Supporting Japanese orphans through IT tuition

On Thursday 13 June I’ll be setting out on another four-day, 500-kilometre sponsored cycle ride from Takasaki to Fukushima in northeastern Japan, as part of a group of 42 cyclists (the Knights in White Lycra), who are attempting to raise money to support children who live in orphanages here in Japan.

We are doing this in partnership with the NPO YouMeWe, a volunteer organization that organizes programs for teaching IT skills to care-home children.

These children include both orphans and children who have been the victims of neglect or abuse. Once they leave institutional care at the age of 18, they face a highly uncertain future, and are at risk of drifting into prostitution or crime.

YouMeWe teaches IT skills to these children, and this both enhances their future educational and employment prospects, and affords them some release from their everyday stresses. It also serves to give them more self-confidence and a sense of independence. While its main focus is on teaching IT, YouMeWe also teaches the children language and writing skills, and encourages them to contribute to the local community by helping the elderly get to grips with modern digital technology. Thus, YouMeWe seeks to help the children grow into productive and financially independent young adults who can contribute to their local communities.

The goal of our cycling group is to help fund YouMeWe and thus enable it to expand its programs, thereby helping more children in institutional care.

Thus, every rider’s fundraising effort will be crucial.

Please give generously and help change the lives of these children for the better.

Thank you for your support.

Phil Robertson