Established in 1948, Elizabeth Saunders Home is one of the biggest and oldest children’s homes in Kanagawa Prefecture. Today, over 50 children aged 2 to 20 live in 10 different dormitories throughout the Home. Some of these dormitories require urgent repair works to address pressing needs for better living conditions, further strained due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Following the first phase of Habitat Japan’s “Asanagi” dormitory repair project, which took place from June 2022 to May 2023, we repaired another boys’ dormitory, the “Taiyo” dormitory. This second project at the Home started in July 2023 and was successfully completed in June of 2024.
Like the Asanagi dormitory project, the Taiyo dormitory also required a complete overhaul. Prior to Habitat Japan’s intervention, the dormitory was comprised of a large, communal room which was divided into several makeshift private rooms using partitions. These partitions, as well as the permanent walls and floors of the dormitory had severely deteriorated over the years, creating a poor living environment for the children. Furthermore, the makeshift rooms had also made it difficult for light reach each private the room, creating a gloomy atmosphere overall.
Habitat Japan held a needs assessment in Autumn of 2023 to identify and prioritize points to improve. Then, designs and a detailed project plan were developed in partnership with two architects, staff members of the Elizabeth Saunders Home, and Habitat staff. Construction commenced in April 2023 before being completed this June.
Ultimately the project replaced flooring and wallpaper, installed new ceiling lights, repaired windows, and installed new air-conditioners and smoke detectors in the dorm. Most importantly, the project was able to build safe and private individual rooms for children using wooden panels. Finally, each room was also provided with a bed, a desk, and storage cabinets, marking the end of the project 10 months in the making made possible through the help of volunteers.
At the end of June 2024, a closing ceremony was held at the Elizabeth Saunders Home where facility staff and children joined by key supporters of the project and celebrated the completion of the two dormitory repairs. This project was made possible through generous funding from our corporate partners and individual donors at Habitat Japan’s 2023 charity gala. We would also like to give special thanks to corporate partners that made great contributions to the project by donating goods and by volunteering their time directly.
The Facility Repair Program is one of Habitat Japan’s flagship domestic programs that provides vulnerable populations like children, women, and more with decent living conditions by renovating children’s homes, shelters, and other community facilities. Through the generosity of our corporate partners, individual donors, and volunteers, Habitat Japan works to support and empower vulnerable people by supporting safe, clean, and decent places they can call home.