APFS 100-Day Action to Nurture Children's Dreams Report ④: Establishment of a Support Group

On Sunday, October 11, 2015, a preparatory meeting was held in Chiba Prefecture to establish an organization to support undocumented Filipino immigrants.
Having support not only from APFS but also from other families of undocumented immigrants is a great source of strength for them.
Several support groups are already active, but this time, we aim to establish a new support group during the "APFS 100-Day Action to Nurture Children's Dreams" period.

A mother from the Philippines and her two children (a high school student and a middle school student) born in Japan are currently in an undocumented state of residence in Japan.
We gathered about five people who have a connection to our family, such as the parents of our child's classmates and a former coach of the local baseball team.

APFS explained the situation of the family mentioned above to all of our supporters.
Trust is essential when seeking support. We made sure to communicate everything honestly, even information that might be unfavorable to the family.
Supporting families who are undocumented immigrants is not easy. We sometimes feel anxious about whether we will receive the support we need.
However, everyone who gathered offered their support.
I believe the offer of support came because the family had become accustomed to living in the community.

However, some argued that before providing support, it might be necessary to wait until the child is ready emotionally.
We will work together with the family and supporters to help them secure their residency.