Girls Matter - Stop Sexual Violence In Japan

Dear Friend, 

Summer is right around the corner, and for Japan, today marked what would have been the official lifting of the “State of Emergency,” had it not been lifted earlier than expected, last week. COVID-19 has thrown Japan and the world into uncertain and challenging situations, from kids and parents no longer being at school and in their workplaces, public gatherings and playgrounds being prohibited, and the new norm of mask-wearing and social-distancing that came swiftly. Through these changes, it has been our top priority to provide the support and resources for our community across Japan, through the Lifeline, virtual workshops, and continuing to train the volunteers who have been doing a commendable job in maintaining their shifts on the Line and the Chat service.

So many have been impacted in a multitude of ways and yet, through it, our community recognizes how necessary the services we provide are, and we have continued to receive donations toward “Girls Matter: Stop Sexual Violence in Japan.” Your support is so critical, and so appreciated - thank you!     

Our Spring 2020 support training had 29 volunteers who were accepted into the program, and we are proud to report that 25 are expected to successfully complete it. The TELL training coordinator has been working diligently to provide all of the training online, to comply with recommendations on social distancing during this time. In a time when the international community is seeing people leave Japan to return to their home countries, we greatly appreciate all of the individuals who are committed to being the voice on the Line and the text response on the Chat in a time when the world is experiencing increased rates of anxiety and depression. 

With such extreme circumstances, the team at TELL believes it is more important than ever to help protect girls from sexual violence, whether that is occuring right now because of the need to “stay-at-home,” or a safe environment, like school, is no longer available, or a variety of other unforeseen scenarios.   

Your donations make a real difference in the lives of girls in Japan, and that is how, together, we can build a healthy and vibrant community. Won’t you be a part of the fight to end the violence?