WAFCA: Giving Children the Freedom to Move with Wheelchairs

In 1999, marking its 50th anniversary, DENSO established the certified NPO Wheelchairs and Friendship Center of Asia (WAFCA). DENSO chose to launch this initiative as a gesture of gratitude toward Thailand, the location of its first overseas production base and the foundation of its global operations. The program began in Thailand to address a significant social issue at the time—supporting the independence of children with disabilities. This initiative stemmed from DENSO’s desire to contribute to society in a meaningful way, aligning with its expertise in mobility-related businesses. Since its founding, WAFCA has been committed to improving the independence and quality of life for children with disabilities by providing wheelchairs. Today, its support activities extend across several Asian countries, including Thailand, Indonesia, and China.

WAFCA's activities rest on three pillars: wheelchair support, educational support, and barrier-free support. Through these elements, they provide comprehensive assistance supporting children with disabilities until they achieve economic and social independence.

WAFCA particularly focuses on personalized wheelchair support. Following the World Health Organization's Guidelines on the Provision of Manual Wheelchairs in Less-Resourced Settings eight-step process, they evaluate each child's needs, source wheelchairs tailored to their physical conditions and living environments, and deliver them. They also provide detailed follow-up support, including precise seat height adjustments and training for both children and caregivers on proper wheelchair use.

When WAFCA first started, they donated purchased wheelchairs to local communities. Minami Kondo from WAFCA's secretariat explains why they evolved to provide more comprehensive support:

"At WAFCA, we put significant effort into understanding how donated wheelchairs are utilized. During one on-site visit, our staff discovered wheelchairs abandoned in storage. When we investigated why they weren't being used, we uncovered various issues: 'The size was too big for children,' 'Caregivers couldn't manage them properly,' 'The environment wasn't suitable for wheelchair use.'

This revelation led us to understand that support isn't effective unless we deliver practically usable wheelchairs tailored to each child's body and environment. We've been gradually improving our delivery process through trial and error."

As WAFCA continued donating wheelchairs, they realized that providing equipment alone couldn't solve all problems. To support children through school and into society, they gradually expanded their activities to include educational support and barrier-free support.

"To achieve genuine independence for the children we support, education is essential. However, many families can't afford dormitory or commuting costs, and schools often lack facilities to accommodate wheelchair students. Even with wheelchair provision, many children still can't attend school.

To address these challenges, we began providing educational support through scholarships alongside wheelchair donations, and barrier-free support by installing ramps and handrails at homes and schools," Kondo explains.

As of March 2024, WAFCA has donated 7,483 wheelchairs, provided scholarships to 3,084 students, and completed 119 barrier-free construction projects across various countries. Through close communication with local communities, WAFCA thoughtfully considers what children need for economic and social independence, developing appropriate approaches to address challenges.

Activity bases are primarily established in areas with DENSO local subsidiaries. Given the challenges of creating overseas NPO branches from scratch, WAFCA establishes local foundations with DENSO's cooperation to expand support.

Understanding local needs, such as the number and location of children with disabilities, is crucial for providing appropriate support. WAFCA collaborates with local communities differently in each region, adapting to varying disability support situations.

"In Thailand, for example, government-led 'Special Education Centers' in each province lead support for children with disabilities. We work with them to conduct local surveys for wheelchair allocation.

In Indonesia, where government support isn't as developed as in Thailand, we directly connect with mutual aid communities formed by families of children attending rehabilitation centers to conduct surveys," Kondo explains.

While building stronger connections with local communities to create sustainable support systems, WAFCA primarily employs local staff at regional offices. They share disability cases and conduct review meetings across the group to build wheelchair service expertise. The absence of Japanese expatriate staff is a notable characteristic of WAFCA.

While local staff handle direct support activities, the Japanese secretariat members raise necessary funds through events and public relations.

WAFCA's funding comes from three main sources: 40% from DENSO corporate donations, 40% from member donations, and 20% from other sources. With 80% of members being DENSO Group employees or alumni, Kondo notes that "The strong support from the DENSO community allows us to provide stable assistance without over-relying on government subsidies."

"Thanks to DENSO's cooperation, WAFCA can focus on fundamental, long-term support. To gradually expand this DENSO community foundation, we visit manufacturing sites nationwide and attend meetings to raise WAFCA awareness among DENSO employees," says Kondo.

While focusing on approaches targeting DENSO employees and alumni as major support pillars, WAFCA's Japanese secretariat is also building connections with local communities, particularly in Aichi Prefecture where their office is located.

"To introduce WAFCA's activities to local residents, we started the 'Wheelchair Hospital' 15 years ago. About 30 'Wheelchair Doctors,' mainly DENSO alumni, current employees, and local university students, carefully repair broken wheelchairs brought in by community residents at affordable prices. We also refurbish and sell used wheelchairs.

The 'Wheelchair Hospital' plays a crucial role in serving the local community while introducing people to our mission. All proceeds go to WAFCA's operating funds, and we hope to expand it as one of WAFCA's community-rooted initiatives, maintaining its PR value," Kondo explains.

While WAFCA has steadily continued its support activities, recent years have seen increased efforts to raise awareness about the situation of Asian children and expand support networks. One such initiative is WAFCAthlete, a team of professional athletes supporting WAFCA, launched in 2022.

WAFCAthlete was founded by Minami Iju, a former professional basketball player with DENSO Iris. After retiring four years ago, she joined DENSO's General Affairs Department's Sports Promotion Office as a contract employee. She has been involved in promotional activities as WAFCA's official supporter and subsequently launched WAFCAthlete.

WAFCAthlete's primary focus is building a community of supporters for WAFCA. Their promotion of the WAFCA Charity Run & Walk has resonated with many people. Participants contribute an entry fee as a donation and use a step-counting app to track progress. When their collective steps reach the target (60 million in 2024), sponsoring companies provide additional contributions. This creates a "walking" support system where daily steps contribute to donations.

Beyond individual walking, participants can join real events walking with WAFCAthlete members. The website features encouraging messages from WAFCAthlete members. In 2024, over 1,000 people participated, and in December, the Charity Run & Walk won the 15 Fundraising Japan Award*, gaining external recognition for its growth.

*The Fundraising Japan Award honors NPOs, businesses, and other organizations that have implemented innovative fundraising initiatives, bringing inspiration and joy to people’s lives. The award aims to recognize and widely promote the impactful work of these pioneers.

Iju reflects on various other initiatives centered around WAFCAthlete, including charity sports experience events in collaboration with local governments.

"WAFCAthlete members sometimes propose their own initiatives. For instance, we've held charity campaigns where athletes sign their used shoes and equipment. These were well-received by fans, and the participating members expressed joy in contributing through WAFCA," says Iju.

Regarding WAFCAthlete's impact, Kondo says, "Their PR effect has been tremendous and incredibly helpful."

"Previously, becoming a member was the only way to deeply engage with WAFCA. Thanks to WAFCAthlete's activities, smaller touchpoints like 'participating in WAFCA events,' 'buying charity goods,' and 'donating to collection boxes' have increased, dramatically raising WAFCA's recognition over the past two years.

At least 1,000 people have taken some kind of voluntary action related to WAFCA through WAFCAthlete's activities," Kondo notes.

WAFCAthlete's influence was particularly evident in WAFCA's first crowdfunding in July 2024. While WAFCA's official X account post about the crowdfunding received around 100 views, after WAFCAthlete members shared it, views jumped to 23,000. With such support, they exceeded their initial goal of 2 million yen, raising 2,877,000 yen.

Iju emphasizes that WAFCAthlete's activities also positively impact the participating athletes.

“From my own experience, many athletes, despite appearing confident and brilliant in public, often struggle with self-doubt. They worry that without sports, they might lose their value, and they limit their own potential by thinking, ‘Sport is all I can do.’

When athletes join WAFCAthlete, they begin to see how they can use their influence in a positive way within society. That’s when they truly shine. Through WAFCAthlete’s activities, I hope more athletes will continue to discover their ideal selves and move closer to becoming the person they aspire to be,” Iju explains.

WAFCA continues to expand its activities both domestically and internationally to pioneer a society inclusive of children with disabilities. While maintaining their existing support, they actively pursue new challenges.

"After 25 years of activity, I want to use the knowledge and connections I've gained to make WAFCA more accessible and build stronger ties with local communities through our initiatives,"

Kondo says enthusiastically.

"We will continue our steady support activities toward realizing a barrier-free society where Asian children with disabilities maintain their dignity and opportunities. To protect children's 'freedom of movement' and bright futures, we welcome your support. If this article has inspired you, we’d be thrilled to welcome you into WAFCA's community."

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