By Chris Betros

Lifestyle Jul. 03, 2010 - 05:22AM JST ( 17 )

TOKYO —

It’s hard enough for most young people to venture out into the world after finishing their studies, but it’s even more daunting for children who have grown up in shelters and orphanages. The world of business can be overwhelming for such kids. 

But you are never too young to have good ideas.

Recently, 12 Japanese youngsters from Nonohana-no-ie Children’s Home in Kisarazu, Chiba Prefecture, took part in a workshop to help them understand the “world of work” no matter what type of job they would like to have. It was organized by American entrepreneur Jason de Luca, with the support of Career Cross KK, Hays Japan KK and Pizzakaya.

“Japan has taken very good care of me, and this is one way I can directly help Japan grow her future, through working with kids in need,” said de Luca, who is managing director of Smart Partners KK, a company that offers sales training, consulting, business strategy and financial planning advice. “I was saddened to see how few local Japanese companies get involved with helping these kids, so rather than complain, I decided to start running workshops to help the kids myself.”

At the workshops, the children choose a job and learn what they have to do to be successful at it, what kinds of certifications or college classes they’ll need to take, what they can expect as a first year salary and so on. “The workshops are fun and include games/role playing and lots of big sheets of paper and markers. Then we finish off the session with great pizza or something else,” said de Luca.

“For future workshops, we will be looking for local industry experts in food service, art/design, media and many other areas of business, to speak with the kids about what their options can be if they try hard and stay out of trouble. These kids are Japan’s future. They don’t want handouts, they just want to be like everyone else and get a good job after school.”

De Luca said he was surprised at the depth some of the kids went into with their understanding of how a business works. “One participant had mapped out over 15 jobs to run a cafe when I placed her as the store owner,” he said. “Another wanted to run an entertainment company, while one boy wanted to own a soccer club.”

Nonohana (which means wild flower) was founded in 1985 by Misao Hanazaki who also helped launch Friendship Asia House Cosmos, a temporary shelter mainly serving unwed non-Japanese mothers with half-Japanese children. Most of the children at Nonohana come from broken families and have nowhere else to go. Nonohana accommodates around 40 children aged 2-18, including some with mixed ethnic background, among them the Philippines, Colombia, Thailand, Kenya and Vietnam.

Nonohana welcomes support from the foreign community, whether it is helping to arrange workshops, making donations, offering short-term homestays, study volunteers, tutors, or a trip to Disneyland. The ability to speak a little Japanese would help, but a smile and a hug go much further.