We, NPO CROP.-MINORI has been operating a program to take children living at the foster homes or with their foster parents to Mikura Island, Tokyo to swim with wild dolphins in the ocean every summer for over 20 years. 

They are living giving up many things and opportunities, and most of them even don’t get a chance to go on vacation even in summer break. 

So, we’ve been taking them to Mikura Island where wild dolphins live around the island. The island is also blessed with the lush greenery. 

Children get to swim with wild dolphins in the ocean, hike in the forest, and also do art therapy which they could release and express their honest feeling and emotions during the program. 

They share the same experience with other participants and admit each other’s presence.

 

For those who have to leave foster homes and lose financial and mental support at the age of 18, we try to create time that they could look back their childhood and their lives at the foster homes being away from their everyday lives so that they could grow spiritually and get strong mentally. 

We believe that the trust for themselves and friends who shared the same experience together that they gain during the program will be a fundamental force to open up their life and overcome the difficulties when they have to be independent in the real world.

 

In this way, many children who were not be able to experience “family summer vacation” have spent summer on the island, but the old Japanese style house we have been allowed to stay during the program needs large-scale repair work. 

Since the current condition of the house is not safe enough to use, we might end up with giving up operating our future program if we could not repaired the house.

We would greatly appreciate if you could support us so that we could continue to operate our program for the children who are looking forward to spending their summer on the island.

 https://japangiving.jp/en/campaigns/33963