A month or two prior to any volunteer activity, Habitat staff visit the homes of our home partners for inspections and consultations to see if and how we can support homeowners with cleaning and tidying support as part of our domestic housing initiative, “Project HomeWorks”. Sometimes, however, a quicker turnaround is necessary.

In early April, we received a call from a partnered social services organization on behalf of Akanishi-san. Akanishi-san told us that part of their house was set to be torn down due to its age, and that she needed help moving her belongings. We suggested hiring a contractor if they were in a hurry, but Akanishi-san told us that due to their mental illness, they felt uneasy about communicating with a contractor and as such was anxious about hiring one.

Based on the volume of work, three to four volunteers were need. In a pinch, we contacted a student from Waseda University’s university campus chapter, “WHABITAT”, who told us they’d call their friends. Despite April being a busy time for Japanese students, four students from WHABITAT answer the call.

We immediately began moving belongings out of the section of the house set to be demolished. In the room were several guitars and electric pianos, to which a volunteer asked Akanishi-san “Do you like music?” They replied enthusiastically, telling stories of their younger days in a band and working as a songwriter. There were other items too, like figurines and miniature cars displayed neatly on shelves and seemed to have cherished for many years. With the help of volunteers, the shelf was moved ever so carefully as not to damage the fragile keepsakes.

The work was completed in about two hours, after which student volunteers shared the following comments:

“Hearing about the home partner’s younger days, I wondered what kind of life they led. I enjoyed being able to chat with them.”

“It was eye opening to see that there are people with needs like this just around the corner. It made me want to be of help to our neighbors.”

A social worker, who accompanied us through the volunteer session, told us “we were at a loss for what to do as the demolition date was approaching. We are very grateful for your prompt response.”

Habitat Japan will continue working with volunteers to solve local housing issues through Project HomeWorks.