーシア、セランゴール州のペルサトゥアン・ケバジカン・ラカン・ルーテルでのボランティア活動 2023年8月)

Nothing is more special than spending time and sharing blessings with less fortunate individuals. It was a bright sunny day in Selangor, Malaysia that we were given the chance to spread love and kindness to the humble and well-brought-up kids at Persatuan Kebajikan Rakan Lutheran. Persatuan Kebajikan Rakan Lutheran is a charity organization with orphaned kids with mainly Indian community. While I and my friend were volunteering with the Soup Kitchen activity the other day, we happened to come across and had a chance to speak with Ms. Hasna, our newly found friend from Saudi Arabia. It was a great opportunity to meet and have found a supportive friend from the Middle Eastern part of Asia.  We showed her the materials and foods that we would be using at the orphanage and also shared the location after we arrived.

We first did the Paper Tower Game wherein the kids were asked to collaborate and build the highest tower they could build with the help of the recycled papers we provided to them. It was nice to see the team work of the kids with smile on their faces. 

We also introduced the Welcome to the World game and we had the opportunity to learn more from Saudi Arabia's culture and traditions too in addition to Japan's. 

While we were doing the Thanksgiving Plate activity, I took a hidden shot of my friend and later shared the photo with her recognizing her dedication with the paper plate game/activity. The kids also were given the chance to explain and expound why they chose the photos on their plate and why they were thankful of those selected photos too. 

Finally, we distributed the prizes based from the total scores that Ms. Hasna and Mr. Ryoma gathered after deliberating and tallying all the scores. Indeed, it was a memorable and exciting experience for us. A donation was also provided to the head of Lutheran Orphanage to express our gratitude for us to have the opportunity to share our blessings with the orphaned kids. 

Volunteering at Hiroshima from July 22-23, 2023 (2023年7月22日～23日広島でボランティア)

I was given the opportunity to take part and collaborate with an organization called Miyagi Recovery Assistance Center of Miyagi. Their organization was founded four days after the March 11th, 2011 Earthquake that devastated the Tohoku Region and have organized efforts in the Miyagi Prefecture, the Fukushima Prefecture and the Iwate Prefecture to assist with recovery efforts and to provide emotional/psychological support to the children who have been affected by the disaster.

Many children were affected psychologically by the aftermath of the 2011 Disaster. As an attempt to re-instill hope and happiness in the lives of children in Japan, their organization began organizing this International Cultural Exchange English Camp from 2012, involving 100 elementary school children and 30 volunteers from across the world. Up until the year of 2016, we held camps in Miyagi, Tokyo, Saitama and Kanagawa. Thanks to the continued support we’ve gotten from across Japan, we now hold camps in Fukushima, Shizuoka, Aichi and Osaka as well. Hundreds of children participate in our camps every year, and a portion of the money raised annually is used to continue hosting these camps. (We also invite 10 children from the regions affected by the disaster free of charge) We continue to host these events for many reasons:

1. To invite children who live in temporary housing or have been forced to relocate from their homes due to the natural disaster to our camps for free

2. To hold international exchange events in elementary schools

3. To remind the community of the reality concerning natural disasters in Japan

4. To encourage cultural exchange and internationalization

It was a great experience to be part of their amazing programs and for this reason, when I heard that they were short of volunteers during that time, I reached out and decided to visit the beautiful place of Hiroshima to give a helping hand. We did many exciting activities including exchanging name cards, playing with water gun, bonfire and many more. Before we started the day, we had a meeting with other Japanese and international volunteer leaders. After the discussion and prepping up, we ended the meeting hand stacking our hands. 

We started off with checking the number of kids and gathering all of them inside the camp's gym. 

We also learned from the presentation slides prepared by the camp's staff as part of safety and protocols. We also were notified of the insects to be aware and careful for when we have activities outside. 

 

After the orientation, we did our first activity of exchanging name cards with other kids and groups. This helped to break the ice among the volunteers and also the staffs and kids. After the said activity, we had our lunch together. 

Afterwards, we head over to the next activity which was the water gun activity. All the kids had a blast and all of us were really wet, indeed. 

We also had a bonfire with kids and danced with some English songs too. 

After the bonfire activity, we had a scary and spooky night with kids wherein we wore some scary outfits. Haha. I think I did an excellent job on this one. 😂

After all the activities that we took part in, we made sure that the room was tidy and that the bed sheet, mattress and pillows were properly arranged. 

After all the activities that we took part in, we made sure that the room was tidy and that the bed sheet, mattress and pillows were properly arranged. 

Volunteering at LightHouse Orphanage (ライトハウス孤児院でのボランティア活動)

We had the opportunity to connect and collaborate with our newest friends from Nigeria, Kenya and Japan who are now living in Malaysia. With their contribution and valuable time, we were able to motivate the orphaned kids at Lighthouse Children Welfare Home Association situated at 115, Jalan Cenderai, Bangsar, 59100 Kuala Lumpur, Wilayah Persekutuan Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. We started the session with the "Building Tower" game which enabled the kids to establish teamwork within their groupmates.  

We also played the "Welcome to the World" Game wherein the kids had the chance to learn about different cultures, trivia and traditions from differents parts of the globe including Japan, Philippines, Nigeria, Malaysia and Kenya. 

We also had a bit of a chitchat and snack time in between the games to get to know each other. It was really valuable to all of the kids stories and it encourages us to do more of these activities moving forward. 

We also did the "Thanksgiving Plate" game wherein each kid was given a piece of plate with different cutout images of life, dogs, trees, foods and many more. They were asked to choose which of these photos they are thankful for and each group was interviewed of why they chose those pictures. It was amazing to listen and hear their genuine answers. Lastly, we announced the winners and had a group shot summarizing the happy and everlasting memories we had with them. 

Thank you to Mr. Abdou, my university friend from the same alma mater(Ritsumeikan University) for introducing me to Mr. El from Mahsa University which opened new opportunities and enabled us to meet our new friends: Ms. Khadijah, Ms. Akifa and Mr. Ryoma. Thank you all for your support and kindness in making this volunteer project possible and fruitful! Thank you also to Mr. Steven for giving us the opportunity to spearhead our English Volunteer Activity with their spectacular kids. Special thanks to Mr. Ryoma for sponsoring the foods, drinks and the one-time donation.