On the Road to Recovery with YouMeWe
YouMeWe is an NPO that aims to provide children at orphanages with the support they need to enter society by the age of 18. They have recently started a donation campaign on Global Giving to seek further support, as the pandemic has affected their fundraising efforts and their ability to support the children they serve. Connect decided to share their fundraiser and their story.
The Challenge
As a result of the lockdown and social distancing, YouMeWe staff and volunteers have had very limited access to the children. In Yokohama and Tokyo, many children living in care homes have been left isolated. Despite these uncertain times and for the sake of the children, the essential workers who look after them have continued to come to work every day.
Raising Funds
To rebound from the setback of the lockdown, YouWeMe has decided to start a fundraising campaign on Global Giving. This project will provide support to both the children and the staff in care homes in Yokohama, Tohoku, Tokyo, and Nagoya. Donations will be used to provide essential tools the organization needs to run children’s homes efficiently and provide a safe environment for children to live and learn. Staff will also be able to receive better psychosocial support to ensure their own health and well-being. The expected long-term impact of your donation is that both kids and staff can have better access to more modern technologies and online teaching/learning equipment.
Progress
According to YouMeWe representative Michael Clemons, the kids have been able to use the computers while getting geography and history lessons as they participate in the Global Challenge of walking around the earth virtually in 100 days. They joined 161 people across 23 teams at YouMeWe and are learning online about every country they visit virtually. The kids at Matsubaen have set up an iMac lab with donated computers so the kids can study online. YouMeWe has purchased learning software and tablets for the kids to use, and has even gotten help from the kids to prepare PCs to be sent to other homes in Tohoku that were in need of computers. Lastly, as they have supported many children who have gone on to universities and need to do their studies online in the wake of the pandemic, the organization also gave laptops to these students so they could stay connected and not fall behind. 
Donate Now
Help the children and the staff of YouMeWe by donating through their Global Giving Campaign here. In addition to donating, you can also join YouMeWe as a volunteer. For more details, check their post on Connect.