[Grace act.] Vol.1 The origins of social contribution activities

Hello everyone.
I'm NAO, a designer.

At Nao Lingerie, we are gradually making efforts to contribute to society through our unique social contribution activities, which we call "Grace act." Currently, we are carrying out a social activity to donate underwear to children in foster care facilities.
I would like to start by talking about why I am involved in this kind of activity, starting from my own origins.

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VOL.1

The origin of our involvement with child welfare facilities was the "Foster Care Discussion Group"

At Nao Lingerie, we have had the opportunity to donate underwear to orphanages that we have a connection with since 2019. Even before starting the business in 2013, we had decided that when we launched the brand, we would one day do something to help children.

I will explain the reason later, but it was only in 2019 that we were able to actually start our donation activities. It took six years after starting the business, but I am grateful for the opportunity.

The first time I was able to visit a children's home was in 2008, when I was 24 years old. The president of the architectural think tank where I was working at the time suddenly called me and said, "There's a meeting that's perfect for you, Nao. Come." That's when I decided to attend the "Meeting to Discuss Child Rearing."

For nearly two years, I had the opportunity to participate in discussions and study sessions on childcare, where the chairpersons and directors of foster care facilities gathered. The president was in charge of records, so I sometimes served as his subordinate secretary. In addition to discussions in the conference room, I also had the opportunity to visit the foster care facility "Hikari no Kodomo no Ie" (Saitama Prefecture), where I had the opportunity to interact with the children.

I also watched a documentary film about an orphanage called "The Person Next Door ( http://www.tonaru-hito.com/ )" and was able to learn a little bit about foster care. I wasn't able to participate in the meeting after I left work, but I always had the desire to work with children in orphanages again someday.

The president at the time later told me, "When I saw Nao, I felt like she was crying out, 'I'm here! Someone notice me!'" and "I have a perfect meeting for you."

Ever since I was little, I was always searching for a place where I could feel safe, and even at school I was a lone wolf type who had a hard time fitting in with groups.Although I have a strong side, there were times when I lost sight of the purpose of my existence, and I became too dependent and reliant on others, which made those I was relying on feel annoyed and naturally left me...This cycle repeated itself, and I entered the workforce with an amplified sense of loneliness.

Once I was able to drink, I would get loud and have fun when I was with others, but when I got home and was alone I felt so lonely that I would call friends in the middle of the night, cry alone, or tear my hair out...My boss watched over me through all of this with a warm eye.

Since then, I have been reflecting on myself and, based on my experiences of failing to build relationships with friends and acquaintances, practicing looking at things in a positive light (I hadn't realized I was negative until then!), and gaining an understanding of myself has been a good opportunity for me to start taking better care of myself.

What I would like to tell my fourth-grade self, who, even though she was little, wished to die, is, "It will definitely be okay. If you walk a little further, there will definitely be someone who will teach you about love. And you are an irreplaceable, precious, valuable person. It will definitely be okay."

If there is anyone out there who is suffering from loneliness, the pain of having their existence denied, or the sadness of people leaving them, I would like to offer even just a little bit of strength to them. It is especially difficult for children to change their environment on their own, so I think there may be something I can communicate and share from my experiences.

It may be a long way off, but ultimately, I want to become the kind of person who can "stay close to the people I care about," as I learned at the parenting discussion meeting. Continued → Vol.2

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NAO LINGERIE
Owner/Designer Nao Kawashima