Behind the scenes at YouMeWe, we keep building the skills that help us support young people well.
Today we completed Level Two of the Duke of Edinburgh Award workshop training. Every step like this makes us better prepared to guide, encourage, and show up for the youth we serve.
Thank you for being part of the work with us.
#YouMeWeNPO #YouthEmpowerment#BehindTheScenes #SocialImpact#CommunitySupport
Look at all those hands.
Every time we get on a call and the kids start shooting their arms up to answer, I forget for a second how far apart we all are. Japan on one side, Manila on the other, and the USA but somehow it just... works. It feels like a real classroom. A real community.
But there's a quiet ache underneath all that joy.
Some of these kids will be adopted. Some will move to new homes, new families, new lives. And we celebrate that, genuinely. A family is everything. But we don't always know if we'll get to keep going with them after that. Sometimes a goodbye happens and we don't even realize it was the last class.
So I hold these moments a little tighter.
I hope that wherever life takes them, they carry a small piece of this with them. That somewhere in the back of their memory, there's a screen full of faces cheering them on, and they remember they were loved here.
You were seen here. Always.
#YouMeWeNPO #YouthEmpowerment#DigitalInclusion #SocialImpact #fortheyouth
SOS Village
Earlier this summer, we sat with the students at SOS Village to talk about what they want to do in life. Today, we went deeper and asked why.
Astronaut, teacher, navy, each dream came with a purpose. These conversations matter because young people need more than career ideas. They need space to understand what drives them and who they want to become.
We're grateful to keep showing up for these honest, important moments.
#YouMeWeNPO #YouthEmpowerment #DigitalCitizenship
#AlternativeCare #ForTheYouth
Learning Session
Learning opens up choices.
Here's a moment from one of our hands-on sessions, where children had the chance to learn, explore, and build confidence with digital tools alongside caring volunteers.
Thank you to everyone who gives their time and attention to make these moments possible. If you'd like to support more opportunities like this, send us a message.
#YouMeWeNPO #Digitallnclusion #YouthEmpowerment #VolunteerSupport #Sociallmpact
Art
There's something about a room full of kids with paintbrushes that always gets me.
This summer, we are doing something a little different.
Instead of sitting at desks, we are painting together. A big, colourful heART of Tokyo, made up of every handprint, every brushstroke, every kid who showed up and said: "I'm here."
It's messy. It's loud. It's exactly what it should be.
For a lot of these kids, having a wall they helped create, something that says "I was here and I mattered," is not a small thing. It's everything.
To every volunteer who rolls up their sleeves and paints alongside them this summer: thank you. You don't just help make art. You help make a memory.
If you've ever thought about joining us, this is your sign.
Come create with us.
#YouMeWeNPO #YouthEmpowerment #Sociallmpact #DigitalInclusion #fortheyouth
Mural Art
Every year, the children create a mural that captures their ideas, energy, and imagination.
It becomes a shared piece of art, and a reminder that being seen, heard, and encouraged matters. Thank you to everyone who helps make space for moments like this.
#YouMeWeNPO #YouthEmpowerment
#CommunitySupport #VolunteerImpact #fortheyouth
We are so grateful.
A huge thank you to the Sasebo Chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution for their generous donation of solar power generators for the Nazareen home in Kumamoto.
Power outages can quietly disrupt so much: study time, online tutoring sessions, the small routines that help kids feel stable and prepared. This donation means those moments stay protected. The children can keep learning, keep connecting, and keep moving forward, no matter what.
To everyone at the Sasebo Chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution: what you did matters more than you know. Thank you for showing up for these kids.
#YouMeWeNPO #DigitalInclusion #CommunitySupport #YouthEmpowerment #Sociallmpact
Donate to DAA Summer Camp! Any and every donation helps!
At DAA Summer Camp, children have the chance to learn new skills, explore their creativity, and enjoy being kids.
Donate Here
We’re excited for our upcoming MacBook workshop on August 14.
Thanks to these newly donated MacBooks, the children will have a chance to learn hands-on skills and build confidence using tools that matter for school, work, and daily life.
We’re grateful to everyone helping make this possible.
#YouMeWeNPO #DigitalInclusion#YouthEmpowerment #MacBookWorkshop#SocialImpact
At our 18th Designing Artists Academy, moments like this say so much.
Watching a child pick up a camera for the first time is powerful. It is the start of seeing the world through their own eyes, telling their own story, and discovering that they can be the creator of their own life.
This is why we keep showing up.
#YouMeWeNPO #YouthEmpowerment #CreativeLearning #fortheyouth #SocialImpact
When was the last time you did something for the first time?
That’s the feeling we’ve held onto through 18 years of Designing Artists Academy.
While many children were off for summer holidays, volunteer artists gave their time to open up a different kind of camp, one built around creativity, curiosity, and trying something new. We also connected our arts program with technology by teaching IchigoJam, using a simple $15 monitor, $15 keyboard, and $15 CPU to help children take their first steps into coding.
This is what opportunity can look like, people showing up, sharing what they know, and making learning possible.
#YouMeWeNPO #YouthEmpowerment #DigitalInclusion #VolunteerImpact #FortheYouth
KPMG Ignition Tokyo (KIT) Donation
Always thankful when a donor reaches out and helps us get 145 more champions connected with laptops.
*****
Recently, KPMG Ignition Tokyo (KIT) donated devices such as MacBooks that had been replaced internally and had ended their role as part of KPMG's global initiative to realize a sustainable future through solving environmental and social issues, as part of the KPMG Our Impact Plan (OIP).
The devices donated this time include 145 MacBooks and other devices that have been used internally so far. Although these devices have ended their business use, they were still fully capable of general use. We believed that rather than discarding these assets, we could create new social value by connecting them to those who need them. This initiative also helps balance reducing environmental impact with social contribution.
The NPO YouMeWe, the recipient of the donation, is engaged in educational support and empowerment for children and youth. These activities are highly compatible with KPMG's Our Impact Plan "10 by 30" initiative, which aims to address social issues.
"10 by 30" is KPMG's global commitment to support economic independence and growth by providing education, employment, and entrepreneurship support to 10 million disadvantaged youth worldwide by 2030. KPMG is promoting various activities aimed at creating a society where the next generation of young people can access more possibilities.
Through this conversation with YouMeWe, we learned that more than a dozen of the devices eligible for donation have already been decided to be provided to youth support organizations. Also, the story that "Macs are cool" are very popular among children and that it helps boost motivation for learning and creative activities was very impressive.
In today's world, where digital technology is becoming increasingly important, creating an environment where everyone can learn and grow equally is a challenge for society as a whole. That's why I feel that KIT holds great significance in giving new value to assets that are no longer used and passing them on to the next person.
Creating the future through technology is not just about cutting-edge AI and systems. Delivering these benefits to those who need them is also an important form of value creation.
We hope that the devices donated this time will support the learning and creative activities of children and young people, serving as a small opportunity to expand future possibilities.
Going forward, KIT will continue to engage in activities that create a positive impact on society by leveraging the power of technology, and contribute to building a better future through the promotion of the KPMG Our Impact Plan.
- Michael Perry-Clemons
Laptops Sent Last Week
Last week, we packed and sent laptops to one of our children's homes, helping create more learning opportunities.
As technology is a big part of everyday life, access to a laptop can open the door to new skills, creativity, and future opportunities for the children.
Don’t Forget!
Join us for the 2026 YouMeWe Fundraising Gala on October 14, 2026! 📅 October 14, 2026 🕕 6:00–8:00 PM 📍 Salesforce Tower, Tokyo 👔 Cocktail Attire Secure your tickets by scanning the QR code. We can't wait to see you there!
Behind every tutoring session is a room full of tools that someone chose to give.
The laptops, the tablets, the supplies, the connectivity — none of that appears by magic. It comes from donors and CSR partners who believe these kids deserve a real shot.
And then there are the volunteers who walk in, sit down, and give their time. That combination is what makes this work.
We are so grateful for every person who is part of this village. If you want to join us for an upcoming session, send us a DM or visit the link in our bio. We would love to have you.
Today we talked about Rewarding Relationships
Video:
https://youtu.be/yjzGxLq1Dqs?si=u1gLG98alJaFfuOK
#YouMeWeNPO #YouthEmpowerment#DigitalInclusion #SocialImpact #fortheyouth
We're looking for a few extra USB-C to USB-C cables to support our work. If you have one you're no longer using, we'd greatly appreciate your donation!
If you're able to help, please email [email protected]
Every donation, no matter how small, helps us continue creating opportunities for children and young people.
Thank you for your support!
Japan's population pyramid has flipped. Nearly 3 elders for every child. The smallest generation in history is being asked to carry the most.
And within that generation, 40,000 children are growing up in alternative care, with no family safety net waiting for them at 18.
We keep thinking about the Tanomoshi, a traditional Japanese practice where a circle of people pool their support so no one person carries the weight alone. A pyramid concentrates everything downward. A circle holds.
That's what we're building.
The Tanomoshi Circle is our monthly giving family. Together, we want to give 50 young people a steady 3-year foundation before they step out on their own.
If you've been looking for a way to show up consistently for kids who don't have a lot of people in their corner, this is it.
Join the circle. Link https://www.globalgiving.org/projects/the-tanomoshi-circle/?utm_campaign=project-approved&utm_content=Your+project+has+been+approved!&utm_medium=email&utm_source=email2.globalgiving.org
#YouMeWeNPO #YouthEmpowerment#DigitalInclusion #SocialImpact #fortheyouth
Did you know that the first commercially available smartphone that responded to touch was the LG Prada KE850 in 2006?
This week, children at St. Francis Children's Home learned about and were tested on how touchscreen technology works and its history.
