Do you know how many children there are in the world? I thought there were 3 million
Cnaren in the world. In reálity, there are 2.1 billion children in the world. Do you think they
all are Iiving sáfely and cómfortably? It is not true. 356,000 children are troubled by poverty. I
Khew foreign children were troúbled by póverty, but I didn't know Japanese children were
troubled by póverty. 1 in 7 Children in Japan live in poverty. I was surprised to hear that.
Japan is not at war and not a poor country. It is an advanced and developed nation. So, why
does it have this problem?
「nere are many causes. First,non-regular employmentis increasing. Non-regular
employees don't get enough money and they don't have a stable job. Second, the number of
elderly people is increasing. When the number of elderly people increases, it burdens
Japan's workload. Finally, single-parent families are increasing.
So how can we solve these problems? The first is food support. For example, there
are certain projects and corporations that carry out food services and children's
cafeterias.Certain food services are free for low-income single-parent families. Children's
cafeterias' dishes are free or low price for children. There are about 12 children's cafeterias
in Koriyama. Second, schooling support. Children can go to supplemental school and go to
lessons set up by a support group. There are various ways to solve the problem.
What can we do for poor Japanese children? I think we should understand this
present condition and donate money. I want to be a member ofa support group. The day
when children in Japan and around the world can live safely and with peace of mind
Willit come?I hope that children around the world, including Japan, can live safely and
securely. Through the SDGS, I hope we can secure happiness for all children.