Remarks by Yasushi Naito, Consul of Japan in Cape Town at the Handing Over of the Youth Development Centre to Orlando Children’s Home on 20th October in 2018
2018/10/22
Hon Max Sisulu, Former Speaker of National Assembly,
Mrs Elinor Sisulu,
Mr Murphy Morobe,
District Councillor Sechaba Khumalo,
Mr Pesty Malefo, Former Mayor of Pretoria
Mr Nobuhiro Kawaguci, CEO of Kawaguchi Energy Natural Solutions
Mr Yoshito Hashimoto, Head-Master of Japanese School in Johannesburg
Ms Mampho Brescia
Ms Lalla Hirayama
Ms Peta Qubeka, Ms Christina Moablelo of JICA Alumni Association(JAASA)
Mr Ian Scher, CEO of Rescue South Africa
Mr Tomohiro Seki, Chief Representative of JICA SA
Representatives of NEPAD Agency
Board members, staff, children and graduates of the Orlando Children’s Home
Members of neighboring community,
Mrs Solani Mirriam Mazibuko, Director of Orlando Children’s Home
Other Distinguished Guests, Ladies and Gentlemen
I am Yasushi Naito, Consul of Japan in Cape Town, also Counsellor at the Embassy of Japan in South Africa. By now, I may be one of the longest serving diplomats in South Africa, spending a total of 19 years intermittently since 1987 and I have known the Orlando Children’s Home for almost 30 years. Today is a special day for us. It is my great honor and pleasure to officially hand over this Youth Development Centre to Orlando Children’s Home.
The project was funded by the Japan’s Grant Assistance for Grassroots Human Security Project amounting to R4.4m with an advanced solar power system of Japanese technology that can produce 100% of electricity needed for this building and reduce environmental burden. In this public and private collaboration project, a Japanese company, Kawaguchi Energy Natural Solutions, provided a high quality solar power system. The installed solar panels on the roof top are one of the lightest in the world in weight, flexible, efficient and strong against hails and other shocks. The CEO Mr. Kawaguchi is passionate in applying this technology to educational and manufacturing facilities around Africa that can open wide opportunities.
This Youth Development Centre will provide children place to practice indoor sports including Karate and Judo, basketball, singing and dancing as well as various skills training while having fun. I hope this Centre will become place of learning and healthy development of youth of Orlando Children’s Home.
This occasion is special especially because Japanese Community in South Africa has almost 30 years of longstanding relationship with Orlando Children’s Home. Let me share how it started.
Back in 1988, I remember situations in Soweto was very different and my role as a young diplomat was to attend anti-Apartheid rallies and show our solidarity as much as possible so that then-National Party government cannot ban the meetings easily. I went around townships including Soweto and Mamelodi and there I got to know Orlando Children’s Home which was place of most vulnerable and traumatized section of the Society, children were very hungry for love asking me to hug and I started facilitating connecting the Home to Japanese Community in South Africa.
Over the years, various people from Japan visited the Orlando Children’s Home including former Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi, Keidanren (business federation), Tokiko Kato (singer), Katsuhiko Hibino (artist that painted artwork at the wall of court yard), teachers and volunteers. Exchange activities with learners and teachers of Japanese School in Johannesburg have also been continuing for many years.
Let me share a story that connect the past to the present. Former Prime Minster Koizumi visited Orlando Children’s Home in 1997 when he was Minister of Health and Welfare. He made a donation of harmonica, popular musical instrument in Japan, to children and even demonstrated how to play harmonica by himself. 5 years later in 2002, Mr Koizumi visited South Africa again but this time as Prime Minister of Japan and attended Johannesburg Summit of Sustainable Development in Sandton. Children from the Orlando Children’s Home were reunited with Prime Minster Koizumi. Then, a young girl who kept a harmonica given by Mr. Koizumi 5 years ago surprised him by playing it. That became a story and reported widely in Japan by Asahi Shimbun “Natsukashi no Harmonica(Nostalgic Harmonica)”. And today, that girl Sina is working at the Orlando Children’s Home and she has become the right-hand person to Mrs Mazibuko.
Orlando Children’s Home is a place of hope and goodwill. It is encouraging to know that some of graduates of Orlando Children’s Home have become successful businessmen and social workers and giving their love back to the society. Knowing that environment outside Children’s Home, in reality, is not always friendly to them, they are making efforts with high sprit, showing themselves as role models for younger ones. I had opportunities to have conversation with some of the graduates, they are incredibly humble to never taken for granted the care they received at the Home, very positive attitude in life even encouraging better off colleagues saying look how fortunate I am to have so many brothers and sisters here.
Orlando Children’s Home is a place of mutual learning. Japanese learners cherish the relationship with the children of the Home where they find richness of human bonds and friendship through their exchange activities. One learner of Japanese School was so inspired that he came back to Orlando Children’s Home when he became university student. Expression of incredibly jolly faces children playing soccer with bare foot was just unforgettable and made him think deeper what happiness is after all. He chose to study education and decided to work at development agency, JICA. It is just example but certainly a testimony that Orlando Children’s Home motivates and influences a life of a person.
Another story. Today amongst us we have Mr Ian Scher, CEO of Rescue South Africa. Remember 7 and half years ago in March 2011, when we had Great East Japan Earthquake and Tsunami, 45 members of South African Rescue Team was dispatched and made tremendous contribution. When our children and parents were at the edge of life and death, it was South Africans who risked their lives and helped us. It touched many people in Japan. A famous Japanese Singer Tokiko Kato was one of them. Tokiko who knew Orlando Children’s Home decided to visit South Africa in 2012 to hold Thank You Rescue South Africa concert. And Tokiko donated some of the fund raised at the concert back to South Africa, precisely to Orlando Children’s Home. Positive messages inspire and connect people. This is place of goodwill.
In all these interactions, Mrs Mazibuko has always been the central figure. Her warmth and welcoming posture opened gates to many visitors including the most reserved people from Japan. Japanese Government has shown appreciation to Mrs Mazibuko by conferring the Order of Rising Sun in 2014. Ladies and Gentlemen may we have a round of applause to her.
We deeply resonate the words of President Nelson Mandela who said “when you act for others you will become a true human being”. He also said, “Efforts of inclusive development should uplift the level of humanity as a society”. This year the South African and the whole world are observing the Centenary of birth of Nelson Mandela, and our UDF icon, Mama Albertina Sisulu. A happy coincidence is that this is also the 100 years anniversary since Japan established the very first overseas mission in Africa in the form of Japanese Consulate in Cape Town in August 1918. In this very special year, I am happy to be back in Soweto and present Youth Development Centre to Orlando Children’s Home as a monument of friendship between Japan and South Africa.
Thank you for your attentions.
End
