[TOKYO, Japan, 30 May 2011]
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| The old school building. Many volunteers helped remove the mud and clean the building. The exterior of the building has been restored but flood damage to the walls and flooring is serious. The walls are still wet despite two months having past since the tsunami. |
The construction of a temporary school building for Otsuchi Preschool in Otsuchi Town, Iwate Prefecture is rapidly underway in hopes to reopen the preschool by 1 June.
In response to a request from local governments in the disaster areas of Miyagi and Iwate Prefectures, the Japan Committee for UNICEF (JCU) started assistance for the construction of temporary school buildings and major repairs for preschools, kindergartens and other facilities. The March 11 tsunami has caused more damage than could have ever been anticipated. Otsuchi Preschool is a one-story building and floodwaters rose to just 20 centimeters from the ceiling, significantly damaging the school. A large number of volunteers joined hands to dig out the mud and clean the facilities, and thanks to their efforts the exterior of the building has been nearly restored to its original state. However, due to serious flooding damage to walls and floors, even now, two months after the disaster, the walls are still wet. Moreover, it is still unclear whether the community that hosts the preschool will be able to make use of the school as it once did.
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| Volunteers cutting the grass by hand in the area surrounding the temporary school building. | ||
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| The teachers handmade a UNICEF mark to express their gratitude for the assistance provided by so many people in Japan and overseas through JCU. The olive leaves and image of the mother and child were all created from clipped paper. |
Otsuchi Preschool is the largest day-care facility in Otsuchi Town and also functions as a child assistance center. JCU held numerous meetings with individuals working with the preschool and local government staring in mid-April, working hard to ensure that the preschool’s doors would be reopened. In those meetings a major issue was securing a construction site for the temporary preschool building, and the preschool focused its efforts on arranging such a site. In order to acquire the approval of the local government for opening the preschool as soon as possible, JCU decided to assist the construction of a temporary school building for Otsuchi Preschool, including providing the equipment needed to conduct operations after the preschool is officially reopened. Despite the current situation, where it is difficult to acquire prefabricated materials and other materials to construct temporary buildings, the company in charge of construction in Tono City, Iwate Prefecture, recognized the importance of Otsuchi Preschool and launched construction activities on 23 May. Work is being carried out at a rapid pace, with aim to complete construction by tomorrow, 31 May.
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| Teachers handmade a sign for the temporary preschool building in preparation for its opening on 1 June. The school’s principal, Ms. Yagisawa, commented that, “I am so lucky to have these teachers. I cannot wait to see our children again.” |
The school’s principal, Ms. Yagisawa, said, “It has been a stressful two and a half months for the staff and I. But the best thing that we can do for the children now is to live our lives in an ordinary way just like we did before the earthquake.” She also forwarded the following message to JCU after construction assistance started: “It is a challenge to live our lives as we did before, but I will strive to create a preschool that will bring smiles to the children’s faces every day, and remain thankful for all that we have been given. I will continue pushing forward with the help of UNICEF, hoping to one day return to our old building.”
All photo credits: ©Japan Committee for UNICEF
| 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 |
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| Miyagi | Children’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 | 6-7 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 | ||
| Miyagi | Minicar | 8 Apr. | 3 cars | ||
| Miyagi | Nutritional supplements | From early April | 4,000 bottles | ||
| 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 | Preschool-size chairs, tables and low tables | 14 Apr. | 75 chairs; 11 tables; 9 low tables | Donated to preschools, primary schools, junior high schools and high schools in the disaster area as well as their new locations | |
| Miyagi | Mopeds | 15 Apr. | 5 | ||
| Iwate | Notebooks and stationery sets for primary and junior high school students | 15. Apr. | 16,700 sets | ||
| Miyagi | 183 computers; 57 copiers and fax machines; 61 printers | 18-21 Apr. | Distributed to preschools, primary schools, junior high schools and high schools in the disaster area as well as their new locations | ||
| Fukushima | Movable blackboards | 21 Apr. | 10 | ||
| Fukushima | Temporary toilets | 22 Apr. | 20 | ||
| Iwate | Geiger counters | 28 Apr. | 14 | For schools in Soma City | |
| Iwate | Dressing room/ breastfeeding partition system | 28 Apr. | 21 sets | ||
| Saitama* | Milk | From late April | Shelter in Futabamachi, Kazo City | ||
| Saitama* | Yogurt | From early May | Danone Japan | Shelter in Futabamachi, Kazo City | |
| Iwate | Color pencils (120 sets) and paint (240 sets) | 13 May | |||
| Iwate | Student lamps | 14 May | 15 | ||
| Iwate | Stationery sets | 16 May | 840 sets | ||
| Fukushima | Lockers | 16 May | 22 sets | For the Board of Education of Minamisoma City | |
| Fukushima | Computers | 16 May | 1 | Ishikawa Town Board of Education |
-Number of UNICEF Children’s Mini Libraries distributed: Approximately 110,000 books to over 350 locations (as of 16 May 2011)
-Number of children that have participated in the UNICEF “Let’s Play! The Outdoors Playtime Project” in Fukushima Prefecture: Approximately 5,600 (as of 26 May)
*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 16 May 2011 (compiled by the Information and Public Affairs Division).