Total Amount Granted: $800,000
Direct Relief has provided AAR JAPAN with two grants to support thier earthquake and tsunami relief and recovery efforts. AAR JAPAN is working to improve the lives and futures of disaster victims, with special focus on people with disabilities and people who are elderly.
Emergency Relief Program Grant – Phase 1
Project Dates: March 13 to May 16, 2011
Amount: $400,000
Project Status: Complete
AAR JAPAN’s first phase of emergency work included immediate response and the transition to mid-term recovery work. The organization sought to fulfill the needs of the more than 400,000 displaced immediately after the disaster, as well as those victims who remained in homes but did not have access to basic food, supplies, and services. As services were restored to affected areas and the needs of people affected changed, AAR JAPAN adjusted their programs and expanded the physical reach of their services. During Phase 1, approximately 61,000 people and 513 institutions benefited from AAR JAPAN’s relief efforts.
AAR's relief and recovery activities are detailed below:
- Distribution of Food and Non-food items (NFI): Essential items were provided including fruit, rice, milk, vegetables, blankets, clothing, medicine, boots, bicycles, wheelchairs, and hand soap.
- Hot Bath Delivery: For seven weeks, hot water was delivered daily to five facilities in Higashi-Matsushima City and Ishinomaki City, enabling 500 to 600 evacuees to take baths.
- Mobile Clinic: Mobile clinic services were provided to private homes in the six settlements on Oshika Peninsula in Ishinomaki City. Approximately 405 people received medical services during Phase 1.
- Operation of Soup-Kitchen: Approximately 16,650 meals served in 48 facilities in Iwate, Miyagi, and Fukushima.
: Approximately 16,650 meals served in 48 facilities in Iwate, Miyagi, and Fukushima. - Provision of Temporary Shelters: Eight temporary shelters were provided to displaced people in Onagawa, Miyagi, with 24 additional planned. AAR is also fielding requests for temporary housing in other areas.
- Repair of Welfare Institutions: Repair of welfare facilities began with the goal of assisting in repair activities of up to 50 facilities by December 2011.
- Shuttle Transportation Services: About 750 people utilized AAR JAPAN’s shuttle services in Oginohama and Ayukawa settlements on the Oshika peninsula, where 90% of the population was displaced. Regular bus services were disrupted since after disaster and many residents had no means of transportation.
Emergency Relief Program Grant – Phase 2
Project Dates: September 1, 2011 to March 31, 2012
Amount: $400,000
Project Status: Ongoing
AAR JAPAN’s second phase of emergency work addresses the mid- to long-term needs of disaster victims. This includes continued distribution of food and non-food item, repair of welfare facilities, and mobile medical services. Items and services are coordinated to provide comprehensive, multi-dimensional services to those in need. Based on assessment, most of these services will continue into 2012.
AAR's relief and recovery activities are detailed below:
- Distribution of Food and Non-food items (NFI): Continuation of provision of essential items to the displaced population.
- Mobile Clinic: Continuation of mobile medical services to remote settlements on the Oshika Peninsula, serving a population of approximately 640 people. During Phase 2, services will expand to include physical therapy, occupational therapy, mental health counseling, and community-building activities.
- Operation of Soup-Kitchen: Continued operation of meal service to welfare facilities, evacuation centers, and community centers, easing the burden of meal preparation from evacuees and facility administrators.
- Repair of Welfare Institutions: A wide range of repair and reconstruction projects are being conducted, from repaving walkways to repairing structural building damage. AAR JAPAN aims to assist 50 facilities, serving up to 100 people each, for persons with disabilities and elderly people in the Tohoku region.
A Story of Renewal for Persons with Disabilities
Submitted by Natsuho Shoji, Program Coordinator for AAR JAPAN
"Before the Great East Japan Earthquake, 22 employees, including 6 persons with mental disorder and 5 persons with intellectual disabilities, had been working at "Nakata Sun Farm," growing various kinds of herbs, making marketable products from the herbs, and selling them. The persons with disabilities (PWDs) were able to foster a sense of self-agency and independence through their work.
The earthquake destroyed the vinyl tarp of the greenhouse, the ceiling, and the curtains that blocked out the sunlight and maintained heat inside the greenhouse. As a result, some of the employers were given less time to work while others could not work at all. This led to the decrease of their earnings and also began to affect their confidence and emotional well-being.
Fortunately, Nakata Sun Farm was granted the support from Direct Relief/JACL to reconstruct the vinyl greenhouse and to repair the curtains. Since the original curtains were too fragile for the PWDs to carefully handle, installment of automatic curtains was requested. The repair and reconstruction process started on October 28 and completed on November 10, 2011. The result of the reconstruction has been positive; the temperature has been stabilized in order to cultivate herbs, and the curtains are now easy to handle. Most importantly, the PWDs were able to return to their previous work and engage in their activities with much less frustration.
The products at Nakata Sun Farm have received attention from Tome City, which asked Nakata Sun Farm to increase their production of an herb called shisomaki. Before the earthquake, shisomaki was made only once a week, but now the production has increased to daily. Due to the boost in motivation among the PWDs to work harder and their development of a sense of independence, Mr. Sakai is considering employing more PWDs in the future. In addition, the family members of PWDs, approximately 70, benefitted from this scheme because they had more time to go out and find jobs. They are also happy to see that their PWDs regained confidence from working and earning their living. We hope that this positive circulation will be maintained."
.png "AAR JAPAN surveys reconstruction progress at Nakata Sun Farm benefiting PWDs")
AAR JAPAN staff surveying the reconstruction progress at Nakata Sun Farm on January 28, 2012
Read more about AAR JAPAN