Steps of the Foundation
(Headquarters of Foundation of Welfare & Education of Asian People)
The late Mr. Takechiyo Matsuda, former Speaker of House of Representative and former chairman of this Foundation, visited wartime Vietnam and seeing the tragic plight of the many refugee orphans and families, decided to aid them. In response to his appeal all members of the Liberal Democrats in both Houses of the Diet made contributions to start the basic fund for this Foundation. With the approval by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Foundation was established in December, 1969.
Receiving the subsidy without Compensation from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Foundation constructed the Occupational Training Center for the Vietnamese Orphans in Bien Hoa in the South Vietnam of that time. This program was highly evaluated by many fields of Japanese organiza- tions who supported the operation of this center by contribut ing both monetary and voluntary assistance.
In September, 1973, 100 freshmen were admitted as the first trainees, followed by another 100 in 1974. However, when the then Vietnamese Government collapsed in April, 1975, this Occupational Training Center was completely taken over by the new political administration.
The Foundation repeatedly offered to cooperate with the new Vietnamese Government for the resumption of the Train- ing Center with a new operational stand point, but up to this date there has been no positive response from them.
As the operation of this Training Center was not for- seeable, the Foundation decided, aside from helping the Vietnamese people, to give assistance to social welfare in- stitutions in other Asian countries.
The initial financial assistance of 6,500,000 yen was given in July, 1977 to Vietnamese students residing in Japan who were forced to move from the domitory operated by Inter- national Students Association due to its re-construction and the continuous assistance is as follows:
November, 1977
Caritas Japan
¥25,000,000
January, 1978
November, 1978
January, 1980 November, 1980
Children's Home, Thailand Kyosei Welfare Foundation, Korea Iku-Yo-In, Taiwan Mahinda Center,
¥10,000,000
¥10,000,000 Y 5,000,000
Sri Lanka Mei-Ki-En, Korea Study Center, Philippines
Y 9,700,000 Y 2,460,000
Y 6,000,000
March, 1982 March, 1982
Also, invitations were sent to persons engaged in orphan and fatherless family welfare services in all Asian countries to come to Japan to exchange training with persons engaged in Japan's welfare services, with the purpose to deepen the mutual understanding and to promote the substantial devel- opment of comprehensive social welfare measures throughout Asian countries. Since 1978, the people from the following countries were invited and exchanges were carried out :
October, 1978 October, 1979 November, 1979 Aprill, 1979 September, 1980 October, 1980 April, 1981 September, 1981 November, 1981 April, 1982 May, 1982 October, 1982 April, 1983 May, 1983 September, 1983 October, 1983
6 members from Thailand 5 members from Indonesia 6 members from Korea 5 members from Taiwan 7 members from Malaysia
5 members from Sri Lanka
5 members from Thailand
4 members from Philippines 5 members from Nepal
5 membels from Taiwan
5 members from Indonesia
5 members from Singapore
5 members from Korea
5 members from Sri Lanka
5 members from Bangladesh
5 members from India
On the other hand, the Foundation was entrusted by the Government to give assistance to the Indo-Chinese refugees who were increasing in number. The Refugee Resettlement Assistance Headquarters was added in November, 1979 in order to help those refugees who were wishing to resettle in Japan.
The Resettlement Promotion Centers were opened under its control in Himeji city in December, 1979 and in Yamato city in February, 1980 respectively, and programs are carried out to help the fefugees become self supporting in Japanese society by giving Japanes language training, and employment introduction as well as helping with the smooth adjustment to Japanese culture.
In addition to the above two centers, Omura Refugees Temporary Reception Center was also opened in Omura, All the refugees Nagasaki prefecture in February, 1982. landing in Japan will temporarily be placed in this center to have a health check-up and after an investigation interview they will be transferred either to the resettlement center or to an institution for a temporary stay in Japan. Also in April, 1983, in order to cope with the prolonged refugee prob- lems, International Refugee Assistancec Center was opened. The introduction of Japanese language training and employ- ment which are urgently needed for the refugees to support themselves and adjust smoothly in the Japanese society are carried out in the center.
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