[MORIOKA, Japan, 2 June 2011]
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| © Japan Committee for UNICEF |
| Osanai Junior High School Student Body President Ishizaki and Vice-President Ogura. Ishizaki comments, “We will treasure these supplies.” Then, the children blush as the principal jokingly reminded the students of the start of mid-term exams the following day, in saying, “Now you can study, right?” |
Since the 11 March disaster the Japan Committee for UNICEF (JCU) has provided necessary relief supplies such as drinking water and other goods to the disaster areas in northeastern Japan. JCU has also implemented the Back to School campaign as a form of assistance for reopening schools so as to restore normality to the lives of children as quickly as possible. On 25 May, the last additional shipment of relief supplies for the first installment of the campaign arrived at Osanai Primary School and Osanai Junior High School in Kuji City, Iwate Prefecture.
Yui Harada, the JCU staff member that delivered the relief supplies, commented that, “The teachers told me that after talking with teachers from other schools they were worried that their students would not return. One teacher told me, ‘Damage is less serious here compared to other areas, but in the past relief supplies had only been given to certain children (those whose homes had been completely destroyed, etc.). However, the UNICEF school supplies sets are to be given to all students at all schools, and the children are ecstatic!’”
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| © Japan Committee for UNICEF |
| Osanai Primary School children receiving UNICEF school supplies sets. |
In this delivery enough school supplies sets for all 293 students of Osanai Junior High School and all 272 children of Osanai Primary School were delivered to the children. Osanai Junior High School Student Body President Ishizaki and Vice-President Ogura extended words of gratitude on behalf of all students after receiving the UNICEF bags containing the sets from JCU staff: “We will treasure these supplies and never forget the kindness of everyone around the world.” Also, a group of third year students at Osanai Primary School accepted the school supplies sets on behalf of the rest of the school. When the Vice-Principal prompted the children, saying, “Now let’s thank UNICEF on behalf of the school,” in unison the third year students let out a giant “Thank you very much!”
Ms. Harada noted that, “Everyone knew about UNICEF. Children everywhere would stop and tell me, ‘Hey, I got school supplies from UNICEF!’ I am so happy that—thanks to the cooperation of the volunteers—we were able to deliver these sets to the children.” Since the start of the first installment of the campaign, Yukio Sasaki of the Kunohe Chapter of the Iwate Prefecture Teachers Union, has been working to deliver the school supplies sets to schools in the disaster areas. Mr. Sasaki commented, “Day after day of packing and unpacking the boxes was tough, but I was absolutely delighted that it brought some happiness to the lives of the children.”
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| © Japan Committee for UNICEF |
| Mr. Sasaki (left) of the Kunohe Chapter of the Iwate Prefecture Teachers Union has worked hard to distribute school supplies and other UNICEF relief supplies. Here he passes the supplies on to Osanai Junior High School Principal Tadayoshi Go. |
The Back to School campaign was made possible by Mr. Sasaki and numerous volunteers. At the end of March, school supplies sets for 16,000 primary and junior high school students in the Iwate Prefecture disaster area were prepared in Okayama. A total of 105 volunteers from Okayama, Hiroshima, Kagawa and Ehime Prefectures gathered to assist with the preparations. Assistance activities have been continued to ensure that these packaged school supplies sets safely make their way to all the schools in Iwate Prefecture.
Ms. Harada notes, “Many relief supplies arrive in bulk. In the case of notebooks, for instance, they would receive a large cardboard box full of notebooks, but were unable to separate the content at schools and the boxes just began to pile up. The Back to School sets, however, are very convenient because they can be distributed as is. We’ve received the same feedback from many schools.”
JCU has received thank you emails and letters from the children and mothers that received UNICEF bags packed with school supplies sets. The following are some excerpts of those messages (See the Japan Committee for UNICEF Iwate Prefecture for more (Japanese only)):
One mother wrote, “The other day my daughter pranced happily home with a new handbag. The bag had a UNICEF logo on it and inside were school supplies. I had lost my car in the tsunami and had recently been laid off from my company, which had no chance of recovering. My daughter and I live alone so now that I have no income I couldn’t even buy my daughter things to satisfy the start of her new school year. I cried as I never expected to receive school supplies for my daughter. My house and family are safe and we are not in a shelter, so this was the first relief assistance that we have received. Thank you so much.”
A sixth grade primary school student wrote, “The 11 March earthquake and tsunami destroyed the first floor of my school, washed away the house that I had lived happily in, along with my car and even my father’s office building. I had to move to an inland school because of my father’s job. I was really sad to move away from by old school teachers and friends, but I’ve been getting used to my new school and now I really enjoy going. I will use the school supplies that UNICEF sent me and study hard. Also, I want to have a job in the future where I can help people. Thank you for watching over us from far away. I will keep working hard and never give up. Thank you.”
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| © Japan Committee for UNICEF |
| In the hall of Onagawa Daini Primary School in Miyagi Prefecture there was a handwritten poster seeking donations for the “UNICEF Pakistan Relief Fund”, which the children conducted last year. The Back to School campaign delivered assistance to children that had for many years supported other children around the world though UNICEF. |
On this occasion, the final sets of school supplies were delivered to Osanai Primary School, which has participated in UNCIEF fundraising for over 20 years. Many other schools in the disaster area have also supported the activities of UNCIEF for many years. Moreover, every year many children from these schools visit UNICEF House in Tokyo for tours.
Many children had toured the permanent exhibit at UNICEF House in Tokyo, where visitors can enjoy seeing the world’s only reproduction of UNICEF fieldwork. The exhibit had been closed as the area was being used to sort relief supplies. We are now accepting applications for tours from children in the disaster area. Please apply here to participate in a volunteer-led guided tour of UNICEF House where you can find this unique exhibit.
JCU is currently working together with the educational boards and schools of various prefectures to prepare gym clothing, recorders, sewing kits and other school supplies that meet the individual needs of children in the disaster area. These supplies are to be utilized in the second installment of the Back to School campaign.
| 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).