Recovering From The Great East Japan Earthquake: Aiming For One Step Beyond

A New Challenge For The Disaster Hit Area



Workers in the 'Forest of Dreams — Sunflower Workshop' in Kesennuma City, Miyagi Prefecture. The establishment, part of the social welfare services, was aided in its restoration by AAR.  All the handmade confectionery have passed the taste test!

 

Although two years have passed since the Great East Japan Earthquake, victims of the disaster, particularly those with physical or mental disabilities, are still facing various problems caused by the earthquake. Sayako NOGIWA, AAR Tohoku branch chief, reports on the difficult situation faced two years ago, and recent AAR efforts to tackle the subsequent challenges.

Japan: Bringing Smiles to the People Living in Disaster Areas - Entertainer Nekohachi EDOYA and Singers Perform Folk Songs and Mimic in Miyagi

"Don't Give Up, Northeastern Japan – It’s All About Folk Songs - : Entertainer Nekohachi EDOYA and Folk Singers Cheer Up the Spirit of People in Disaster Areas"

 

22 January 2013 - Clapping and singing together - (From the left) Mr. Nekohachi EDOYA and folk singers, Mr. Masao SUZUKI, Ms. Keiko SUDO, Mr. Fumio OTSUKA, Ms. Makiko KOSUGI, and Ms. Keiko CHIDA (Hebita Mutual Support Base Center, Ishinomaki City, Miyagi)

 

Laos: 'My Son Lost His Life At The Age Of 12' - The Continuing Threat Of UXO's In Laos



During the Vietnam War, Laos was struck with more than 2 million tons of explosives.  More than 30% of these explosives have failed to detonate and continue to be found in many places such as villages, mountains, and fields. Although the war has ended, the number of people who have been involved in UXO-related accidents has risen to over 20,000. In 2011 alone, there were 79 casualties and 20 deaths ― and possibly more have gone unreported.

More than half of the victims are children, innocent bystanders in war. AAR is currently undertaking anti-UXO action in the Xieng Khouang Province, an area in Northern Laos that is prone to many such accidents. The following is a report on the dangerous aspects of everyday life for the Xieng Khouang's residents, written by Natsuki Matsumoto from our Tokyo PR office, who visited Laos in November 2012.


'Accidents In Our Local Fields'

November 13 2012-Bian speaking of the sadness of losing her son. Her youngest daughter was born just before the accident (Phookood District, Xieng Khouang Province)



Zambia: The Number of HIV Test Participants Increased Three Fold

In Zambia, one in seven adults is HIV-positive. AAR Japan has been taking comprehensive efforts in preventing the spread of HIV/AIDS in Zambia by raising awareness through anti-AIDS clubs established in the local elementary and junior high schools, as well as rendering support and care for HIV-positive individuals and children orphaned by AIDS. Most recently in September 2012, AAR Japan also constructed a voluntary counseling and testing center (VCT center) in the Chipapa area, a suburb of the capital city of Lusaka. The center will provide the local people with HIV-testing and counseling.

Chipapa is a small village located about 20 km south of Lusaka, the capital of Zambia.

The Great East Japan Earthquake: Delivering Chocolates and Messages in “MAGOKORO” Campaign

19 December 2013 – Harumi KAWAGOE (On the right hand side), a member of Tokyo Office, AAR Japan, giving a chocolate with a message to a woman at Nakazuma Temporary Housing Complex, Kamaishi City, Iwate. “The message made me cheerful.” The woman said.



Association for Aid and Relief, Japan (AAR Japan) has been conducting a campaign named “MAGOKORO” - meaning cordiality - where AAR Japan delivers chocolates and messages of support sold in cooperation with Rokkatei Confectionery Co. Ltd, Hokkaido, to disaster areas of the Great East Japan Earthquake. In this campaign, AAR Japan responsibly delivers chocolates (500 yen/box including tax) bought for disaster areas to there. In 2012, 1052 chocolates were bought from 24 November to 25 December and 863 of them were directly delivered to people living in temporary housing complexes in Iwate Prefecture (Rikuzentakata City, Kamaishi City and Otsuchicho Town) and Fukushima Prefecture (Soma City and Shinchimachi Town).

Japan: Cooperating to Find a Solution to the Crucial Problem of Condensation in Temporary Housing

Condensation Becomes a Crucial Problem

In Kesennuma, Miyagi, where the lowest temperature drops as low as -10 degrees Cesium during the winter, condensation has become a very critical issue in emergency temporary housing in the Watado district.
Mr. Toshio HATAKEYAMA, President of a Residents’ Association remarked that "some work was done to install double sash and heat insulation materials, but that did not solve the condensation problem. With all the windows open and the exhaust fans in the kitchen and in the bath area turned on, it would be too cold to sleep.” He explained that “with the windows closed, condensation would occur and water droplets start falling on my futon while I’m asleep. The exhaust fan in the attic is too small and useless when it's freezing cold." Water droplets create mold which trigger critical health issues like pneumonia, which can be a life-threatening disease especially to the elderly. The government has provided no further assistance. Mr. HATAKEYAMA sought help from the Volunteer Station in Kesennuma and came up with the idea to take simple measures using do-it-yourself materials that can be purchased at a home improvement center. AAR Japan, who heard about the situation, decided to provide assistance to cover these expenses and help the residents with construction work.

All United to Manually Install Heat Insulation

December 5, 2012 - A resident, Mr. Toshio HATAKEYAMA: "I'm pretty good at this. I should become a condensation expert!"

Kenya: Successfully Installing a Clean Water Supply System

AAR Japan has engaged in a project to deliver reliable clean water supplies to people in the area of Mutomo in Kitsui District, eastern Kenya, where water shortage is a chronic problem. In Mutomo, many locals rely on river water or rainwater as they do not have a sufficient number of wells. Water fetching is hard labor that uses up time and energy, requiring some people to spend as much as three hours just to reach a water source. During the dry seasons when rivers dry up, locals dig into the riverbeds to collect water for domestic use, but such fragile water sources becomes even scarcer during subsequent droughts. Generally, women and children bear the burden of fetching water, which often prevents them from attending school or doing farm work.

“Our two hours of water-fetching time will be shortened to five minutes,” says Perez wa kasek, 57, with her two grandchildren in front of a completed water shop and water tower. Pictured on the right is Daigo TAKAGI from AAR Japan’s Kenya Office.