Man left in ‘baby hatch’ aged 3 creates programme ‘where children can have dreams’
Koichi Miyatsu, whose mother died when he was a baby, runs an education programme in Japan based on his being raised by foster parents
The “baby hatch” door at the hospital in southwest Japan where Koichi Miyatsu was placed in care when he was three years old was etched in his memory.
Miyatsu, now a 21-year-old university student who has launched a programme to teach kids about the importance of life, is among a small number of people in the country with the experience of being anonymously dropped off at the facility as an infant or toddler by parents or relatives unable to raise their children.
In the city of Kumamoto, Miyatsu provides education to primary school pupils and other children based on his own upbringing of being raised by foster parents.
“We want to provide a place where children can have dreams and hopes without being influenced by their environment, a place where their hearts can be fulfilled,” said Miyatsu, the programme’s director, who attends the Prefectural University of Kumamoto.
Called “University for Kids Kumamoto”, the programme offers two free events for children a year, featuring talks by specialists on various themes such as “life studies” and a course to nurture a love for one’s hometown.
