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Creating the future together. Inspiring stories of projects by Japanese people working with communities in developing countries with new ideas and efforts to help solve issues.
2022
In Nepal, the average life expectancy is 71 years, and 3% of infants die before the age of 5. Contributing factors are poor access to sufficient medical care in mountainous and remote areas and medical records that are often mistreated or lost, asking doctors to perform without their patients' accurate treatment history. To improve this situation, a Japanese NPO ASHA, led by President Nin Yoshifumi, teams up with a local NGO and IT company to develop a medical app to protect people's health. This program follows their operation taking off in a remote area 400 kilometers from the capital.
With an economy focused on agriculture and shipping, the West African Republic of Benin presents few opportunities for ambitious young people. David Kpondehou runs IT boot camps that equip attendees with the web development skills they need to secure remote jobs with international companies. The school's training platform, devised in Japan by Noro Hiroyoshi, has been used to train students in 6 countries across Africa. Follow an international partnership creating opportunities via the global language of coding.
A project to reduce educational disparities among children in non-electrified areas of Tanzania has been underway since 2017. It is being jointly conducted by a Japanese NPO that strives to improve ICT education in developing countries and a Tanzanian NGO that has been addressing poverty in rural villages for 13 years. Together, they have introduced "off-grid" power systems using solar panels and batteries to 45 elementary and secondary schools, thereby bringing light to the darkness.
After the Russian invasion of Ukraine, over 3.2 million people, largely women and children, fled to Poland. Government budgets are stretched thin, and many civilian volunteers are providing support. Japanese international student Azuma Yugo lives in the border town of Katowice with his fiancée Marta. The couple has offered their home to evacuating families, and delivers food and supplies to other evacuees in the town. As the war continues, they've begun working with a Polish NGO to set up a childcare center with the goal of helping evacuee mothers achieve independence. We follow them on their quest to support the Ukrainian people.
The invasion of Ukraine has driven over 6 million citizens to seek refuge in nearby countries. In Hungary, close to the Ukrainian border, is a help center set up to support arriving evacuees. An on-site medical facility sees volunteer staff sent by a Japanese NGO work alongside European medics to provide appropriate care in the limited time available before evacuees set off on the next leg of their journey, while also doing their utmost to provide emotional relief for adults and children alike.
Okamoto Hiroki is the founder of a unique new social media platform that is now working to assist those affected by the ongoing conflict in Ukraine. Launched in January 2022, Omusubi Channel promotes exchange between Japan and the world through culturally themed video livestreams from 84 countries and regions. The site is now leveraging the power of social media to help provide a stable income for those caught up in the conflict, as well as assisting Ukrainian streamers in evacuating to Japan.
Fukuoka Prefecture in southwest Japan is home to Borderless Japan, a unique company that seeks to tackle issues such as poverty, prejudice and pollution through the founding of multiple social businesses. The firm currently operates 47 such ventures in 16 countries and regions around the world, using a groundbreaking model that circulates both funding and know-how between existing enterprises and new ones. We examine the story of one such project, a garment factory supporting women in Bangladesh.
Ghana in West Africa is a major producer of cocoa beans, the key ingredient in chocolate. Some of the country's 850,000 cocoa farmers make less than a dollar a day, and it can be a struggle to make ends meet. Four years ago, Taguchi Ai from Japan set up a project to raise local incomes. She worked with farmers in the village of Amanfrom to improve the quality of their beans, using their produce to make and sell high-end chocolate in Japan, and returning the profits to the village. Follow Taguchi and the local cocoa farmers as they work to enrich lives through chocolate.
Severely ill patients are treated in ICUs, but there's a global shortage of facilities and staff. The units require top technology and skills and developing countries struggle to train staff and fund such facilities. A Japanese start-up supports these units by remotely connecting them with Japanese ICU teams. Since 2020, hospital ICUs in 12 developing countries can share patients' medical records, cardiograms and images online. Explore this new medical support project and its focus on ICUs.
Civil war has raged in Syria since 2011. Youth unemployment is at 26%, and the cost of living continues to rise. Established by Sakashita Yuki and two Syrian partners, Japanese firm Bon Zuttner hires Syrian IT engineers both in Syria and abroad to develop software for Japanese firms. Sakashita has also launched a new program involving machine learning that allows Syrian mothers to work and earn an income from home. Discover how the IT industry is supporting the lives of Syrians around the world.
2024
In Benin, a Japanese entrepreneur and his local partner are helping logistically isolated rural organic farmers connect with savvy urban customers who can pay good prices.
Mycelium leather is a new material developed in Indonesia from mushrooms and agricultural waste. There is now an attempt to create an "ethical society" by mass-producing it using Japanese technology.
Tanzania is currently struggling with a high maternal mortality rate. Kawabata Yasuo and his team have developed an app for expectant mothers that they hope will help solve this issue.
In Laos, young members of minority groups preserve folk tales as picture books, learning essential skills as they go. The project, started by Yokoyama Taizo, gives them control over their own future.
Many teenage single mothers in Sierra Leone have difficulties continuing their education. Shimosato Yumemi has founded an NGO that helps these mothers and teach sex education across the country.
2023
In 2017, Sambor Prei Kuk, a historic 7th-century temple complex, was designated as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. But few people, even within the country, know about it. To raise awareness, a Cambodian university professor and a Japan-affiliated IT company work together to produce a CG animation. We follow their efforts to promote tourism, build up IT experience among young Cambodians and capture 3D data that can be used to benefit the community.
Each year, Japanese NPO Dear Me runs a fashion show for underprivileged children in the Philippines, making the catwalk a source of positivity for the future. Participants' own designs are upcycled by NPO staff from donated garments. Dear Me founder Nishigawa Ayumi also runs a free fashion school to give local young people a route out of poverty and into jobs with her own Japan-based ethical fashion brand. Follow this unique initiative making dreams reality through the power of fashion.
Malaria is caused by bites from parasite-infected mosquitos. 2021 saw 247 million new infections and 620,000 deaths. But a new firm hopes to wipe out the disease through drones. They spot stagnant water where young mosquitoes live, then calculate the best place to set up pesticides. Keeping costs low in Sierra Leone means polystyrene drone bodies and consumer cameras that are easy to repair. The firm hopes to expand to other countries and diseases. Meet the young innovators tackling malaria.
In Kenya's capital Nairobi, many taxi drivers don't have enough money to purchase their own cars, so they rent them on a weekly basis, and these rental costs put them in a difficult economic situation. Kobayashi Reiji and Tokita Koji have started a project to improve drivers' lives by offering them low-interest loans with affordable down payments on car purchases, using an innovative credit scoring system. They have also struck partnerships with local car dealers and repair garages so that they can offer drivers the best quality cars possible. Follow Kobayashi and Tokita as they offer hard-working drivers the opportunity to build a better future for themselves.
As it undergoes rapid economic growth, Cambodia is facing issues such as rising inequality and child labor. Social entrepreneurs are working to tackle these challenges, but a lack of expertise makes maintaining their businesses difficult. Harahata Mio and Higuchi Asami run a matchmaking service, pairing local entrepreneurs with Japanese companies who can offer financial and technical support. We explore how matchmaking is helping to improve lives, and solve social problems.
In Cambodia, child malnutrition is a major issue, exacerbated by the ready availability of processed snacks and soft drinks at most school stores and canteens. To combat this, Japanese social entrepreneur Oji Hiroko worked with local colleagues to launch a new initiative providing schools with tasty, healthy snacks. She has also developed an educational card game that provides a chance to teach kids about diet and nutrition, both in school and with their families.
Many wells in Uganda have been abandoned after they broke. Fees for water usage go towards repairs, but collection has long been difficult―partly because residents are charged a flat fee no matter how little they use. Japanese Tsuboi Aya and two Ugandan engineers have created a digital unit that makes it possible for people to pay only for what they use. This new system makes the wells sustainable and has won attention from the Ugandan government.
A Japanese start-up is using satellite data and AI to provide soil analysis. This helps farmers in developing countries improve income by increasing yields, improving crop quality and minimizing unnecessary costs. Around 70% of Indians are farmers, but have small plots and falling incomes. Partnering with local agricultural firms, the firm now serves 4,000 farms who've seen bigger harvests, less chemical fertilizer and more income. The firm is also expanding into Thailand, Vietnam and Kenya.
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