“Poverty” is not an overseas-only issue…
One out of seven children in Japan are
suffering from “educational inequality and
difficult living conditions”.
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Were you aware that there are children in Japan that…
“Have no hope for the future”
“Cannot receive the necessary education”
“Are suffering with an inadequate standard of living”
Domestic violence, bullying, refusal to go to school…
Keiko, 15 years old, has been the tail end in the school achievement test for 3 years.
*All names used are pseudonyms
Keiko, is a second grader of junior high school living in Tokyo. She lives with a family on welfare, with her mother and two younger brothers.
In elementary school, her last name changed four times due to her parents’ divorce which caused her to be bullied, and she began refusing to go to school.
Mizuki, 9 years old. She only changes her clothes once a week,
and she cannot receive even a dental care.
*All names used are pseudonyms
Mizuki is a third grader in elementary school living in Tokyo. Her father rarely comes home. Her mother has a mild intellectual disability, and her lack of ability to raise a child became apparent as Mizuki grew older.
In fact,
The “poverty rate” of Japanese children in a single-parent household is the highest in developed countries!
One out of seven children in Japan are in a state of “poverty”.
Especially, one out of two children in a single-parent household is
suffering from “poverty”.
This is the worst rate among developed countries.
Poverty rate (%)
Living under “poverty”
Things people gave up because of
financial reasons
In the case of single-parent households, poverty refers to children living at a household income of around ¥ 140,000 or less per month. Not only these children cannot go to cram schools or take lessons, some cannot even go to see a doctor.
The relation between
poverty and academic ability
Data reveals that there is a high correlation between the household income (that you were born and raised in) and the educational background and lifetime income.
Without financial stability…
The child’s academic ability will not improve
Household income and a child’s test result (score out of 100)
It also results in low educational background
Percentage of students proceeding to university etc.
This causes an
income gap.
Lifetime income (¥)
Depending on educational background, lifetime earnings will be much different. The difference will be 80 million JPY for men, and 100 million JPY for women, in maximum.
Which means,
The wealth gap between families leads to the education gap of children,
Creating a vicious cycle that leads to child poverty.
To fundamentally solve this problem,
it is necessary to "improve children's academic ability".
Based on this idea, we are providing,
“Learning Support” for children.
1Learning Support project
For the “academic improvement” of children living under difficult circumstances, we operate a Terakoya (private school) to foster children’s independence.
Terakoya is run by dispatching three to five student management staff and six to ten student volunteer tutors at locations such as Katsushika and Sumida in Tokyo, Toda in Saitama Prefecture, and Tsukuba in Ibaraki Prefecture.
*2018 achievements: Operated 6 Terakoyas in Summer, 11 in Autumn
*For first grade elementary school students to third grade junior high students
Three promises of “Learning Support”
Promise1We will provide to children who are in real need.
We work with municipal caseworkers and board of education to deliver to children from welfare households or those who are truly in need.
Promise 2We will provide high quality and detailed education.
College student volunteer tutors are obliged to take over 50 hours of training developed by LFA. In addition, during the support period, a mentor (former student teacher) is assigned to each teacher. We have a system designed to continuously improve their teaching ability.
Promise 3We will achieve results!
Students are paired with the same tutors for each class, and we provide learning support for mainly “English” and “mathematics” once a week for 3 hours, on a 3-month period.
* Short-term intensive program (5-7 days) in August
* Mainly math for elementary school students
Learning Support accomplishments
Currently supporting around 1000 children per year
Average score improvement of 30 or more in academic achievement tests
100% of our students have proceeded to high school in the last 4 years
Voices of the children
I want to become a teacher at LFA when I become a university student.
Katsuya, junior high third grader
If it wasn’t for LFA, my first-choice high school would have been different. The tutors are so enthusiastic, and I thought that I had to repay them with my efforts. Also, as I interacted with the tutors, I gradually became unafraid to interact with adults.
I’ve started communicating with my mother after taking this class.
Miyuki, junior high second grader
When there is a difficult question, my mother and I try to solve it together. Sometimes I teach her what the answer is, and it makes me happy to be studying.I want to study more and do my best to help my mother in the future.
Voices of our partner school
Katsushika-ku Junior High School principal
In ordinary schools, children with low academic abilities tend to get abandoned. Until we partnered with LFA, our teachers ran supplementary classes after school, but there were limits to how much we can deal with the many students in need of educational support. Although we want to support them, there was no resource. However, with LFA filling in and providing the experience of “I can do it!”, “I understand!”, the children gain confidence which leads to academic achievements and willingness to learn. This results in an improved learning attitude at school.
In addition,
These children suffer from fundamental difficulties.
That is why we provide them a
“Comfortable place”.
2Comfortable Place Support project
Support to form a good lifestyle, meals,
study support, activities etc.
We provide a place where children can feel secure.
We support children’s lifestyle from a young age. With Comfortable Place Support, we provide a place where children with various difficulties can spend time comfortably.
What the children can get
A comfortable place to enjoy with everyone
Spending the time with staff and friends, children can build up their important lifestyle habits and sociability which can be a base of the growth.
Ability to learn deeply at their own pace
We provide an environment that responds to each child's ‘desire to learn’ and their interests, and form a habit and motivation to learn smoothly.
Playful activities and experiences / Meeting people that expands their world
We provide children a variety of experiences, including fun activities, experiments, creative activities, and interaction with university students and local people who can become their role models.
What Learning for All is committed to
Create the basis for healthy growth
We provide: support for children to form basic lifestyle such as handwashing, gargling and tooth brushing; learning support by watching over their homework; nutritionally balanced dinner; and a place for them to stay until 9pm.
Make each individual shine
We formulate support plans according to the issues and characteristics of each child and provide support that grows their strengths. In order to build up children's self-esteem, we visualize their strengths by displaying and filing their works, and send them cards to praise their nice actions.
Creating friends to
accept diversity
Specialized and experienced full-time staff gives consideration to children's feelings, and encourages children with various difficulties to recognize each other's strengths by thinking together.
Support the child AND
the family
Our support also looks into the time children spends at their home. The support plan takes into account the background of each child and works to resolve issues in their lives. We build trust with parents through daily communication and provide comprehensive support, for the family as well.
A day at the Children’s House
| 3:00-5:30pm | Free playtime |
| 5:30-6:30pm | Study / Reading |
| 6:30-7:30pm | Meal preparation / Meal / Tooth brushing |
| 7:30-9:00pm | Free playtime / Return home |
Voices of the children
Chifumi, elementary third grade
I’m happy that I can eat with my friends now, as I had to eat alone when I was at home.
Yuya, elementary second grade
I can play outdoors a lot and it’s so fun. They also help me with my homework so I’m starting to understand what’s being taught at school.
Influence on children
Voices of the parents
Voice of a student volunteer
2nd year of a Master's degree at
The University of Tokyo (at the time) Keisuke Nakanishi
There are parents who have to work late at night to earn their living expenses, students who have no time to study as they have to take care of their siblings, and schoolteachers who are too busy to give supplementary classes to children who need educational support. After meeting these people, I realized that “educational inequality” is by no means the fault of the parents, schools nor the children. LFA does not give up on this situation, and they take action to bring changes to education. They taught me its importance and value.
Please support us!
Through our "Learning Support" and "Children's House", children realize that there is a place where they belong, and that they can do whatever they set their mind to. They gradually mature, learn to be independent, and find hope for the future.
To end the vicious cycle of poverty, it is necessary for the children themselves to realize that they want to bring changes to their lives.
We are providing children infinite possibilities to change their future paths.
If you were looking for…
- A way to help children
- Somewhere your donations will do the most good
- Someone who is working hard that you want to support
Please join us as our supporter.
What we can do with your donation
With¥ 1,000per month
We can provide a one-hour worth of study to a child.
With¥ 3,000per month
We can provide a one-day worth of study to a child.
With¥ 10,000per month
One child can proceed to a high school each year.
Supporter benefits
① Activity report update
Through email, we will keep you posted about the activities of student volunteers and the results, such as how the children are developing.
② Invitation to special events
We will invite you to the supporters’ general meetings, and events such as celebration parties.
③ A visit to the sites and teacher training
Once a month, we conduct a tour of the Terakoya and the training of the volunteer tutors. For about two hours, you get to see how the children are being taught by the student tutors, and how the tutors learn during training (most visitors become positively emotional).
“Voices of the participants of the tour”
# It was so very well operated!
Companies should take a look!
# I was very impressed with how the students were working very hard, thinking about social issues!
Voices of the supporters
What I can do to bring a brighter future to children
Life insurance company employee
Masataka Saito
I learned about LFA when a Learning for All staff came to a study session at our company. I was shocked by the fact that Japan has the highest child poverty rate among OECD countries*. The activity of “supporting the bright future of children through education,” resonated with me, and I started donating. Although I’m not taking action directly, I'm taking part in solving the big problem of child poverty as a supporter.
*: For single-parent households
I was impressed to see how the college students were closely helping the children
Advertising agency employee
Yoriko Iida
I am currently raising my child while working. I wish I could do something to help the children myself, but I have no time. I am donating so that LFA will carry my wishes and provide support to children. When I visited the site, I was so impressed by the university student tutors who closely helped the children by being in their perspective, while pursuing their own ideal way of education. I will continue to support LFA!
Our message to you
We believe that children,
whatever difficulties they are going through, all have potential. Children who had negative views about their future, gradually becomes optimistic in our classroom and
begin to talk about their future, dreams and goals.
With your support from ¥ 33 a day, children's lives will change.
Let's build the future of children together!
Please support the children suffering from education inequality and tough living conditions.
Monthly supporter
From ¥ 33 per day,
you can support children that needs help.
FAQ
Q. How are the donations used?
Currently, Learning for All relies on short-term grants for much of its income. By 2020, we will need stable donation income, including those from our supporter members. The donation received is mainly used for transportation expenses for student volunteer tutors, for sketchbooks, files, textbooks, and venue expenses for public halls.
It is used to provide children with adequate education and living support.
Q. Can I unregister?
You can unregister at any time.
Please contact us by phone, e-mail or click on this link.
Q. Can tax deduction for charitable contributions be applied?
Learning for All is not a certified NPO.
Those who wish to claim tax deduction can apply by donating to Learning for All through the "Give One" system operated by the Public Resource Foundation.
In that case, please register from the link below.
Registration form:https://learningforall.or.jp/donate/giveone.html
* 1) Donations made through Give One will be used for the operation of the “Ecosystem Model for Child Support” project, a new project of Learning for All.
* 2) When registering, please make sure to check the boxes, "Share personal information with the organization" and "Request a receipt from the Foundation." We will not be able to send the supporter benefits without your personal information.
You will also need to submit a receipt while declaring your tax in order to receive tax deduction for your donation. If you wish to become a continuing member, please select "monthly".
* 3) Donations through Give One are subject to a fee, so it would be much appreciated if continuing members could register for ¥ 3,000 / month or more.
* 4) Please apply for declaration at the time of the final tax return. Please refer to this link for the tax deduction procedure.
Representative
Non-profit organization, Learning for All
Representative Director
Hyungsik Lee
While studying at the University of Tokyo, Lee became a member of Learning for All, which was at the time one of the projects of Teach For Japan (certified non-profit organization), and worked as a full-time staff and engaged in overall management for country-wide learning support operation. Subsequently, he set up Learning for All, and became the representative director of the non-profit organization. He also serves as the secretary of the “National Group Council of Child Poverty and Education Support”.
Message
Fundraising and Donor Communication staff
Eri Kurimoto
Thank you for visiting us. Since our launch in 2010 and becoming independent in 2015, we have been supporting many children in our aim to find the essential solution of "Child Poverty". Our activities are supported by approximately 400 university student volunteers every year. Providing free high-quality education and support to children under difficult circumstances require many expenses, such as training expenses for volunteer staff, transportation expenses, teaching materials expenses, venue expenses, and operating expenses for organizations that supports the activity. Since becoming independent, grants have been our major source of funding, but since it will be discontinued in 2019, we need many people's support to continue our activities beyond 2020. I believe that if you are visiting this page, you have some interest in child poverty and education. Your support would be very much appreciated. Children are full of possibilities and are precious beings that will shape the future of Japan. We want to build a warm society in Japan with many adults supporting the children.
Accomplishments
- * 1 The number of children who participated in the “Learning Support Project” and “Children's House Project” from 2011 to March 2018
- * 2 Programs for children who participated in the summer 2017 Learning Support program
- * 3 As of October 2018, currently cooperating with the following four bodies Tokyo: Sumida City Board of Education, Katsushika City Board of Education, Katsushika City Life and Welfare Division, Saitama Prefecture: Toda City Children and Family Division
Media coverage
NHK “Hiru-mae Hot”
Jan 23, 2017
“Japan Times” /
“Forbes Japan 30UNDER30”
Others Featured in Yomiuri Shimbun, Mainichi Shimbun, AERA (Asahi Shimbun Publications Inc.) etc.
Awards / Supporter companies, organizations
Won “Excellent NPO Award”
Sponsors and donations from multiple companies
Others Won Best 1 in “Reform Plan” of Kita-ku, Tokyo
Selected as the organization to be granted for “Toward a Bright Future – Supporting Children” by Daiwa Securities Group