Overview of the project（English）

（こちらは、ページ本文を英訳した記事でございます。）

 

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Thoughts on Afghanistan

Sharing the Aspirations of Dr. Tetsu Nakamura

 

When I first received news that one of our alumni in Afghanistan was requesting evacuation, I immediately thought of Dr. Tetsu Nakamura, my colleague from the Kyushu University School of Medicine. Dr. Nakamura, who had long devoted himself to humanitarian and reconstruction efforts in Afghanistan that included medical outreach, was shot and killed in Afghanistan in December 2019. This was a devastating event for me personally and for everyone here at Kyushu University.

 

Due to the growing tensions in Afghanistan, we have called on the University to help by accepting and supporting Kyushu University alumni from Afghanistan, many of whom have taken refuge in Japan and now find it difficult to return to their home country.

 

We believe that providing these individuals with the assistance necessary to jumpstart their professional careers in Japan and the world is an extension of Dr. Nakamura's longtime outreach in Afghanistan.

 

We will provide them with assistance through livelihood support and short-term employment. However, continual support is needed to pay for their accommodation and living expenses until they find a permanent position.

 

Today, we humbly ask for your generous support and cooperation.

 

Kyushu University

Tatsuro Ishibashi, President

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Toward a Future of Living Together in Peace

Please support our Afghan alumni in Japan!

 

When political upheaval broke out in Afghanistan in August 2021, we learned that Afghan students who had graduated from Kyushu University were seeking to evacuate the country with help from their former academic advisors. Previous incidents made clear that our alumni, who had become experts in their field at Kyushu University, were now in danger under the new regime. To protect themselves and their families, they would have to either live in hiding or leave the country. Since December 2021, Kyushu University has welcomed eight former students and their families (22 people in total) who fled Afghanistan due to political upheaval, providing them with employment, housing, and livelihood support. Under the current regime, it is impossible for those who have evacuated to return to their homeland anytime soon.

 

This effort is part of a project supporting Afghan students who have or will come to Japan to leverage their expertise and language skills as highly skilled international professionals, either in Japan or another country, to help build a more peaceful world.

 

The alumni hoping to relocate to Japan due to the political changes in Afghanistan are individuals working for government agencies like the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), as well as many individuals who studied as part of the PEACE project. Due in part to Russia's invasion of Ukraine in 2022, social attention has shifted to Ukraine and away from Afghanistan, where support has grown thin.

 

The purpose of this crowdfunding campaign is not only to seek financial support but also to raise public awareness about these alumni who have evacuated from Afghanistan and assist them in applying their knowledge and skills to integrate into local communities, Japanese society, and elsewhere.

 

Together with your support, the program will provide these former students with substantial employment and accommodation assistance so that they can gain stability, utilize their abilities, and successfully transition into Japan or elsewhere to help build a more peaceful world. In addition, most of these alumni were accompanied by their spouses and several young children when they evacuated. When our crowdfunding target is met, we plan to do even more to provide livelihood support and Japanese language assistance to these families.

We would greatly appreciate your donation to help our Afghan alumni and their families.

 

 

Vice President (International Affairs), Kyushu University

Executive Research Director of the Kyushu University Institute for Asian and Oceanian Studies (Q-AOS)

Shuji Shimizu

 

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｜How Your Donation Will Be Used

 

Our first campaign goal is 2,000,000 yen, which we will use to cover the costs of the refugees' stay in Japan or another country until they find a permanent path forward.

 

We have already accepted ten alumni and their families into this program, and eight of them have already arrived in Japan. (For the five families of alumni not receiving scholarships from the Japanese government, we will support them in finding a permanent opportunity by March 2023.)

 

We expect to welcome two new families to Japan in September 2023, when we will support them in the next chapter of their journey.*

*In the unlikely event that these two families are unable to come to Japan, we will redistribute the support funds to the eight families who have already arrived.

 

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How the Funds Will Be Used

• 2,000,000 yen will cover the cost of their stay in Japan.
• The next 1,000,000 yen will provide support for living expenses.¹
• The next 1,500,000 yen will expand support for families, Japanese language education, and more.²

1. Kyushu University and affiliated organizations will carry out employment support (mentoring).

2. Kyushu University and related organizations will cover housing and travel expenses.

 

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It takes roughly 150,000 yen to cover one family’s stay, with costs varying based on the specifics of each family. Support will be staggered and provided in phases. Our first goal of 2,000,000 yen will provide support for ten families. (Eight families have already arrived in Japan, and two more are expected to come next year.)

 

The purpose is not only to secure the cost of their stay but also to support them in finding employment that makes use of their skills and leads them to secure a stable livelihood. If we receive an additional 1,000,000 yen, we will be able to offer employment support opportunities at the University. If we raise another 1,500,000 yen beyond that, we will be able to expand our livelihood support and Japanese language offerings.

 

The entirety of your donation will go to support the future of families already confirmed to be part of the program. All donations are greatly appreciated.

 

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｜Afghanistan Continues to Suffer

 

Alumni Voices: Alumni A

 

Before the collapse of the central government in August 2021, there were occasional militia attacks and suicide bombings, but still, Afghanistan was a paradise for its people. Plates were full of bread, and life was good for everyone.

 

The country's economy has collapsed, businesses have closed, and unemployment has risen in the fallout amid restrictions on the banking system and $7 billion worth of frozen assets. The World Food Program (WFP) reports that more than half of the country's population, or about 20 million people, lack food and suffer from hunger. *Source: https://jp.reuters.com/article/afghanistan-conflict-usa-idJPKBN2KG1UK (Japanese)

 

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｜Helping Refugees Become Active Residents in Japan or Abroad

 

This project aims to help our refugee alumni from Afghanistan leverage their knowledge, expertise, and language skills to create a peaceful life for themselves in Japan or another country.

 

We intend to help our former students find permanent employment and a secure and stable life.

 

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｜Project Support Services

 

Through this project, we aim to cooperate with willing organizations to find and support employment opportunities for our former students from Afghanistan. In addition to dialogue and guidance for their job search, we provide their families with Japanese language classes and livelihood support.

 

 

 

This project is meant to help our Afghan alumni to find a career and succeed in Japan or abroad.

 

We plan to share the results of our efforts with other Japanese universities and relief organizations and to demonstrate best practices for supporting the Afghan people. We hope this project will contribute to creating a conducive environment where Japan and other societies accept displaced persons facing difficulties in Afghanistan and elsewhere.

 

Your kind donation is needed to make the project a reality.

Your cooperation is greatly appreciated.

 

 

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｜Testimonials from Project Backers

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 Motooka Kokusai Kouryu Hiroba Volunteer Group

Our volunteer group operates out of the community center in Motooka, around the corner from Kyushu University, to provide necessary Japanese language skills and livelihood support for migrants from overseas.

Among our most active members are local volunteers (such as community members, homemakers, Japanese language teachers, and medical personnel) and Kyushu University undergraduate and graduate students, including many with language teaching experience and international students who have passed the highest level of the Japanese-Language Proficiency Test (JLPT). We are a group where the community and students work together.

On February 17, 2022, we received a message from Kyushu University’s International Affairs Department that a refugee family from Afghanistan was looking for a place where they could learn Japanese. After a month of preparation with the International Affairs team, we began offering assistance to the family on March 17. We provide Japanese language and livelihood support four to five times a week in sessions of 90 to 120 minutes each. At the same time, we proactively communicate with them about their daily life, health, how their children are doing at school, and any problems and concerns they may have. We seek to provide the maximum support possible and connect them with International Affairs when appropriate, all in an effort to help them live with peace of mind. The student’s wife relayed her desire for part-time work and is starting to find work, and his children are having fun attending school and daycare. When they see the sad news coming out of Afghanistan, they often feel depressed. They become anxious about their future and can feel sick or have trouble sleeping. Still, they do their best to keep learning Japanese and improve their lives here. To learn about our work on this project, see updates, and find out more, please visit our website (Japanese).

We want to help these Afghan alumni find work that allows them and their families the chance at a peaceful life. We hope many of you will endorse and support this important project at Kyushu University.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Dr. Tetsukazu Yahara

President, Kyushu University Co-op

The late Dr. Satoshi Nakamura, a graduate of Kyushu University, promoted medical activities, the construction of irrigation canals, and other projects in Afghanistan for many years. His lectures and writings made a great impression on me, and I sincerely hoped that Afghanistan would develop into a wonderful country. Unfortunately, Dr. Nakamura was shot and killed in 2019. Since the regime change of 2021, the security situation has continued to deteriorate, and Afghans now live in constant fear for their lives. During this time of crisis, Kyushu University has been accepting former students and their families. The Kyushu University Co-op has cooperated with support activities and provided the program participants with opportunities as regular employees. We would like to continue supporting this project, providing refugees and their families with places to work. We hope you will join us through this crowdfunding effort so that we can help as many former students start their lives in Japan as possible.

 

Mr. Haruo Ouchida

Chair of the Board of Directors, Wa no Kai ISH

The dignity of the individual has been woefully neglected in today’s world where authoritarianism runs rampant.

An Afghan student studied at Kyushu University, obtained their master's degree, and returned home to devote themselves to their country, only to be chased out again by the interim Taliban government and end up back at the University on a “professor” visa. I hope this individual will take the knowledge they’ve acquired in earnest and inject it into Japanese companies, helping to revitalize our businesses here. This will, in turn, be paid forward to the future reconstruction of the Afghan nation.

Wa no Kai ISH helped a family of nine migrate to Hokkaido in January 2022 and a family of seven later that year in April. We hope to continue to help, even if only in a small way, alongside the cooperation of Kyushu University, other affiliated parties, and the general public.

 

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｜Tax Incentives

 

Tax incentives are available for donations made to Kyushu University.

 

■ Individuals

 

Income taxes (deductions)

Income tax deductions are available for donations exceeding 2,000 yen each year.

 

Amount of donation − 2,000 yen = Amount of income deduction

(Individuals can deduct donations up to 40% of their gross income for the applicable year.)

 

Resident taxes

Donors who reside in prefectures and municipalities that designate the University as a corporation eligible for donation tax credits may be entitled to reductions in their resident tax for the following year, in addition to income tax deductions.

 

　(Amount of donation − 2,000 yen) x (4 to 10%)* = Amount of resident tax credit

　(Individuals can deduct donations up to 30% of their gross income for the applicable year.)

 

　　*Percentage depends on the authorities that offer the tax credit.

　　- Prefectures offer 4%

　　- Municipalities offer 6%

　(If your prefecture and municipality both offer the tax credit, you would be eligible for 10%.)

 

- For residents of Fukuoka Prefecture

The following government authorities designate donations to Kyushu University by ordinance as qualifying for tax credits:

Fukuoka Prefecture / Fukuoka City / Itoshima City / Onojo City / Kasuga City / Koga City / Kasuya Town / Shingu Town / Nakagawa Town / Others*

*If your municipality is not on this list, please contact your municipal tax department directly to find out if they offer these credits.

 

- For individuals who live outside Fukuoka Prefecture

Because the University is a corporation located in Fukuoka Prefecture, your prefecture or municipality may not designate the University as a corporation eligible for donation tax credits.

Please contact your municipal tax department directly for details.

 

■ Corporations

 

The full amount of the donation is deductible for tax purposes.

Please note that donations from anti-social forces—including criminal syndicates and their affiliates—or any other parties negatively impacting society will not be accepted. Any donations already received from these parties will be refunded.

 

When are the donation receipts dated, and when will they be sent?

You will receive a donation receipt dated February 10, 2023, which is the date Kyushu University will receive the funds from READYFOR.

Receipts will be sent out by the end of February 2023.

 

■ Notes about Returns
We are not planning to mail “Donation Deduction Receipts” to overseas addresses. However, if you would like to receive one, please contact the Office of the KYUSHU UNIVERSITY for more information.
（Email：intlkhosa@jimu.kyushu-u.ac.jp）
 

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｜Additional Notes About Your Donation

 

● We may use any feedback you submit with your donation in our PR materials.

● In principle, the name and shipping address used for your donation receipt will be the information you enter when you make your donation.

● Please be aware that even if you change your name and address in your READYFOR account after the donation, the name and address we will use for your receipt will not change unless you contact us individually.

● For details regarding the goods, services, or rights provided by this project’s owner to its supporters, please refer to the section on naming rights, message posting, and related issues in the READYFOR Terms of Use (Japanese).

If you have any other questions about your donation, you can click here for FAQs in Japanese.

 

Project Fulfillment Manager:

Shuji Shimizu, Afghanistan Support Project Representative, Vice President (International Affairs Department), Kyushu University

Project End Date:

March 31, 2023

 

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｜Project Summary and Use of Donations

This project is raising funds for the accommodation and other living expenses of individuals from Afghanistan who studied at Kyushu University. Our initial target of 2,000,000 yen will be put toward living expenses for these refugees and their families until they are able to secure a stable livelihood. The next 1,000,000 yen will provide livelihood support (for example, moving costs). The subsequent 1,500,000 yen will expand support for families through living assistance, Japanese language education, and other opportunities like part-time work provided through our partner supporters.*
Job search assistance will be offered via mentors, with support provided by the University and affiliate organizations. *The University and affiliate organizations will support housing and travel expenses for arriving refugees and their families.

 

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｜ Returns
 

Level A Backer (¥5,000)

● Thank you email

● Donation receipt

 

*Donation receipts are dated February 10, 2023, which is the date Kyushu University will receive the funds from READYFOR.

*The name on the donation receipt will be the name you register when you donate. Donation receipts are scheduled to be sent out in February 2023.

*We will send a thank-you message in February 2023 via the READYFOR messaging system. Please note that we will not be able to send you this email if you unsubscribe from READYFOR before then.

 

 

Level B Backer (¥10,000)

● Thank you email

● Donation receipt

 

*Donation receipts are dated February 10, 2023, which is the date Kyushu University will receive the funds from READYFOR.

*The name on the donation receipt will be the name you register when you donate. Donation receipts are scheduled to be sent out in February 2023.

*We will send a thank-you message in February 2023 via the READYFOR messaging system. Please note that we will not be able to send you this email if you unsubscribe from READYFOR before then.

 

 

Level C Backer (¥30,000)

● Thank you email

● Donation receipt

● Activity report (PDF)

 

*Donation receipts are dated February 10, 2023, which is the date Kyushu University will receive the funds from READYFOR.

*The name on the donation receipt will be the name you register when you donate. Donation receipts are scheduled to be sent out in February 2023.

*We will send the thank-you email and activity report in February 2023 via the READYFOR messaging system. Please note that we will not be able to send you this email if you unsubscribe from READYFOR before then.

 

 

Level D Backer (¥50,000)

● Thank you email

● Donation receipt

● Activity report (PDF)

 

*Donation receipts are dated February 10, 2023, which is the date Kyushu University will receive the funds from READYFOR.

*The name on the donation receipt will be the name you register when you donate. Donation receipts are scheduled to be sent out in February 2023.

*We will send the thank-you email and activity report in February 2023 via the READYFOR messaging system. Please note that we will not be able to send you this email if you unsubscribe from READYFOR before then.

 

 

Level E Backer (¥100,000)

● Thank you email

● Donation receipt

● Activity report (PDF)

● Your name or company name featured in the activity report (optional)

 

*Donation receipts are dated February 10, 2023, which is the date Kyushu University will receive the funds from READYFOR.

*The name on the donation receipt will be the name you register when you donate. Donation receipts are scheduled to be sent out in February 2023.

*We will send the thank-you email and activity report in February 2023 via the READYFOR messaging system. Please note that we will not be able to send you this email if you unsubscribe from READYFOR before then.

 

 

Level F Backer (¥300,000)

● Thank you email

● Donation receipt

● Activity report (PDF)

● Your name or company name featured in the activity report (optional)

 

*Donation receipts are dated February 10, 2023, which is the date Kyushu University will receive the funds from READYFOR.

*The name on the donation receipt will be the name you register when you donate. Donation receipts are scheduled to be sent out in February 2023.

*We will send the thank-you email and activity report in February 2023 via the READYFOR messaging system. Please note that we will not be able to send you this email if you unsubscribe from READYFOR before then.

 

 

Level G Backer (¥500,000)

● Thank you email

● Donation receipt

● Activity report (PDF)

● Your name or company name featured in the activity report (optional)

 

*Donation receipts are dated February 10, 2023, which is the date Kyushu University will receive the funds from READYFOR.

*The name on the donation receipt will be the name you register when you donate. Donation receipts are scheduled to be sent out in February 2023.

*We will send the thank-you email and activity report in February 2023 via the READYFOR messaging system. Please note that we will not be able to send you this email if you unsubscribe from READYFOR before then.