TOKYO: On most times, older people who reside in a treatment center housed in an apartment building in Tokyo share three meals per day. & nbsp,
But once a month, the seniors — many of whom live independently and with little help at the Sompo Care-managed home — look forward to lunchtime visits from unlikely friends— kids from the neighborhood. & nbsp,
The children’s restaurant notion, or kodomo shokudo, which was developed to reduce Japan ‘ child poverty rate, includes these meals at the medical home.
The rate of child poverty in 2017 was at about 16.3 %, or one in every six children, according to the Paris-based think tank Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development ( OECD ), making it one of the highest in industrialized nations. & nbsp,
Kodomo Shokudo is a community program run by volunteers that gives kids access to free or inexpensive foods. The events take place in areas like temples, shops, and community centers.
The programs vary from one kodomo shokudo to the next, with some providing extracurricular activities for kids.
For Sompo Care, it sees bringing the elderly and young together as a win-win solution for both years. Citizens enjoy hosting customers, and kids get to meet people their grandparents’ time.
Over 10,000 kids have already received invitations to the company’s kodomo shokudo activities, which are held at their senior houses all over the country. & nbsp,