English Information for our crowdfunding project

【Project Leader】

Harunobu Ariga, Natsuki Azami [Kids International Village Japan]

【Crowdfunding Period】 

October 1, - October 31, 2023 (Tue)

【Target Amount】

250,000 JPY (Japanese Yen) = 1675 USD, 1600EUR, 1387GBP, 95180PHP, 

【Rewards for International Donators】

All donors will receive an email. [You can request to receive KIV T-shirts in case you want, donate over 4000 yen and you are living in Japan] 

【How to donate】

https://readyfor.jp/projects/kidsinternationalvillage/announcements/289347

Donate 2,000 yen [Click here]

Donate 4,000 yen [Click here]

Donate 10,000 yen [Click here]

Donate 30,000 yen [click here]

Donate 50,000 yen [click here]

Donate 100,000 yen [click here]

 

My name is Harunobu Ariga, the Board of Directors of Kids International Village Japan, a non-profit organization.

 

In November 2017, we established KIV as a volunteer organization and started outdoor international exchange activities at Yoyogi Park in Tokyo in order to create opportunities for children to speak English and other languages with foreigners in a more familiar environment. 

Currently, we hold regular events and classes about 25 times a year at 8 locations in 5 prefectures based on 4 programs. 

 

The "Kids International Village" outdoor program, for which we are seeking donation this time, is a program that allows children to talk and play with foreigners at different parks throughout Japan. 

The program is an outdoor international exchange and English conversation program that provides an opportunity for children to meet, play, and talk with foreigners in a relaxed atmosphere surrounded by nature.

 

We would like to create an environment where children can easily meet foreigners in the Kansai region, and we also aim to develop life skills that will enable them to speak openly with people from all over the world in the future.

 

■The event was covered by a TV network.

 

▼Comments from participants 

Female, 30s / Child 6 years old

My child really enjoyed it. This event is wonderful to be able to interact with people from different countries. I would like to participate again next time. I will continue to support this event.

 

Female, 40s / Child 10 years old
I participated in this event with my son, who was exposed in English for the first time. At first I was worried that he would not understand much and would not be able to enjoy the event, but thanks to the songs, dances, and many games, he seemed to enjoy the event from start to finish. Even though it was hot, the staff and the foreigners made the event a lot of fun, and we, as parents, were able to enjoy it together. I hope you will hold this event again.

Male, 40s / Child 8 years old

It was the first time for me to participate in this event, but I was surprised and happy to see my son interacting with foreigners, playing happily, and answering his name and age in English. It is not often that I get a chance to talk with foreigners, so I hope this program will become a place where I can go to meet them casually once a week or so.

 

Female, 30s / Child, 3 years old

It's not often that I get a chance to talk with people from other countries, so I really appreciate this kind of opportunity. Please let me participate again.

 

 

▼ I would like you to hold English Village events in our area!

Currently, we hold Kids International Village once or twice a month in the Kanto region, but since the program started in 2018, we have been receiving many requests from parents around Japan who would like to hold the events in their own areas or would like us to do so.

 

However, we are currently relying on volunteers to run most of the events, and our budget is limited, especially in terms of transportation costs, which makes it difficult to hold the events outside of our area.

▼ Create a future for children to connect to the world.

We would like to use this crowdfunding opportunity to expand our program to other areas including Kansai region, and create an environment where children can easily talk and play with foreigners who live in the same area, and expand the possibilities for children's "future" through our programs.

 

 

▼ We are all friends if we can communicate with each other!

In 2017, I had the opportunity to study abroad in the U.K. and travel the world for a long time.

Then, I met people from all over the world, including Europe, South America, Central America, Africa, Asia, and the Middle East, and every day was filled with international exchange and opportunities to experience various cultures and customs.

The most important discovery among them was that once I communicated with people, I realized they also think "delicious!", "hungry", "sleepy", "happy", "sad", "Fun!!" they are the same people who think the same thing as I do.

After being able to communicate with foreigners, what and who I once thought as a stranger became a friend who has just a different language as mine.

It became a great treasure for me and an opportunity for me to gain confidence.

 

 

On the other hand, I visited many countries around the world and often had opportunities to hear impressive things about Japan and Japanese people from many people there.

Some phrases in particular that has left a deep impression on me are:

"You are the first Japanese person I have been able to talk to. The Japanese people I have met are shy and don't speak and leave with a smile."

 

"Japan is an advanced country though, why can't they even speak English?"

These were the words I heard in France and Nepal.

It was also a moment when I felt ashamed because I was not able to feel proud about Japan and the Japanese people. 

 

 

▼Japan, where the only value is that English = education

After returning to Japan, I visited various children's events, international exchange communities, English events, etc. to investigate the current situation in Japan, but there were almost no organizations in Japan that held events for children to meet and talk with foreigners.

 

Certainly, there are programs organized by cram schools and schools as part of English education, but they are "educational" events and not casual fun.

 

International schools and English preschools also exist as a way for children to meet foreign teachers and experience English, but they can only be enjoyed by families who are willing to spend a great deal of money to send their children to these schools.

 

English should be more easily accessible.

Through our events, I want to convey the message that English is not just an academic or educational tool, but also for making friends around the world.

 

▼ Foreigners of different skin tones, different looks, and different languages became the object of teasing.

Like most families, I grew up in a family with Japanese parents and in a Japanese community.

When I was a child, there were no foreigners around me, and I did not feel comfortable talking to them.

 

When I was in the upper grades of elementary school, a Brazilian transfer student suddenly joined our class, and I remember that everyone was at a loss as to how to interact with a foreigner of a different color, appearance, and language. A sense of discomfort developed among classmates, which eventually led to him being ignored and made fun of.

Whenever I saw him being bullied, I couldn't find any solution since I couldn't talk to him, and there was nothing I could do about it.

▼ I want to change the closed environment in Japan where people don't talk to foreigners.

Why did that happen? I think it was because everyone could not communicate with the Brazilian child, the lack of familiarity with a foreign language, and the surrounding environment. But even now, 30 years later, there is one thing in common— I still feel the same thing.

Japanese society does not provide opportunities to speak with foreigners, even if they meet them, they do not dare to talk to them.

In an environment where even adults do not have the opportunity to talk to foreigners, children feel that foreigners are even more distant to them.
I started this activity because I wanted to change this invisible and somewhat closed environment in Japan.

 

▼Make Japan a More Livable Society for the people around the world

When you step outside of Japan, English is a universal language that is commonly spoken all over the world. However, in Japan, not all foreigners living in Japan can speak Japanese, yet the language spoken on the streets is almost exclusively Japanese. This is due to the fact that many Japanese people are not good at English and other languages, and the living environment is one in which there is little communication with Japanese people. Japan has become a difficult country for foreigners to live in.

I am working to create an environment where children can meet foreigners casually from an early age, and can talk with them with courage, and to create a society where foreigners can easily get to know Japanese people.

 

 

▼ Creating a community where everyone in the community, including internationals, can support children!

This is how we plan our specific vision for the future:

1. Hold our program in Osaka, once or twice a year on a regular basis.

2. In the near future, we will continue to hold our program at least once a year in other areas of Japan.

3. Through all KIV programs, create an environment where children can meet foreigners in the Kansai region on a continuous basis.

In addition, as a regional recycling initiative, event organizers, volunteers, and foreign supporters living in the region will come together for the benefit of local children with the same passion, aiming to create a community that is supported by everyone in the region.

 

We will also develop various activities to create an environment where children can easily play and talk with foreigners.

 

 

▼ Toward a friendly multicultural society

We at KIV are committed to providing more children with opportunities to meet, talk, and play with foreigners at any time, and to nurture their life skills through cross-cultural and international understanding.

 

We also want to be a place where not only children, but also volunteers, staff, and parents can always practice "having the courage to speak up".

 

This will lead to deeper communication and the creation of a friendly multicultural society where people from other countries can understand each other.

 

▼Project Outline

■Program name:

Kids International Village in Osaka

 

■Date:

Sunday, November 12, 2023, 14:00-15:40 (Osaka)　

2024 date and time to be determined (Osaka, Kansai and other regions)

 

■Place: Ama heritage Park, Takatsuki City, Osaka (13 min. walk from JR Takatsuki Station/10 min. walk from Hankyu Takatsuki City Station)

For the location of the event, please visit

 https://goo.gl/maps/apPx2F58fa1Vc6ibA

 

■Use of Funds
30,000 yen for preparation funds for holding the program 
10,000 yen for the production of games in the program
8,000 yen for event MC
88,000 yen for Shinkansen transportation between Tokyo and Osaka
15,000 yen for accommodation for 3 days (including preview and pre-meeting) 
4,000 yen for the park permit fee 
12,000 yen for practical training for local English village organizers
40,000 yen for organizing and running the next and subsequent events
10,000 yen for publicity to attract volunteers on the day of the event and foreign volunteers
33,000 yen for "Ready For" platform fees and taxes

Total 250,000 yen

 

 

 

▼Payment instruction 

How to support our project/ Donation instruction

Donate 2,000 yen [Click here]

Donate 4,000 yen [Click here]

Donate 10,000 yen [Click here]

Donate 30,000 yen [click here]

Donate 50,000 yen [click here]

Donate 100,000 yen [click here]