We have done capacity building for children in Fukushima since the 2011 accident. Seven years have passed since then, but communities in Fukushima still face many challenges. Those children who experienced the disaster have matured enough now to take initiative and want to contribute to solving social issues on their own, but they still need spaces and opportunities. This is why we launched this project. These places can nurture the talents needed by future leaders in Fukushima.
The region still faces many challenges such as rapidly aging and shrinking communities because former residents who evacuated after the disaster have not yet fully returned, even though it's seven years since the disaster. Students who experienced the disaster and participated in our workshops want to do something for society, including revitalizing former evacuation areas and restoring their dwindling communities. They have enormous potential, but need ways to develop that potential.
We run an entrepreneurs' school named "Asubito Fukushima Community" and offer other opportunities, providing youth with places where they can start social projects, by identifying local issues and ways to address them. These places can build communication and leadership capacity and encourage them to exercise their own initiative, nurturing the talents needed by future leaders in Fukushima.
As leaders, the youth participating in these projects will be starting social enterprises and contributing to the rebuilding of Fukushima. They can serve as models for younger children in the area. The positive cycle among young people can build the foundation to nurture future leaders who can play a central role in rebuilding Fukushima and its communities.
This project has provided additional documentation in a DOCX file (projdoc.docx).
