2687 GIA Brazilian Migrants
austraLasia #2687
 

Twenty years on - recognition for educational work for Brazilian immigrants to Japan

TOKYO: 6 August 2010 -- Celebrations of the 20th anniversary of the day when Japan permitted Brazilians of Japanese descent to enter, work and settle in the country of their forbears in large numbers, have included an award for the special and significant efforts of the Salesians who, under the direction of Fr Evaristo Higa at the time, then subsequently Frs Angel Yamanouchi and Oscar Padovan, developed an outreach to Brazilian migrants in Hamamatsu, culminating in the development, this year, of the Cimatti Institute.  But we will let Fr Padovan tell the story...
    "Given the financial crisis in Japan through 2008-9, one of the communities most affected was the migrant community and in particular the Brazilians. Families were left without work, kids dropped out of school. In 2009 the Salesian community in Hamamatsu with the support of the Japan Province responded to these circumstances, reaching out to hundreds of families to provide basic necessities and giving special attention to young people of school age through what came to be termed the School Support Project. In 2010 this formalised into the Cimatti Institute which continues to provide emergency educational assistance.
    An interesting feature of this project has been the wholehearted support of the Salesian Brazilian Schools Network (a highly organised network involving all five provinces). They offered the Cimatti Institute all school textbooks for free.
    The Brazilian Government wanted to recognise the work of the Salesians at Hamamatsu and have awarded them a certificate of recognition at a ceremony at UNU this past week.

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