Total Amount Granted: $512,000
Emergency Relief Program Grant 2011
Project Dates: March 20, 2011 to December 31, 2011
Amount: $151,716
Project Status: Complete
Japan International Volunteer Center (JVC) has provided assistance to the survivors of the March 2011 Japan earthquake and tsunami. JVC volunteers have come from all over Japan to help disaster victims in Shishiori District in Kesennuma City, Miyagi Prefecture, staying for months at a time. Sixty-three of the 251 families living in Shishiori District still live in their homes, where JVC visits them and provides assistance. JVC’s relief activities have included food distribution, transportation, and childcare. These activities are conducted in collaboration with the Kesennuma Volunteer Center, SHARE, and local government agencies.
JVC’s relief and recovery activities are detailed below:
- Volunteer Center Support: From March to August 2011, approximately 200 people volunteered each day at the Kesennuma Volunteer Center, where JVC helped coordinate relief activities in the Shishiori District.
- Needs Assessment: To identify needs in the community and prioritize relief and recovery activities, JVC conducts household surveys, often in partnership with other nonprofit organizations.
- Material Aid Distribution: JVS has distributed water, food, and other essential items to residents of Shishiori District in Kesennuma.
- Income-Generating Activities: JVC has sought to accelerate a return to normal life for disaster survivors by sponsoring activities that provide them with a source of income, such as the repairing fishing tools or selling vegetables donated by local farmers.
- Community Events: Because many families, friends, and neighbors were geographically separated by the disaster, JVC holds events to reunite communities. Events—such as tea gatherings and traditional performances—not only celebrate the traditions of the culture, but also encourage communication and interaction.
Minami-Soma Community Support Grant
Project Dates: December 15, 2011 to March 31, 2012
Amount: $84,440
Project Status: Ongoing
Approximately 15,000 people in Minami-Soma in Fukushima Prefecture lost their homes to the earthquake, tsunami, and nuclear disaster in March 2011. Minami-Soma not only suffered serious damage from the earthquake due to it's soft ground, but a part of the city is also designated as a no-entry zone around the damaged Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant. Minamisoma is about 25 kilometers (16 miles) north of the power plant and the remaining residents of Minami-Soma live under continuous low-level exposure. The average age of temporary housing residents in this area is estimated to be 80 years old.
JVC’s relief and recovery activities are detailed below:
- Needs Assessment: Because JVC is supporting temporary housing establishments facing unique issues related to the nuclear power plant, it is predicted that unknown needs will appear. JVC staff are monitoring the situation and researching the needs of the residents in order to better support them.
- Community Center Equipping: A total of 338 families in 3 temporary housing units will benefit from the free use and retrofitting of their community centers. This includes the addition of chairs, tables, tea and coffee sets, and air purifiers.
- Operation of Community Centers: Before JVC stepped in, the community rooms were usually locked and not free for use by the residents. In cooperation with Hotaru, the residents' association, and the municipal welfare council, JVC will operate the community centers until residents are ready to take over.
Emergency Relief Program Grant 2012
Project Dates: January 1, 2012 to December 31, 2012
Amount: $275,844
Project Status: Ongoing
Japan International Volunteer Center (JVC) has provided assistance to the survivors of the March 2011 Japan earthquake and tsunami. JVC volunteers have come from all over Japan to help disaster victims in Shishiori District in Kesennuma City, Miyagi Prefecture, staying for months at a time. Sixty-three of the 251 families living in Shishiori District still live in their homes, where JVC visits them and provides assistance. JVC’s relief activities have included food distribution, transportation, and childcare. These activities are conducted in collaboration with the Kesennuma Volunteer Center, SHARE, and local government agencies.
JVC’s relief and recovery activities are detailed below:
- Community Empowerment: In Shishiori District, JVC has responded to the requests from the community to provide a community newspaper, cultural events, home visit to remote residents, and community farming support.
- Winter Protection: Severe winter weather in Japan from December to April disproportionally affects those living in the 232 temporary houses in Shishiori District. JVC is providing materials and guidance to protect against the cold and improve the living environment inside the homes.
- Education Support: As most residents in the area attended Urashima Primary School, it has become an important symbol of the community. Using this space, JVC has been able to bring people together who have been separated.
- Fishery Support: JVC provides human resources and information to support the those who make a living in this critical industry.
- Advocacy: JVC is advocating for residents' opinions and views in regards to proposed large development projects in the area by the government.
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