In February 2004, JOICFP in cooperation with Kuraray Corporation started a campaign to send reconditioned backpacks, or 'randoseru' as they are known in Japan, to schoolchildren in Afghanistan (see JOICPF eNEWS March 2004).

In 2005, the public donated over 15,000 backpacks, exceeding the proposed target.

On 11th January 2006, the new campaign was launched at the Tokyo Metropolitan Government office. This year JOICFP is only aiming for 10,000 backpacks, but wants to raise awareness of the campaign among people who would not normally hear of or be interested in it.

Celebrities raise awareness

To interest the public more, JOICFP was fortunate enough to have three celebrities endorse the campaign. Koji Uehara, baseball player, Sakura Uehara, TV personality, and Ryunosuke Kamiki, international child actor, attend the launch event, which was heavily covered by the mass media, including national newspapers and television stations.

The three celebrities with elementary school children
chosen by Kuraray

Kamiki promised JOICFP he would donate his backpack when he graduates to junior high school in March. His support is seen as being especially valuable as many other school children will want to emulate him.

Other guests at the event were Nelfar Kohi, an Afghan woman now living in Tokyo who has published a book about her life in Afghanistan, and Takeshi Uchibori, a photographer who visited Afghanistan in 2005 to document the distribution of randoseru. (Click here to see the article).

Other activities at the campaign launch included a quiz among the celebrity guests on the situation in Afghanistan, and gifts of free randoseru from Kuraray to 20 selected children.

Photo exhibition

From 12th to 17th January 2006, a free exhibition of Uchibori's photographs from Afghanistan was held in the metropolitan building's 45th floor observatory. The place is very popular with the public, and many people who came to look out over the city learned about JOICFP's project.

The success of the backpack campaign is in part due to the feedback from the field, with recipients expressing their thanks to donors who can then see how their contributions have made a real difference to the lives of children in Afghanistan.

Members of the public view photographs
at the public gallery

Virtual gallery

JOICFP is displaying a selection of Uchibori's photographs from Afghanistan in a virtual gallery. Click here to see the photographs.