JELA Foundation is a public interest foundation whose mission is to serve people in need with the love of Christ. Its predecessor association was established in 1909, merged with the present foundation in 2021, and the organization was certified as a public interest foundation in April 2024.
Its work rests on three pillars: support for children worldwide, support for refugees, and training of people for service. For children, it has run a project building preschools in rural Cambodia with a local partner organization since 2012, and has reported the completion of the 16th one. For refugees, it offers scholarships and a vocational school education program, and recruits volunteers to teach Japanese to people living in shelters in Tokyo.
Under its service training area, it provides scholarships and grants to schools. It also holds work camps (overseas volunteer programs) in India, Cambodia and the United States every year. The 2026 US work camp was joined by 16 Japanese junior and senior high school students aged 14 to 18.
Key points
- Works in three areas: support for children worldwide, refugee support and training for service
- Its preschool-building project in Cambodia, running since 2012, has completed its 16th school
- Several ways to take part, including donations, volunteering to teach Japanese and work camps
Why this organization's work stands out
A distinctive feature is that a single organization combines creating places of learning for children overseas, supporting refugees living in Japan, and nurturing the next generation of people who serve.
People of diverse nationalities and religions are said to have been involved, and entry points such as donations, volunteering and work camps let you take part in a way that suits you. It also notes that donations are eligible for tax benefits.
Editor's comment
It was striking to see support for children's learning and for refugees connected within one organization, showing how broad its activities are.
Information on work camps and activity reports on the blog are on the official website. Please take a look if you are curious.