The cheerful voices of children echo across the dry land of Nigeria.
Even amid the harsh realities of poverty and conflict, their eyes sparkle and they are passionate about the sport of baseball.
However, in his hand was a well-worn glove with a worn-out catching surface.

I'm Shima, the representative of MERGERICK.

About a year ago, we launched a project to manufacture and sell gloves in Nigeria, with the desire to reduce the number of children who have to give up baseball for economic reasons and to create jobs in Nigeria !

Thanks to your support through several rounds of crowdfunding, our expatriates and local staff are currently manufacturing gloves every day in Nigeria, Africa.

Looking back about four years ago, when I participated in baseball promotion activities in Nigeria, I saw children enjoying baseball despite the harsh conditions , and the reality of Japanese children who were forced to give up baseball for financial reasons .

Witnessing the current situation in which passion for baseball is being stifled in two different worlds, we decided to stand up with one resolve.

"We want them to have the chance to continue playing baseball, and the power to carve out their own future."

Thus was born the glove manufacturing project in Nigeria.

By combining traditional Japanese sewing techniques with non-standard cowhide that is discarded in Japan, we have begun work to produce high-quality, low-cost gloves.

We launched a project that will create jobs in Nigeria and give children the hope of continuing to play baseball.

In carrying out this project, we first began by searching for a workshop that could pass on our glove-making techniques.

Somehow, I met Mr. Ikuno, a skilled craftsman who has been providing gloves to professional baseball players for over 50 years, including the gloves of "Enatsu Yutaka" in Osaka, and had the opportunity to train with him.

Two of our staff members with deep ties to baseball became apprentices and learned his techniques!

After several months of live-in training, he was given the opportunity to open his own restaurant in November 2023 and finally decided to go to Nigeria.

In order to raise funds to cover some of the initial costs of going to Nigeria, we launched a crowdfunding campaign and successfully reached our goal!

Thank you so much to everyone who supported us!

Travel expenses, We used the proceeds to cover part of the initial costs and industrial products and raw materials (such as cowhide for gloves and thread)!!

In December 2023, he traveled safely to Nigeria.
The glove manufacturing workshop is now complete, and we have been able to increase the number of local employees to five!

In Africa, there is not only a shortage of education, but also a shortage of jobs.
I can't earn money because there are no jobs.
As a result, I can barely manage to eat one meal a day.
Technology is necessary to create jobs.

Africans have hidden potential, but they lack the "skills."

Now, in this project,

• Spread of baseball glove manufacturing technology
• Creating new industries and jobs
• Expanding spiritual education through baseball across Africa

I would like to do that.

Please let as many people as possible know about this project and give your support!