The Significance of the Night Walk, Reaffirmed
Today, we held the 3rd Night Walk.
Before I knew it, this was already the third one. (Thank you all!)
Among the participants this time, there was even a child who has joined us every single time since the first one.👏
To think they wanted to participate three times‼️
That alone made me think that this Night Walk must have some special appeal.
So this time, as an adventure MISSION, I threw this question out to the children:
"Let's try to put into words what makes the Night Walk 'kind of great'!"
The participants this time are children who have experienced school non-attendance or are currently unable to attend school.
Before the event, I had some anxieties:
"Will the first-time participants be able to fit in?"
"Will they be able to walk all the way to the end?"
However, once we started walking, those worries gradually faded away.
The children, who were nervous at first, naturally began to converse as we walked the same path and saw the same scenery.
There are no rankings or tests in the Night Walk.
All there is, is the simple challenge of moving forward one step at a time on your own two feet.
That is precisely why
"I was able to walk this distance"
"I didn't give up until the end"
"I was able to do my best together with my friends"
they can accumulate such successful experiences.
And then, during the reflection time,
as answers to the MISSION, the children said:
"The scenery after walking the whole way is nice"
"I feel alive by walking until my feet hurt"
"I can naturally communicate with everyone"
These were the words that came out.
Each one was a perspective that we adults alone would never have noticed.
What I felt once again this time is that what is necessary for supporting children who don't attend school is not just teaching them something, but accumulating experiences where they can think, 'I am okay.'
The Night Walk is not just a walking event.
It is a place to take on challenges with friends, face yourself, and bring home the feeling that "I could do it too."
To the children who participated, the parents who sent them off, and the volunteers who supported us, thank you so much😊
I hope to continue creating spaces that serve as opportunities for children to believe in their own potential.