UNITE FOR CHILDREN

Japan Earthquake & Tsunami Emergency Relief

Japan Earthquake & Tsunami Emergency Relief (76th report)
UNICEF Children’s Bus Fieldtrips Part II
Activity Report

[IWATE, Japan, 16 June 2011]

On 5 June (Sunday) and 11 June (Saturday), the second installment of the UNICEF Children’s Bus Fieldtrips was implemented for children living in the coastal regions of Iwate Prefecture, an area severely damaged in the Great East Japan Earthquake. A total of approximately 440 people, including children’s guardians, took part in the event over the two days. Participants from 11 Iwate Prefecture coastal areas (Rikuzentakata, Ofunato, Kamaishi, Otsuchi, Yamada, Miyako, Iwaizumi, Fudai, Tanohata, Noda and Kuji) boarded the UNICEF Children’s Bus, and on 5 June traveled to Tategamori Ark Farm. On 11 June, participants watched the Chagu Chagu Umako Horse Festival, a traditional festival designated as one of Japan’s intangible folklore cultural assets. They then continued to Iwate Umakko Park. The UNICEF Children’s Bus Fieldtrips are designed to provide children living in rubble-covered disaster areas with opportunities to play freely in nature. Just as in the first phase, the second phase of the fieldtrips brought smiles to countless children’s faces.

Playing with animals at Tategamori Ark Farm on 5 June (Sun)!

At Tategamori Ark Farm, located in Fujisawa Town in Higashiiwai District, children enjoyed the beautiful natural environment, where they watched a derby race, a show put on by local superheroes the “GEIBIBEN”, tried their hand at egg collecting, played with rabbits and goats, and enjoyed various athletics. After the fieldtrip the children told the Japan Committee for UNICEF (JCU), “I’m tired after walking so much but it was really fun!”, “I bought so many goodies!”, and “The rabbits were really cute. I wanted to play with them more but we weren’t allowed in their cage.”

   
© Japan Committee for UNICEF   © Japan Committee for UNICEF   © Japan Committee for UNICEF

Visit to Chagu Chagu Umako Festival and Iwate Umakko Park on 11 June (Sat)!

Chagu Chagu Umako is a traditional festival in Morioka City where nearly 100 horses march a 15-kilometer road from Sozen Shrine in Takizawa Village to Hachimangu Shrine in Morioka City. This was the first time for many of the children to see the festival in person. As the children watched the colorfully dressed horses they took pictures and cheered, “That one’s beautiful!”, “His eye’s are so big and cute!” and “I love the sound of the bells!”

 

Later, the children were taken to Iwate Umakko Park in Takizawa Village. The park had a horse that children could ride, and the children immediately formed a line so they could participate in the horse riding fun. Some of the children appeared nervous at first, but their looks of worry quickly turned into smiles once the ride began. The children happily told us, “It was a little scary at first, but it was really fun,” “I was surprised that the horse’s body was so warm,” and “This time I rode a pony but next time I want to try out a big horse!”

     

Numerous volunteers from Iwate and other prefectures cooperated in the UNICEF Children’s Bus Fieldtrips as UNICEF Child Supporters. One volunteer voiced that, “It was my first time volunteering, so I was a bit unsure about what to do at first, but the children came up to me and said ‘Let’s play!’ After that we had a great time playing.” Another volunteer commented, “I am from the coastal area of Iwate Prefecture, so it was very reassuring to see the children happy and playing.” Also, “I have cooperated in the past by donating to UNICEF campaigns, but I am happy that I was able to personally participate in these activities.”

The Japan Committee for UNICEF (JCU) will continue activities with the cooperation of its many volunteers in order to ensure the greatest interests of the children.

All photo credits: © Japan Committee for UNICEF/2011/K.Goto

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 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
Miyagi 2 copiers; 2 computers; 2 printers May For Higashi-Matsushima Day-Care Center and Watari Day-Care Center
Iwate Water receiving tank, water purifier tank, water supply tank May construction May construction
Miyagi Solar-powered vaccine refrigerator 18 May
Fukushima Fans 30 May 112 Minamisoma City Board of Education
Fukushima Masks 30 May 100,000 Minamisoma City Board of Education

-Number of UNICEF Children’s Mini Libraries distributed: Approximately 130,000 books to over 650 locations (as of 6 June 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 1 June 2011 (compiled by the Information and Public Affairs Division).