On 17th November, the Ebara Association of Enterprise Management (EAEM) held its 11th annual fund-raising event in support of JOICFP, staging a rakugo performance, or traditional Japanese story telling, by the most popular and famous narrator in Japan, Shunputei Koasa.

Shunputei Koasa.

Prior to the story telling, the president of EAEM, Yoshio Matsuura, reported to the audience of 500 on his participation in a JOICFP-organized study tour to Tanzania in June 2004. In his own words, Matsuura explained how JOICFP's activities reached those in need at the grassroots in partnership with Family Planning Association of Tanzania (UMATI), and how support from EAEM contributed to this. In addition, he reported on his first visit to IPPF London and explained how EAEM's activities are internationally linked in the network of IPPF and JOICFP.

In Japan, it is not usual for a company president to talk about issues such as poverty alleviation, family planning, safe motherhood and HIV/AIDS, and his words made a strong impact on the audience. The Ebara association with over 2,000 member companies is known as an innovative association in Japan, and is in a position to provide information on corporate citizenship to more than 220,000 member companies in Tokyo, and 1.2 million member companies in Japan.

Matsura was followed by the director of the local Tax Administration Agency in Ebara Area, Tokyo, who explained the importance of taxation, and how taaxes are used for the wellbeing of the people in Japan. One of the functions of EAEM is to assist its members with taxation compliance.

Outside the event hall, JOICFP displayed photographs, and sold Kilimanjaro coffee and Tanzanian pop art Tinga-tinga postcards to raise funds for project sites. JOICFP also received the gate from EAEM, amounting to 1 million yen.

Private enterprises are willing to assist NGOs, if they are seen to be credible and sustainable, as this raises corporate profile and image among the public. Concurrently, NGOs have their profile raised among the business community.

JOICFP staff explain how buying tinga-tinga postcards
and Kilimanjaro coffee assist people
at the grassroots level