Smile to the children

Thank you for visiting our page. I am Watanabe, the principal of Seishikai Kindergarten, located in Kitaibaraki City, Ibaraki Prefecture, Japan. With 38 years of experience as an educator, I have always been committed to the question, 'What can I do for the children?' This dedication has remained unchanged, even when it comes to the children in our kindergarten. Our staff has put their hearts and souls into nurturing hopeful and enthusiastic children.

However, on Friday, September 8, 2023, our kindergarten experienced a catastrophic event due to Typhoon 13. In response to the reports of heavy rainfall and impending disaster, we rushed to the kindergarten as soon as the typhoon subsided.

What we encountered was a kindergarten that had been completely transformed.

The chaos in the kindergarten was overwhelming. We didn't know where to begin...

When our staff rushed to the scene upon my urgent call, everyone was left speechless by the transformed state of the kindergarten.

The classrooms where our little ones had diligently and joyfully built their daily growth, the playroom where we sang, danced, and kicked off the day with energy, the laughter and tears of the children echoing through the lively playground, the nursery bus that transported them – all of it lay in ruins, submerged in the muddy waters. We had lost not only our everyday routines but also our memories and dreams in an instant, overwhelmed by a sense of despair and helplessness.

'What do we do now...'

From that day, we started cleaning up, pushing through the indescribable sense of loss and anxiety. Toys covered in mud, the children's belongings, memory files filled with seasonal crafts – all dear items soaked in mud had to be discarded as disaster waste.

Cleaning up proved to be more grueling than we could have imagined – mud-soaked tatami mats, freshly bought gym mats that just kept oozing mud no matter how many times we washed them, desks and chairs stained with mud that stubbornly seeped through, pianos that had fallen silent, and a never-ending pile of debris that turned into a gruesome heap of memories.

With the dedicated efforts of many individuals, we managed to take steps towards reopening.

As we grappled with various uncertainties and faced the daily challenges, both our staff and the environment were taking a toll on us physically and mentally. Exhaustion loomed, and it felt like we were running on fumes. In the midst of this, parents, alumni, external instructors who have been supportive, acquaintances and friends of our staff, professionals, and disaster volunteers from outside the city stepped in to provide assistance.

Many people expressed their concerns, saying, 'This is terrible...' and 'It must be so difficult...' Some even asked if we were considering closing the kindergarten.

However, as they gazed upon the drastically changed building, they shed tears and offered warm words of encouragement, saying, 'It's become like this, but please, do your best!'

We, too, thought, 'We have no choice but to work hard to reopen the kindergarten,' and we moved forward day by day. Though we lost material things, we never lost hope among us.

After overcoming those turbulent days, now that our kindergarten building is unusable, we were able to resume childcare from September 19 at the lifelong learning facility in Kitaibaraki City.

Above all, we wanted the children to come back to the kindergarten. We wanted to see the children! With these strong feelings, we received a lot of support from many people to expedite the reopening.

The first morning assembly at the temporary location was a heartfelt moment. The vice principal, with tears in her eyes, gave the morning greeting in front of the innocent smiles of the children. We all must have shared the same sentiment: 'We want to see the joy on these children's faces, and we want to witness their day-to-day growth!'

A fresh start from ground zero. We don't know when we'll be able to fully recover.

However, we couldn't just rejoice without reservation. Since we couldn't use the nursery bus, we had to rely on all the parents for drop-offs and pick-ups. Some children who used to come to the kindergarten with enthusiasm lost their smiles due to the shock of the disaster. Some cried because the play equipment was gone. For our little 2-year-olds, navigating the three-story school building with unsteady steps required careful attention. Not only the children but also the staff were struggling with life in an unfamiliar place.

It's a start from almost nothing. We can't predict what we'll need and how much it will cost. But one thing is certain – we need funds. The beloved storybooks and toys, naptime futons, lockers that the children were supposed to learn to organize themselves, materials for creative projects – all of it disappeared in an instant.

We have a strong wish and dream. We dream of the children's surprised and joyful smiles when we return to the newly repaired building. To make that dream come true, can we count on your support? To achieve this, we are determined to extend a warm welcome to the children as well.

Our kindergarten's slogan for this year is 'Don't cry! Don't give up! Don't falter!' In pursuit of the ideal image of kindergarten students, 'kind and diligent children,' we hope to work hand in hand with the children to overcome this difficult situation.

We sincerely appreciate your warm donations.

 

Details on the use of the funds received from all of you:

The estimated cost for extensive renovations of the kindergarten building, both interior and exterior, sand replacement, disinfection, and maintenance is approximately 60 million JPY. Additionally, we anticipate spending around 20 million JPY on purchasing equipment that was soaked in mud due to the disaster, as well as other items. The external renovations are something we cannot tackle yet.

First, we will work on renovating the floors and walls inside the building to get the kindergarten ready to return within the year. As for external renovations, we plan to address them gradually.

The funds received through this campaign will be used for childcare equipment that cannot be covered by subsidies. This includes children's storybooks, toys, consumables, hygiene items, indoor play equipment, outdoor play equipment, and materials for creative projects.

▼Target Amount: 1,000,000 JPY

*The funds donated through this crowdfunding campaign will be used as part of the breakdown mentioned above.
*The scale of the actual work will be determined based on the total amount of donations received by the deadline. We will prioritize the use of funds for storybooks, toys, indoor play equipment, and outdoor play equipment.

Tax Benefits:

Tax benefits related to specific donations: If you make a donation through this project, you may be eligible for the following tax benefits:
Individuals: Those who donate 2,000 JPY or more can choose between an 'income tax deduction' or an 'income deduction' as a tax benefit when filing their tax returns, provided they attach the donation receipt. Some local taxes may also offer tax benefits.

Corporations: The 'donation special loss deduction limit' applies, allowing the deduction of losses within that limit.
*For more details, please refer to the local tax office, the tax authority's website, or other official sources.

Issuance of Donation Receipt:
We will send the 'Donation Receipt' to those who have made a donation. The receipt will be issued in the name provided in your READYFOR account's 'Recipient Name for Return/Gift' section.

Delivery Address for Receipt:
The receipt will be sent to the 'Recipient Address for Return/Gift' provided in your READYFOR account.

Date of Receipt (Issuance Date):
The date of receipt (issuance date) will be February 9, 2024, when funds from READYFOR are deposited to the project creator.

Receipt Dispatch Date:
We plan to send out the receipts around March 2024. Please be aware that it may take some time for us to process and send them.

Project Notes:
- Once you make a donation, your application is confirmed, and there is no option to cancel.
- For more detailed conditions regarding returns, especially related to naming rights and message placement, please refer to this page.
- Messages provided as 'Support Comments' when you complete the donation may be used for the project's PR.
- If you have questions about your donation, please refer to this page.

Project Creator:
Watanabe (School Corporation Seishikai Gakuen, Certified Children's Garden Seishikai Kindergarten)

Project Completion Date:
March 31, 2024

Project Overview and Fund Usage:
The funds collected will be used for childcare equipment, including children's storybooks, toys, indoor play equipment, and outdoor play equipment, which cannot be covered by subsidies.

Risks and Challenges:
The shortfall between the required amount for the project and the target amount will be covered by self-funding, insurance money, subsidies, and bank loans.