About
Us

Who We Are

Youth For Future is a non-profit organization that was founded by Emre Caglar in 2020 as a high school project. Although our volunteers are primarily made up of university students across Japan, we have volunteers from various ages and professions.

Our History

YFF was founded in 2020 as a youth organization and in its early stages, its primary objective was to connect service clubs across different international schools in Japan, working towards raising awareness and taking action on all the United Nations' Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

However, the leadership team recognized the need for a more defined mission and vision for YFF, as focusing on all SDGs proved to be ineffective. Thus, in late 2023, after numerous planning sessions and increased involvement from university students, YFF transitioned into a non-profit organization with a focus on improving the quality of education in both underdeveloped and developed countries.

However, through the donation of school stationery supplies to public primary schools in Kenya, it soon became clear that there was a significant need for substantial financial investment. Therefore, after further discussions, a decision was made to focus on children in Japan, specifically those in orphanages, aiming to empower them by providing English literacy and promoting international-mindedness, which they can leverage as an advantage when they turn 18 and become independent in society.

Message from Founder

Emre Caglar│Founder and Executive Director of Youth For Future

Japan is one of the most developed nations globally. However, attending the One Young World summit, sponsored by One Young World Japan, highlighted for me the duality of Japan’s progress: while Japan is ahead in many respects, it also faces significant challenges.

Japan is home to over 600 orphanages, sheltering more than 30,000 children. Tragically, many of these children end up in care due to experiences of violence, with over 200,000 cases of child abuse reported last year alone. Despite the declining population of children under 18 in Japan, the number of children in orphanages remains steady—an indicator of the nation’s ongoing orphan crisis.

At Youth For Future, our mission is to support and empower children in orphanages to realize their fullest potential. While their basic needs are met in care, we recognized a deeper question: How can we, as an organization, support these children in a way that sets them up for success when they turn 18 and leave these homes? Two critical gaps in Japanese society emerged—English literacy and global citizenship.

We chose to focus on these areas to equip children with skills that are both valuable and lacking in Japan, empowering them with tools they can leverage as they transition to independence. Our mission goes beyond merely teaching English or global citizenship. We strive to be facilitators in each child’s journey, guiding and encouraging them as they explore their interests. Through our project-based, student-centered programs, we offer children the chance to discover their passions, tackle real-world issues, and develop solutions—fostering a sense of agency and self-discovery.

Our goal is to expand their horizons, expose them to diverse career paths, and nurture them into true global citizens.