As part of its fund raising activities, JOICFP collects used stamps and prepaid cards, such as telephone and train cards, for sale to collectors. Members of the public from all walks of life send in the stamps and cards, and schools and private companies support collection as well. In this way, even school children, who neither work nor earn money, can make meaningful contributions to international development.

Collectors pore through used cards

From 9th to 12th June, JOICFP took part in a collector's fair in Tokyo where used stamps and prepaid cards, and coins were on sale. JOICFP sold nearly 10,000 cards and 15 kilograms of stamps.

The money raised is specifically being used for:

• Supporting safe motherhood through the White Ribbon Alliance
• Sending reconditioned bicycles to traditional birth attendants (TBAs)
• Enhancing the livelihood of survivors of the 2004 Asian tsunami

Living in a tent in Aceh, Indonesia, after the tsunami

JOICFP is always looking for ways to increase resources. Items such as used stamps and prepaid cards are often thought of as rubbish and thrown away, but once the right market is found they become useful. The demand for collecting used overseas stamps in Japan is great, and JOICFP welcomes people from overseas sending in used stamps and prepaid cards.