Since 2018, Japanese Consumers' Co-operative Union has been working on “Children’s Future Action” which is a project to provide study sessions to draw more attention to child poverty issue as a familiar problem and to increase people who aim to support impoverished children by providing study sessions. This project also publishes an enlightenment brochure about child poverty issue.

A project in cooeration with Saitama Prefecture

(left)” Children’s Future Action” brochure / (right) Saitama Prefecture original brochure

Saitama Prefecture local government and JCCU cooperated and prepared an original brochure for Saitama Prefecture that is based on the above-said brochure. The brochure entitled “For the Children’s Future” has contents about a survey report regarding children’s life in Saitama Prefecture, how they support the children and contact addresses, etc.

The brochure is used in events organized by the prefecture and in the study sessions held by the municipal governments of cities, towns and villages, social welfare councils, and organizations related to co-ops and other organizations. Saitama Prefecture plans to create a cultural environment in which the whole society bring up children by increasing people who participate in the activities at the various levels from the prefectural government to the grassroots.

“Children’s Future Action” 2020 target

The individuals and groups supporting the aim of Children’s Future Action are called “Ambassadors” and are registered in the project. Upon registration, they are provided with study tools including enlightenment textbook, relevant information and advice about holding a study session. At present, there are 365 ambassadors consisting of individuals and groups and more than 2,400 people have participated in the study sessions as of July 11, 2019. JCCU is holding training sessions to train ambassadors at five locations nationwide within this fiscal year with the goal of increasing the number of ambassadors to 1,000 and the number of participants in the study session to 10,000 by the end of 2020 fiscal year.

“Children’s Future Action” official website: https://miraiaction.org/about.html (Japanese Only)