[ONAGAWA, Miyagi Prefecture, Japan, 11 May 2011]
Today marks exactly two months since the largest recorded earthquake in Japanese history, measuring magnitude 9.0, struck the Tohoku region, causing significant damage across northeastern Japan. Schools have started new school years while water, electricity and other basic services are gradually being restored in places like Minamisanriku and Rikuzentakata, which suffered near total destruction as a result of the disaster. Despite two months of work, the disaster area is still littered with rubble that has yet to be removed and countless people remain missing. An accurate picture of the actual damage has thus yet to become clear. Amidst these cruel circumstances, while children appear to be slowly returning to their normal pace of life, they are still in dire need of places where they feel safe.
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| © Japan Committee for UNICEF | ||||
On 25 March, the Japan Committee for UNCIEF (JCU) launched the UNICEF Children’s Mini Library project, under which children’s books donated from people across Japan were delivered to the children in the disaster area. As of now, more than 100,000 picture books and children’s books have already made their way to over 300 shelters, preschools, kindergartens, primary schools and other locations.
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| © Japan Committee for UNICEF |
| Education Board Chair Sadaharu Endo asks the children, “Do you know what chakkoi means?” The children answer, “It means small!” Mr. Endo then tells them, “That’s right. And this may be called a chakkoi library, but it is packed with books with big dreams.” |
One of the destinations for these books was the Onagawa Chakkoi Picture Book Library, which opened in Onagawa Town, Oshika Gun, Miyagi Prefecture on 10 May. Since before the earthquake, preparations were being made to open a picture book library in Onagawa Town during June of this year. However, the 11 March tsunami washed away the entire collection of 40,000 picture books that they had gathered to start the library. That is when they received help from the UNICEF Children’s Mini Library project, in addition to approximately 5,000 picture books donated from other citizen’s groups and corporations. Moreover, JCU prepared book shelves, mats and other goods as a part of its assistance to provide Child Friendly Spaces. Several creators that participated in the UNICEF Children’s Mini Library project as volunteers assisted with the design aspects, such as how to arrange the room and display the books. These concerted efforts allowed for realizing the town’s dream of establishing the Onagawa Chakkoi Picture Book Library. This child friendly library space is located at Daini Primary School in Onagawa Town, and children can visit the library to read books or have books read to them.
The children had been waiting anxiously for the library to open since preparations started, and right when it opened they came running and practically dove into the books.
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| © Japan Committee for UNICEF | ||
| Volunteers preparing for the opening of the Onagawa Chakkoi Picture Book Library. |
The children could be heard saying, “I’m so happy. We didn’t have any books before!” “I want to read puzzle books.” “We can finally read books again. I want to read a story.” and “Look at this! This is cute!” This brought smiles to the faces of JCU Emergency Assistance Headquarters Miyagi Team staff, as they taken the time to decorate the picture book library with the help of volunteers during their few breaks. Staff had been working from early morning until late night with no days off, traveling to and from the disaster area in order to implement the Back to School and Back to Kindergarten campaigns and to provide health assistance to mothers and infants.
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| © Japan Committee for UNICEF |
| Dr. Osamu Kunii, a Japanese UNICEF expert, attended the opening ceremony. He asked the children, “Do you know UNICEF?” The children answered, “I know! They gave me my school bag!” |
The opening ceremony was also attended by Yukiko Yamashita from the Lifelong Learning Section of the Board of Education. Ms. Yamashita commented:
“The children had been looking forward to this picture book library from the moment preparations started. Shelves of books slowly began to replace the jungle of cardboard boxes, and I am so happy that the children can now read the books that they wanted to read. Most of the children lost their homes in the tsunami, and I will never forget how happy some of them looked when they picked up a book and said, ‘I had this book at my house!’ Onagawa Town has always emphasized reading to children, where every Friday volunteer mothers would come to read to children, so everyone has always felt very strongly about children’s books.” She continued, “This library is the only colorful, peaceful thing in this city, as if you take one step outside everything is still covered in brown mud and rubble. Even the teachers say that it lifts their spirits just to walk by the library. It also brings joy to the hearts of mothers to see their children so happy, and I have a feeling that these feelings of happiness are going to spread. Utilizing this as a base, once the town is reconstructed, I intend to build a new library.”
Also, Aya Tamura, a social design engine copywriter from Dentsu that helped create the display for the Onagawa Chakkoi Picture Book Library, commented that, “The library not only provides books to read, but also a space that makes children happy. That brings joy to my heart. It may be chakkoi (small), but it carries with it big dreams. The library is rich with the love of people from across Japan.”
After starting to read some of the books to the children, some children that had been crying began to smile again. Reading books to children is very important, as it creates opportunities for communication and makes the children feel happy. If there are children nearby that have suffered from the disaster, please take the time to read them a book. JCU works to restore smiles to the faces of as many children as possible, emphasizing implementing practical assistance. JCU will continue to carry out assistance activities focusing on children and mothers.
The UNICEF Children’s Mini Library project has received many more picture and children’s book donations that initially anticipated. JCU currently sends the libraries to areas affected by the Great East Japan Earthquake as well as areas that are receiving child evacuees.
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| 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 | ||
| 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 | 21 Apr. | 20 |
Number of UNICEF Children’s Mini Libraries distributed: Approximately 250 (as of 28 April 2011)
*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 28 April 2011 (compiled by the Information and Public Affairs Division).