Why We Started Single Mothers’ Sisterhood

Hello, my name is Maco Yoshioka, the founder of Single Mothers’ Sisterhood. In December 2020, I stepped down as the leader of Madre Bonita, an NPO focused on postpartum care that I ran for 22 years. I started this new organization to fully dedicate myself to supporting the self-care and empowerment of single mothers.

This initiative began in spring 2020 with an online self-care program for single mothers under Madre Bonita. Over nine months, we held 176 sessions, with a total of 1,216 participants. The program was initially meant to be a temporary response to the pandemic, but the unexpectedly high demand led us to continue until the end of 2020.

Participants came from various backgrounds, including widows, unmarried mothers, divorced mothers and those preparing for divorce. Their children ranged from newborns to university students.

Through meeting single mothers every day, I saw how much self-care and the connections they made through this program helped them. I also realized that supporting single parents requires its own expertise, beyond what I had learned from postpartum care at Madre Bonita. From the start, I sought advice from experts from single parent support groups.

I came to understand that single-parent support should not be treated as a side issue of maternal care but as an important focus in itself. To provide better support tailored to single mothers’ needs, I decided to create Single Mothers’ Sisterhood as a new organization.

Our 30-minute "Stretch and Meditation" sessions are easy to join from home and have been well-received by single mothers across Japan. As of December 2024, we have held 545 sessions, with 3708 participants from 45 prefectures. By working closely with single mothers in self-care and empowerment programs, we continue to learn, improve our methods, and find better ways to support them.

Why we need your support

Support for single parents exists in both public and private sectors, but "mental and physical care" is often seen as the individual’s responsibility. Many single parents feel guilty for taking time for themselves, viewing it as a luxury, and end up pushing themselves too hard.

For parents raising children, maintaining a positive mindset requires proper rest and self-care. However, even when they understand this need, their circumstances often leave them with no room to create such opportunities on their own.

Taking even a little time to take care of themselves and connecting with other single mothers online, beyond local boundaries, can greatly improve their physical health and mental well-being. These positive changes directly impact their children as well.

What we do

In any situation, being true to oneself and finding pride in one’s choices requires strong mental and physical health, as well as supportive connections with others.

We are committed to providing support that enables single mothers to access such opportunities, helping as many as possible to live healthy lives, unlock their potential, and raise their children in a nurturing environment. We hope you will join us in supporting this mission.

How your donations are used

The activities of Single Mothers’ Sisterhood are made possible through your support. With ¥30,000 donations from 10 individuals, 100 mothers and children can benefit by joining self-care sessions. These contributions will also support the development and implementation of programs designed to equip single mothers with skills and confidence for better employment opportunities.

Voices from Participants

It’s easy to forget the importance of putting myself first, but this program reminded me how crucial it is. I feel truly fortunate to have come across such an opportunity and to have this meaningful experience.If there had been a fee, I probably couldn’t have participated. I’m deeply grateful to have been able to join this program free of charge.

Taking the time for regular self-care has helped me feel more balanced, both physically and mentally, and has allowed me to maintain a better quality of life. This support has also sparked a desire in me to give back in some way.

Before discovering this program, I often felt I didn’t even have the right to confidently participate in community activities. But just knowing that a space like this exists has been a tremendous source of comfort for me. I’m incredibly grateful for this opportunity.