Japanese temples alleviating child poverty through SDGs

Child poverty is a prevalent issue in the world. According to a survey conducted by the welfare ministry in 2017, 1 in 7 Japanese children live in poor households in Japan.

As an effort to fight child poverty in Japan, Anyo Temple in Nara established the Temple Snack Club. The club started in 2014.

The club collects food offerings given to participating Japanese temples before their expiration dates. It then donates them to low-income families via support groups such as social welfare councils and the children’s home. As of May 2019, the club has over 1,170 participating Japanese temples nationwide.

Prior to the club’s formation, food offerings were either distributed amongst those residing in the temple. However, because of the amounts temples receive, the offerings often ended up as waste.

One of the newest members of the club is Chosho Temple from Ibaraki Prefecture. Nakamura, the Chief Priest of Chosho Temple shares that he learned about the club after reading a publication about Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) that was introducing the Temple Snack Club.

The SDGs are a collection of 17 goals set by the United Nations General Assembly in 2015. These goals include solving issues such as poverty, hunger, education, gender equality, health and well being by 2030.

Nakamura adds that the SDGs share similar values with Buddhism in terms of supporting and giving. The desire to support an initiative with matching beliefs was the main motivation behind his decision for Chosho Temple to join the Temple Snack Club.

The club currently consists of an uneven distribution of temples from different prefectures. With close to 80,000 temples in Japan, the club is expected to continue to grow in numbers and achieve a fairer distribution of temples across the country.

The club also hopes to provide a wider variety of food supplies, especially with items that come with a longer shelf life, such as rice, seasonings, snacks, and crackers.