📝 Detailed information
🏢 About the local organisation
TENKI-MURA was established in 1987 (registered as NPO in 1994) to improve the surroundings of children in Kusatsu area. Since their slogan is “The earth is a playground!” they have been hosting many hands-on programs and organizing many outdoor events in the forest, lakeside and playground. Their activities also help parents have closer relationship within the community. Since 2015, TENKI-MURA start putting more focuses on childcare for disabled children and their parents. Most activities are taking place indoors but they sometime take children to a camp. From 2014, we host 2 days workcamp leader orientation at this location. Camp leaders learn how to cook from a scratch, does many case-study/feedbacks with TENKI-MURA staff. CIEE have very close relationship with this organization.
CIEE Japan started STV with TENKI-MURA in 2004 and it will be 12th anniversary this summer.
TENKI-MURA official homepage: http://www.biwako.ne.jp/~nt-tenki/
TENKI-MURA Facebook https://www.facebook.com/nt.tenkimura
💼 What the programme involves
Care for children with disability
TENKI-MURA has played an active role to support those who have disabilities. When school is session, they open afterschool called “SORAMAME club”. During summer time, they help homework, play sports, do crafts, and teach dances in daytime. With TENKI-MURA stuff, volunteers help 10 SORAMAME club children. Most activities are taking place indoor but there is 2 days indoor summer camp during the project.
🏠 Accommodation on site
Accommodation:
Japanese house (Tatami room) and the center when camping
Facilities:
Both Japanese house and the center have a washer, a kitchen, a Western lavatory, a bathroom
Meals:
A dinner bento (box) will be provided. Breakfast and lunch will be cooked by volunteers. Volunteers take turn to cook rice ball and miso soup. Sometimes volunteers go to supermarket or convenience store together with a camp leader for grocery
📍 About the location
Shiga prefecture is in the central part of Japan and is famous for Lake Biwa, which is the biggest lake in Japan. The lake occupies one sixth of the total area of the prefecture. Kusatsu City is located in the south of the lake and has about 130,000 residents. It takes about 20 minutes by train to get to Kyoto, the ancient capital of Japan with lots of historical sites, and about 2 hours by express trains to get to Kansai International Airport. A volunteer needs at least 10,000 JPY in cash if she/he wants to go sightseeing on free-day.
⚠️ Requirements
A volunteer who has an allergy (or preference) in rice, miso soup, wheat, meat or fish can not be accepted because it is often served and they do not prepare meals by individual request.
A sleeping bag, swimwear, work clothes suitable for outdoor activities (Long-sleeved shirts, T-shirts, pants, long-socks and sneakers), a hat(or cap), toiletries, bath towels and other things you need for your daily life.
ℹ️ Additional information
Handicapped children can not communicate well verbally so a volunteer is expected to be patient and generous. This camp is suitable for people who can take care of handicapped children in a friendly and respectful manner.