Experience

Ashinaga Foundation

• Japan
• Non-profit Organizations
• 100 - 200 Employee

• Executive Director

  • Jan 2017 - Present

  Ashinaga is a non-profit organisation headquartered in Tokyo, Japan that provides educational funding and psychological support to children who have lost one or both guardians, as well as to those whose guardians suffer from serious disabilities. Ashinaga also provides residential facilities and psychological support day programs and camps for both younger children and Ashinaga student loan recipients. Ashinaga recently launched the Ashinaga African Leaders Initiative, which aims to create global citizens who will become leaders for Africa. The program will send 1 orphaned student from each of the 49 Sub-Saharan countries to top universities around the world every year.Ashinaga UK was established in January 2017 with a primary focus on the Ashinaga African Leaders Initiative. I am a member of the board of directors of Ashinaga UK and am responsible for running the UK office. I am also a special advisor to the President's office in Japan.



Smile Kids Japan

• Founder

  • 2009 - Present

  Along with the Rt Hon Lord Patten, Sir Bobby Charlton and a small group of other people who had been directly involved I recently spoke with the Emperor and Empress of Japan when they visited the UK to thank Britain for their support post 3.11 disasterhttp://ajw.asahi.com/article/behind_news/social_affairs/AJ201205180068Featured on the ITN New Show 'Tonight'http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TjN8gCLZBxw Featured in The Japan Timeshttp://www.japantimes.co.jp/text/fl20100925a1.htmlhttp://www.japantimes.co.jp/text/rc20110120a2.htmlI set up the non profit organisation Smile Kids Japan, with the aims being to * Promote awareness of orphanages across Japan, especially amongst the foreign communities. * Encourage these communities to set up regular volunteer visits. * Help show these volunteers how this is possible, with hints, tips, and an overview of everything from setting up the first meeting to keeping up volunteer motivation. * Ultimately we are aiming for every orphanage in Japan to have a two hour visit once a month.We started at one orphanage in Fukui Ken and have helped volunteers set up visits across 25 prefectures in Japan. Following the 2011 Tohoku earthquake and tsunami we teamed up with Living Dreams and raised approximately $900,000 for the orphanages in the affected prefectures.-Recently interviewed for the Asahi Newspaper about my research: http://www.asahi.com/articles/CMTW1503052500004.html



Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare, Japan

• Researcher

  • Dec 2014 - Mar 2016

  Researcher on a Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare committee looking at alternative care systems for children (foster care, child welfare institutions) around the world 厚生労働省の児童福祉問題調査研究事業課題に関する研究委員会の研究者になりました。国際の里親制度、児童養護施設等の研究会Also fortunate to have been invited to discuss the alternative care system in Japan with ten members of the upper house, and to the diet to discuss it with one member there.I also was invited by the Ministry of Health, Labour, and Welfare to comment on revisions to the Child Welfare Act, with a focus on foster care and adoption. The act was revised in April 2016.



Mirai no Mori

• Board Member

  • Mar 2013 - Dec 2015

  Providing outdoor camps for children in orphanages in Japan. Along with healthy and wholesome fun, the outdoors are a source of healing and inspiration. In beautiful natural settings, NPO Mirai no Mori provides the mentoring, life skills education, and other specialised support that these children need and deserve



Lighthouse: Center for Human Trafficking Victims

• Consultant (Voluntary)

  • Mar 2014 - Oct 2015

  Lighthouse works to help victims of trafficking and sexual exploitation - http://lhj.jp/ I worked on a voluntary basis with the CEO discussing strategy, networking, and advocacy



Human Rights Watch

• United States
• Non-profit Organizations
• 700 & Above Employee

• Research Consultant (Voluntary)

  • Nov 2014 - Apr 2015

  During my fieldwork in Japan I started to work with Human Rights Watch Tokyo Office as a volunteer advising on the alternative care system for children in Japan. I visited the upper house and lower house of parliament with Human Rights Watch to discuss with politicians some of the issues children in care in Japan face.



The Nippon Foundation

• Fundraising
• 1 - 100 Employee

• Research Consultant

  • Nov 2014 - Nov 2014

  Flew to Romania with The Nippon Foundation to meet the professors behind the Bucharest Early Intervention Project and other actors involved in de-institutionalisation of baby and infant welfare institutions. Advised on Japanese child welfare system and research related issues



Ashinaga Foundation

• Japan
• Non-profit Organizations
• 100 - 200 Employee

• NGO Consultant & University Access Tutor

  • Sep 2012 - Oct 2012

  Ashinaga Uganda is a project of Ashinaga Ikueikai - http://www.ashinaga.org/ - the second largest NGO in Japan behind the Red Cross. At the invitation of the founder of Ashinaga, Mr. Tamai, and the founder of Ashinaga Uganda, Mr. Okazaki, I flew to Uganda to work with them for one month.As well as teaching some students to prepare them for university entrance in the US and Japan, I helped to set up an internship scheme that last year saw 100 students from some of the world's top universities come to work with Ashinaga.



Living Dreams

• Director

  • Jul 2011 - Sep 2011

  Following the 2011 Tohoku earthquake and tsunami Smile Kids Japan teamed up with Living Dreams and raised approximately $900,000 for the orphanages in the affected prefectures.Featured in CNNGohttp://www.cnngo.com/tokyo/life/japans-new-post-quake-orphan-problem-145634



Japan Exchange and Teaching Program(me) (JET)

• International Affairs
• 700 & Above Employee

• English Language Teacher

  • Aug 2006 - Sep 2011



5toSurvive

• Co-Founder

  • Mar 2011 - Jul 2011

  Project setting up five kilometer runs all over the world to raise money for Japan. The first run raised over 17,000 pounds online - http://www.justgiving.com/teams/5tosurvive/ and the same in offline donations with events in ten countries.More runs coming soon



TEDxTokyo

• Media Production
• 1 - 100 Employee

• Speaker

  • May 2011 - May 2011

  http://archive.tedxtokyo.com/en/talk/michael_maher_king-against-all-odds/I gave a talk about the work Living Dreams and Smile Kids Japan are doing to help the children's homes in Tohoku. Blurb from TEDxTokyo siteChanneling good intentions is tougher than it looks, but Michael Maher King seems to possess the knack. The young British founder and CEO of Smile Kids Japan was a teacher in Fukui when his wife informed him that some of their students were orphans. In May 2008, they started up Smile Kids to lend their time, skills and care to Fukui’s orphanages. The March 11 Tohoku disaster broadened the group’s focus and ambitions. Working alongside the Living Dreams NPO, Michael is now taking their network concept to 18 orphanages in Miyagi, Iwate and Fukushima through the Smiles and Dreams: Tohoku Kids’ Project. They plan to set up regular fun and interactive volunteer visits, distribute donated items, and spark long-term projects that cover everything from computers to mentoring to scholarships. Michael hopes to go nationwide and help Japan’s other orphans shape their own destinies.