When I was 5 years old, I started to take ballet lessons. As a child, I barely understood about the steps and artistic aspects of the dance, but I loved going to the classes and ended up continuing for more than 15 years. The reason why I loved it so much was because my ballet teacher was a wonderful person. She was really considerate to everyone, always listened to others’ stories, and talking with her was really assuring even when I had some hard times in my school and daily life. The ballet class was my ‘third place’: a place where you feel comfortable outside of home and school.
Living in Japan, it is hard to realize there are still wars and conflicts around the world and huge number of people are suffering. Of course it is easy to know something is happening somewhere, but it is only as an information outside of our world. I myself never really thought about the situation before I had a workshop in my high school and had a chance to learn about refugee issues. There, I came to know that half of the refugees are children, and this shocked me. Imagining numbers of children around the world cannot enjoy running around outside, reading books they like, and having a cozy time with people who truly care about them, made me think I want to act against this situation. When I wondered what I wished to do, I thought I want to become a person like my ballet teacher who earnestly cared about the children, and create a third place for all of the children including ones who are in vulnerable circumstances.
All around the world there are unsolved issues and people suffering from them, also attempts to solve the problems and help the people who are affected by the problem. However it is possible to end the conflicts only by the power of people actually involved in the affairs. Ensuring an environment where refugee children can grow up physically and mentally in a well-being state, I believe they will develop into independent individuals who can think well and find the best way to finish the troubles themselves were affected by as a child. My dream is to make the world a peaceful place through holding a third-place-environment for the children in unstable circumstances and to be a companion they can rely on.