Elizabeth Sanders Home

Today is the anniversary of the end of WW2. Japanese Prime Minister Koizumi visited Yasukuni shrine and it is becoming a big hot topic now. Of course China and Korea are making a big deal of it. By the way, I agree with his visiting Yasukuni shrine, better to say I don't think he need to avoid doing.

I watched a TV drama based on the true story about the founder of Elizabeth Sanders Home, the late Mrs. Miki Sawada.

She founded Elizabeth Sanders Home for half-blooded orphan children after WW2, the Allied Occupation forces came to Japan. Japan was very very poor at that time so many women sold sex to American servicemen for survival. And many American servicemen raped Japanese women. So there were many half-blooded children. At that time, half-blood were discriminated terribly so many women despaired their half-blooded children's future. Many of them repudiated their children and those children died.

So Mrs. Sawada founded the orphan home for such children. She grew up in a very rich family but managing the home required much money so she relinquished her all property and rushed around trying to raise funds. Many Japanese looked at them coldly, and the Allied Occupation forces also do so calling those children "American's embarrassment ".

During watching the drama, I couldn't stop crying.

I always think I want to do activities to help poor children in the world. Mrs. Sawada had very strong mind. I need to be more like her

If the world were a village of 100 people Part 4

I watched the TV program "If the world were a village of 100 people, Part 4" today.

It featured 3 children this time. One of them was a 9-year-old boy who was a street children in Ukraine. He escaped from his father's violence. He has HIV because of his father who is a drug addict.

He asked a Japanese reporter if she was hungry and eats food he had. He had food... probably it was not food for Japanese. And it was today's first food for him. But he considered her who probably has never have trouble eating. He also was worried about his younger sister who was in an orphanage. He said he hoped his sister didn't spend life like him and want her to go to school and spend normal life, he also wanted to go to school. I couldn't stop crying.

He is always running away from police. If he is taken into protective custody by police, he will be taken to the orphanage, and end up with going back to home where violent father is in. TV program staff tried to talk him into going hospital but he adamantly refused to do.

There are many street children who escaped from their family's violence. They have only 2 choices, being street children or living with violent family? Why country doesn't protect them?

There are many children who are under harsh situation. Many associations act for helping them. But I think the root of the whole problem is "country (government)". Each country must take appropriate policies to resolve this problem.

In Japan, there are no street children, no child labor, every child can go to school... although until about 60 years ago, many poor children couldn't go to school and did heavy work.
Why did Japan could make present good, and rare situations?

Japanese TV sometimes airs the program like this. And then? Is that all? For what purpose did they air those? Most Japanese who watched the program feel "poor thing!". That's all.
Japan (including me) should DO something.

Engaging in the humanitarian assistance

I watched the movie "Beyond Borders" on TV although it was aired midnight, because I'm thinking about engaging in the humanitarian international relief operations. Like I wrote on this blog before, I want to do activities to help children go to school.

At the price of yourself, even your life, can you support others? I don't have confidence at all.
When I see children (people) who are under harsh and terrible conditions, tears always came into my eyes. That's not good. At least, I must be stronger to engage in the activities.

By the way, the filmmaker of "Beyond Borders" might have described the heroine Angelina Jolie performed as a brave woman. But on reflection, wasn't she just selfish? I felt bad for her husband. Haha