100 New Marine Species Each Discovered Off Chile, New Zealand Under The Nippon Foundation-Nekton Ocean Census Project (1)
The Nippon Foundation to Double the Number of Ukrainian Evacuees It Supports to 2,000 (2) [2022/08/17]
 Speaking of Ukrainian evacuees in Japan, Mr. Jumpei Sasakawa, executive director of The Nippon Foundation, tells the July 29 press conference: “Many of these people can work and want to work, and we want to welcome them as members of society.” At the press conference on July 29 to announce The Nippon Foundation’s decision to double the number of Ukrainian evacuees eligible for its humanitarian assistance, we also announced the results of a survey conducted from June 13 to July 27, covering 260 Ukrainians who have evacuated to Japan and applied for our assistance. When asked about their intentions of returning to Ukraine, the poll found that 65.1% of respondents hoped to stay in Japan for an extended period or until the situation in their country calms down, while 25.0% said they would decide based on the environment in Japan. Only 2.2% wanted to return to their home country as soon as possible. Asked to select the five most important needs they have or services they require, Japanese language education (65.8%) topped the list, followed by employment opportunities and training (55.8%), medical care (51.5%), a contact that they can consult with at any time (38.8%), and an ability to make Japanese friends (37.3%). Queried on whether they have any concerns or problems, about one in four said they cannot sleep (26.9%) and they feel isolated (25.0%), while almost one in 10 (8.8%) said they don’t feel well physically. The foundation will continue to look into how Ukrainian evacuees feel about living in Japan on a regular basis and respond accordingly with our staff members working with NGOs and other organizations helping them. The Nippon Foundation is already providing opportunities for evacuees to study Japanese through support for programs being launched by NGOs, and plans to expand its support to include things like online mental health counseling. Mr. Jumpei Sasakawa, executive director of the foundation, told the press conference that the survey has revealed various uncertainties and issues facing Ukrainian evacuees living in Japan, noting: “It is no surprise that the language barrier is the most difficult issue they face in their daily lives.” “We need to think about whether it is really appropriate for our support to be simply to ask them to learn Japanese. We may also be able to make greater use of interpreters to enable them to work, or to help them find jobs where they don’t need to be able to speak Japanese,” he said, adding: “Many of these people can work and want to work, and we want to welcome them as members of society.” (To be continued) Overview of the findings of a survey on how Ukrainian evacuees feel about living in Japan, that The Nippon Foundation conducted from June 13 to July 27, covering 260 Ukrainians who have evacuated to Japan and applied for our assistance. Q: What are your intentions and hopes for returning to Ukraine?  Q: Please select the five most important needs you have or services you require.  Q: Please select up to five things that you find insufficient with current assistance in Japan.  Q: Do you have any concerns or problems? Please select all that apply.  Q: Are there any persons or organizations you can consult with and will support you when you have problems? Please select all that apply.  |