September 19, 2017
Maki and Vicky prepare merchandise as Mrs. Abe with assistant look on.
Mrs. Akie Abe, wife of Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and Mrs. Masako Takahashi, wife of Ambassador Takahashi, Consul General of Japan in NY and their delegation from the Japanese consulate visited Girl AGain boutique in White Plains, NY, to observe and learn about a unique job skills development program for young women with autism spectrum disorders.
Mrs. Abe has a particular interest in the inclusion of people with disabilities in mainstream society, so the consulate arranged a visit for her while she was in New York with her husband for the opening of the United Nations session. Mr. Ryusuke Shimada, Press Attaché Consul, who has shopped at Girl AGain with his daughter, and was impressed with our mission, brought Yes She Can to the attention of Mrs. Abe. (One of our objectives at Yes She Can is to inform our customers about the potential of individuals with autism and to help them become more supportive of inclusion.)
It was a great honor to meet with Mrs. Abe and share our program with her.
Watch highlights video:
Here are some photos and videos from our special day.
Mrs. Takahashi, Marjorie Madfis, and Mrs. Abe
Maki conducts sales transaction for Mrs. Abe. She bought Girl of the Year Jess.
Yes She Can trainees, and their mothers, Yes She Can job coaches and staff join Mrs. Abe and Mrs. Takahashi.
You can help our program serve more young women develop job skills and increase their independence.
Watch full video:
This was a great day for the young ladies in the Girl Again job skill training program. They received international recognition with the visit of Mrs. Shinto Abe. What a proud day for the GA team.