Kids Door launches crowdfunding to combat child poverty amid rising costs

Kids Door, a non-profit organization that combats child poverty in Japan through education and support, launched an emergency crowdfunding campaign beginning this week, seeking to address the critical needs of children. The initiative comes in response to rising costs of essentials, which have exerted a significant burden on financially-strapped families.

The COVID-19 pandemic that commenced in 2020 and subsequent price hikes have created an untenable social landscape, putting immense strain on parents and children alike. As the summer vacation looms in late July, many children face the prospect of going without school meals — a primary source of nutrition for those in need.

To gauge the extent of the crisis, Kids Door conducted a comprehensive survey in 2022, targeting 3,000 financially struggling households. The findings were revealing and alarming.

A critical finding was the impact on health, with parents often skipping meals to feed their children and reducing consumption of key food groups, such as meat, fish, and vegetables. Many families have had to limit their usage of heating, cooling, or electricity, presenting a grave threat to the wellbeing of children and their caregivers.

Equally significant is the impact on children’s learning environments. The rising costs have forced families to cut back on stationery and textbooks — indispensable tools for education. The financial squeeze has meant that many families can no longer afford to replace their children’s clothes and shoes as they grow. Additionally, opportunities for learning outside of school and participating in local activities have also dwindled.

The urgency of these issues underpins the need for the crowdfunding campaign launched by Kids Door.

The funds raised through the campaign will serve two primary purposes. First, it aims to provide free food support to 2,700 households. Based on Kids Door’s calculations, it takes 8,000 yen to provide sufficient food to a household, translating to a total need of 21.6 million yen to feed all targeted households.

Secondly, Kids Door seeks to offer completely free learning support. The organization currently runs study sessions in Tokyo’s suburbs and Miyagi Prefecture, catering to about 2,000 students from financially disadvantaged families. They plan to allocate approximately 10 million yen to operate these study sessions for the first half of the year, including summer vacation.

In an economy grappling with rising prices and a pandemic-ridden society, Kids Door’s crowdfunding campaign is a crucial lifeline for struggling households. By ensuring children’s nutritional and educational needs are met, it is a step towards safeguarding the future of Japan’s next generation.