An inspiring story born out of sadness

Education is one of the main fields where Friends of Humanity operates, therefore we are extremely attentive to any interesting story on this subject. This time we point the reader's attention on a very touching tale of pain and solidarity.

A Japanese man, whose only child died of a rare liver disease, has been building schools and other infrastructures in Nepal after meeting a young Nepalese girl with the same disease as her daughter's, and after a trip to Nepal where he came into contact with the devastatingly poor health and hygiene conditions in that country.

Yujiro Ishimaru (in the picture right), now 68, started this activity in 1998, when her daughter was still alive (she died in 2001) and he was president of the Biliary Artesia Child Help Society in Japan. He realized how much Nepal needed to improve on its educational and health facilities, and put his energy and professional experience to this end. To this date the Asia Friendship Network, initiated by Ishimaru, has already built or expanded 40 schools, thus providing access to education to an increasing number of students.

This is the same spirit behind which our partners in the region, RIDS-Nepal and the Alice School Project in India, work. Therefore, we wish more people will get involved in activities like the one Mr. Ishimaru started.

You can read the full article here.