Afghani students smile after receiving a backpack

On 18th January, a public event was held in a major shopping center in Tokyo to launch the fourth year of the JOICFP campaign to send backpacks to school children in Afghanistan. The event was conducted by JOICFP and the Japan Luggage Association, in cooperation with Kuraray Corporation. It was also supported by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Japan.

In Japan, every school child uses a certain type of backpack during primary school, and these bags often have great sentimental value as everybody has used one. Famous celebrities; a comedian, a female wrestler and her husband, and an actress, told the large crowd about their childhood memories of their backpacks, and how pleased they were that Afghan school children could have one for their school lives.

The event gathered a lot of media attention and was well covered.

Dozens of photographers crowd
to get shots of the celebrities.
The event was covered on TV.

The celebrities with new primary school children
and their new backpacks

Liberal Democratic Party parliamentarian Kenshiro Matsunami used to teach at Kabul University prior to war starting in 1979. Back in Japan, he was distressed to think that his former students were fighting in militias, and he joined the Japan-Afghan Association, of which he is now president.

Speaking to the audience, Matsunami said that support for ordinary Afghanis from the Japanese public was vital, and he hoped it would continue and expand. He thanked the supporters for their donations of backpacks, and said that the children of Afghanistan also sent their thanks.

Photographer Takeshi Uchibori has visited Afghanistan many times to document life there, and he uses his photographs to raise awareness on the country. Some of Uchibori's photographs were on display at the event, and he explained them to the audience. JOICFP also gave out fiscal year 2007 calendars illustrated with his photographs from Afghanistan.

By holding events such as this, JOICFP is able to greatly raise public awareness of and support for the project in Afghanistan. Donors and the public are able to see how their contributions have helped those in need, and this motivates them to continue assisting.