UNITE FOR CHILDREN

Japan Earthquake & Tsunami Emergency Relief

Japan Earthquake & Tsunami Emergency Relief (36th report)
Back to School and Back to Kindergarten Campaigns

[TOKYO, Japan, 18 April 2011]

© Japan Committee for UNICEF
A school in Yuriage, Natori City that was affected by the disaster.

More than five weeks have passed since the Great East Japan Earthquake. The Japan Committee for UNICEF (JCU) is continuing assistance activities primarily in areas related to children—including assistance with reopening schools, establishing hotlines for infant nutrition consultations, etc.—while assessing the situation at the disaster area.

Last weekend (16 April), in Natori City, Miyagi Prefecture, an inauguration ceremony was held for the team that will distribute school supplies for the Back to School campaign, which is to kick off in earnest this week. The ceremony was held at the offices of the Miyagi Co-op, which is a longtime partner of JCU and has extended significant overall support for all aspects of JCU’s assistance activities, including supplies procurement and logistics.

Disaster victims helping other disaster victims

© Japan Committee for UNICEF
Takata Daiichi Junior High School is being used as a shelter.

The school supplies prepared by the inauguration ceremony were enough for 3,459 students at a total of 41 schools in Kesennuma, Ishinomaki, Shichigahama and Natori City. The same day, the necessary supplies for transferring activities from Natori City’s Yuriage Primary School and Yuriage Junior High School, which were totally destroyed during the tsunami, to Fujigaoka Primary School, which is located in the same city and where activities are to restart, were shipped. In addition, ethanol disinfectant was also shipped for kindergartens, primary schools and junior high schools located in all parts of Kesennuma City. Masks were also provided free of charge from the Miyagi Co-op. “I was very happy to participate in UNICEF activities and help to ensure that the children of Miyagi Prefecture are able to go to school.” said one of Miyagi Co-op staff. Thirteen staff from the Miyagi Co-op, who were also disaster victims, spent their weekends assisting with these activities.

A total of 713 boxes for Onagawa Town and 33 boxes for Kurihara City have already been shipped. There are also plans to ship 373 boxes to Shiogama City by 21 April.

Reopening preschools

© Japan Committee for UNICEF
Takata Daiichi Junior High School is being used as a shelter.

Meanwhile, on 17 April in Ofunato City, Iwate Prefecture, UNICEF Children’s Mini Libraries arrived at the Ofuna District Public Hall, Suezaki Home Center, Akasaki Fishing Village Center and other locations. Early Childhood Development kits and recreation kits are also scheduled to be sent in the near future.

In addition, JCU volunteers are working daily to remove mud from kindergartens and other facilities. Five weeks have passed since the earthquake and now the mud has grown harder, requiring a tremendous amount of effort for removal. Needless to say work is not progressing according to schedule. Nevertheless, at Hirota Kindergarten in Rikuzentakata City, efforts to clear the mud have paid off as the kindergarten reopened its doors on 15 April. Approximately 80 children attended school on the first day.

The kindergarten’s principal, Ms. Fujikura, was delighted by the reopening, exclaiming, “Some of our teachers have lost their parents. Even so, they are still working to clean up the kindergarten on their spare time. Everyone was very happy when I informed the shelters and families that we were reopening.”

© Japan Committee for UNICEF
Removing mud from a kindergarten in Rikuzentakata City.

Haruka Kikuchi, a junior at Iwate Prefectural University, participated in the mud removal work at the kindergarten:

“I like children and was looking for a volunteer position related to children when I found the volunteer job at UNICEF. Today’s work consisted of physical labor, though, so I was a bit worried. Nevertheless, I am very happy, knowing that my assistance will contribute to bringing smiles to the faces of the children at the kindergarten. I hope the children are able to use the schoolyard to run around and play just like they used to.”

Rui Nomoto, a staff member from JCU that has been working in the disaster area in Iwate Prefecture, was surprised to see a situation at the disaster area that was much more serious than she had expected. At the same time, however, she says she was inspired by the strong spirits of the many disaster victims that lost their families and friends.

© Japan Committee for UNICEF
Cleaning activities.

Ms. Nomoto says, “Amidst these circumstances, locals are working tremendously hard with strong drive to reconstruct the schools as quickly as possible. The teachers also come to school every day—despite having much to do at home as well—and work towards reopening the school at the earliest possible stage. The disaster victims have it the worst, but they are still so considerate of us, telling us things like, ‘We feel like we really have your support, and that is what gives us the drive to move forward.’”

JCU will continue assistance activities, working to aid children of the disaster area in returning to school, kindergarten or preschool as early as possible.

Current arrival status of relief supplies

Receiving
Prefecture
Type of Emergency
Supplies
Arrival
Date
Quantity Donating
Company
Comments
Miyagi Water 19 Mar. 12,288
bottles
VanaH Co., Ltd. Two-liter plastic bottles
Fukushima Water 22 Mar. 12,672
bottles
VanaH Co., Ltd. Two-liter plastic bottles
Miyagi Underwear for boys and girls 22 Mar. 200,000    
Iwate Underwear for boys and girls 23 Mar. 30,000    
Fukushima Water 23 Mar. 4,680
bottles
KIRIN MC DANONE WATERS Co., Ltd. Two-liter plastic bottles
Miyagi Children’s shoes 23 Mar. 10,000
pairs
   
Miyagi RChildren’s diapers 24 Mar. 80 packs P&G Japan  
Iwate Children’s underwear 24 Mar. 9,700    
Fukushima Water 24 Mar. 12,288
bottles
VanaH Co., Ltd. Two-liter plastic bottles
Iwate Shoes 26 Mar 1,404 pairs Achilles Corporation  
Iwate Underwear for boys and girls 27 Mar. 28,266  
Iwate Boots 27 Mar. 7,462 pairs  
Iwate Wipes 28 Mar. 1,200 P&G Japan For babies
Miyagi Recreation kits
Early Childhood Development kits
2 Apr. 50 of each Procured from the UNICEF Supply Division
Iwate Recreation kits
Early Childhood Development kits
2 Apr. 50 of each Procured from the UNICEF Supply Division
Miyagi Book bags 6 Apr. 70 Nihon New Bag Chain
Iwate Book bags 6 Apr. 340 Seiban
Miyagi Schoolbags 8 Apr. 18,000 Procured from the UNICEF Supply Division
Iwate Schoolbags 8 Apr. 18,000 Procured from the UNICEF Supply Division
Miyagi Personal security buzzers (for crime prevention purposes) 8 Apr. 5,000
Iwate Personal security buzzers (for crime prevention purposes) 8 Apr. 5,000
Fukushima Water 11 Apr. 1,536 bottles VanaH Co., Ltd. Two-liter plastic bottles
Miyagi Replenishments for recreation kits 12 Apr. 60 sets
Miyagi Miniature toy cars 12 Apr. Approx. 1,200 TAKARA TOMY
Sagamihara* Water 12 Apr. 12,288 bottles VanaH Co., Ltd. Two-liter plastic bottles
Miyagi Play mats 13 Apr. Two types; 80 of each type IKEA
Miyagi Drawing sets 13 Apr. 60 sets IKEA
Iwate Chairs (for 3-5 year olds) 14 Apr. 75
Iwate Tables (for 6 people) 14 Apr. 11
Iwate Low tables 14 Apr. 9

*Areas receiving disaster victims.

*In certain cases some supplies may be taken from prefectural supply storage warehouses and distributed to shelters and disaster sites in other prefectures.
As of 9:00 a.m. on 15 April 2011 (compiled by the Information and Public Affairs Division).