M&G Japan providing renovated dormitories for orphans

Earlier this year, a group of eight employees from M&G Investments Japan and M&G Real Estate Japan volunteered to make improvements at the Elizabeth Saunders Home, an orphan M&G Japan age in Oiso. Established in 1948 for Japanese war orphans, the facility is one of the largest and oldest orphanages in Kanagawa Prefecture.

The project involved repairing the 40-year-old Asanagi dormitory, the oldest of the three buildings on the grounds. Within the dormitory, Habitat for Humanity constructed eight 4.8 square meter sized “yagura” (tower) modular rooms to provide private space for the children.

On the day of the project, Habitat for Humanity staff and interns, who are all architecture students at campus chapter universities, provided our colleagues with detailed instructions on assembling a yagura room and showing them how to use the construction tools. Our colleagues began by attaching the four wooden walls and laying down the carpet. Once the doors were installed, the room was complete. In just half a day, our colleagues constructed two units.

Each Yagura room will have a bed, desk, chair, and a bookshelf. We look forward to seeing how the children decorate their rooms to create a comfortable space within their newly renovated dormitories. Through the repairing of the orphanage, Habitat for Humanity aims to create a safer and more secure home for the children.

M&G Japan In 2022, 1,345 colleagues dedicated 8,964 hours of volunteer service. At M&G, we provide colleagues with two days paid volunteering allowance and it’s great to see colleagues all over the world taking this opportunity to make a difference in their local communities.

Kota Takenaka, Associate Director, M&G Real Estate, said: “The children at the orphanage need to have their own private spaces, and if they are able to maintain their own privacy and experience peaceful living with the "Yagura" we built, that would be the best outcome! I was so glad to have participated in this meaningful volunteering activity. If there are other volunteering activities in the future, I will participate and assist with fulfilling its objective.”

Reframing later life

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