Okinawa ranks worst in child poverty.
Child poverty is a major issue in Japan today, but did you know that Okinawa ranks worst in this regard?
While the national average was 16.3% (June 2015), Okinawa's figure was 29.9%, approximately double the national average.
Why are there so many impoverished families in Okinawa?
One example of this is that while the average income is low, the cost of living is relatively high.
Okinawa's minimum wage is 714 yen, the lowest in the country, and its working poor rate is 18.3%, which is higher than the national average of 9.7%.
Furthermore, because it is a car-dependent society, household budgets are being strained by the high costs of maintaining cars, rising gasoline prices, and high housing costs in urban areas.
This has resulted in a large number of children facing economic hardship, losing opportunities for higher education, and their lack of educational attainment significantly impacts their income.
In other words, poverty is perpetuated across generations, creating even more poverty.
Reference: gooddo magazine
In our own work, we can see firsthand the reality of intergenerational poverty.
Many families are unable to find employment due to a lack of education, and end up raising their children while working part-time or at night.
We provide supplies to supported households once a month, but sometimes we receive calls on days when we don't have a scheduled delivery, saying they have nothing to eat that day and need our help.
As you can see, even within our daily activities, we are acutely aware of the poverty problem in Okinawa, so when we consider Okinawa as a whole, we realize that the problem is even more serious and deeply rooted.
This problem may seem like an enormous and daunting task, but by helping the person right in front of you, and repeating that process, the circle of help will surely expand.
Please, lend me your strength.
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