17 Visually Impaired Children Participate in “17th Santen Brasaka Kids’ Camp in Kansai”

The “17th Santen Brasaka(Blind Football) Kids’ Camp 2024 in Kansai,” under special sponsorship by Santen Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd., was held on March 30 and 31, 2024, at Kyoto Prefectural Youth Marine Center Marinpia (Miyazu City, Kyoto Prefecture). 

Brasaka Kids’ Camp* is a two-day, one-night sports camp for visually impaired children organized by the Japan Blind Football Association (JBFA), a non-profit organization. This is the 6th time that Santen has sponsored this event, which has been held since July 2013 to provide visually impaired children with opportunities to experience and engage in sports on a daily basis outside of school. Santen employees also participate in the camp as supporters, providing children with one-on-one support for daily life and activities over the two days.

The concept behind the Brasaka Kids’ Camp is “Encounter and Reunion.” By experiencing sports and activities with age-group peers, coaches, and supporters while spending time away from parents and guardians, the children are expected to deepen their interpersonal skills and develop a sense of autonomy. Since children and parents participate in separate programs during the camp, the event also provides an opportunity for parents to connect with each other. Parents who share common child-rearing challenges and concerns have an opportunity to confide in each other about their situations and approaches at discussion sessions.

* See here for details on Brasaka Kids’ Camp: https://burasaka-kids.b-soccer.jp/camp.php（Japanese Only）

Seventeen visually impaired children and their parents/guardians arrived from all over the country to participate in this year’s camp. Children ages ranged from grade 1 to junior high school grade 3.

Day 1
Following the opening ceremony, the children went to the gymnasium, where they relaxed their bodies and played ball. Next, they broke into groups to experience the tandem bicycle activity. With two saddles and sets of pedals, the two-person tandem bicycle is pedaled by two people. The child, seated in back, pedals in unison with the sighted driver in front, who is responsible for steering and braking. Shigeo Yoshihara, Paralympian and member of Core Principle & CSV at Santen, was the lecturer. The children savored the opportunity to ride bicycles, which is usually difficult for them to do, excitedly traveling through the venue grounds by the sea while experiencing the fun of a cycling competition. The first day ended with a BBQ and campfire, and the children had a great time reflecting on the day’s experiences.

Day 2
On day two, a walk on the beach was followed by the opportunity to play ball, athletics, and “daruma-san ga koronda” (a game similar to “red light, green light”) to their heart's content. In the physical fitness test, the children worked hard on various activities, such as sit-ups and horizontal jumps, recording their progress since day one. Even in the endurance race, everyone was cheering and doing their best. At the closing ceremony at the end of the two-day camp, all participants had the chance to share what they were able to accomplish, what they enjoyed, and what they intended to work on after they went home.

Contact
Corporate Communications
Santen Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd.
E-mail: communication@santen.com