UNITE FOR CHILDREN

Japan Earthquake & Tsunami Emergency Relief

Japan Earthquake & Tsunami Emergency Relief (103rd report)
Child Friendly Space “Futaba Square” set up for children in Fukushima

[KAZO CITY, SAITAMA, JAPAN, 25 August 2011]

The Japan Committee for UNICEF (JCU) has been holding discussions with Futaba Town to prepare for the establishment of a Child Friendly Space promoted by UNICEF for children that have been living as evacuees since the end of March due to the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Station incident. As of 1 August, a total of 887 Futaba Town residents (of which one-third are children) were forced to live as evacuees at a shelter set up at the former Kisai High School.

On 23 August (Tuesday), work was carried out to set up a Child Friendly Space at the former Kisai High School. This Child Friendly Space was created by renovating the equipment storage room of the school gymnasium, where nursery staff from the Saitama Co-op had been holding morning nursery classes. In addition, just like with the “Chakkoi Picture Book Library”, which opened on 11 May in Onagawa Town, Miyagi Prefecture, creators from Dentsu assisted with the design, composition and installation of the space’s signs.

   

With the objective of restoring energy and smiles to the faces of children in Futaba Town, work began from early morning to create the Child Friend Space now named the “Futaba Square”. Everyone worked together, including nursery staff from the Saitama Co-op and creators from Dentsu, using tools to assemble shelves from scratch, transporting books in from the UNICEF Mini Children’s Library project and other activities.

 
A “daruma” doll, the symbol of Futaba Town, even became the official character for the new space.

When everyone started laying out the full-sized puzzle mat, children from the gymnasium began to gather and help. Once the shelves and tables were in place, the children immediately began to play with the toys and put the books on the shelves. The sight of the children enjoying the new Futaba Square brought smiles to the faces of the staff. The Futaba Square comprises two rooms, one big and one small, separated from the rest of the gymnasium by curtains. The big room is called the Big Kids’ Futaba Square, where primary and junior high school students gather to draw pictures, read books and play with toys. Similarly, the small room is called the Little Kids’ Futaba Square, where children not yet old enough to go to school can play and relax with their guardians.

On this occasion, two Child Friendly Spaces were completed inside of the equipment room, but in coming weeks there are plans to also create a space outside of the room where children can get out and have more room to play.

All photo credits: © Japan Committee for UNICEF

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
Fukushima Notebooks and stationery sets 16 Apr. 390 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 29 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
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
Iwate 1 copy machine 2 June Preschool
Miyagi Rain coats 4 June 1,000
Saitama* Shoes 15 June 460 pairs Converse Footwear Co., Ltd.
Fukushima Fans 21 June 21 Minamisoma City Board of Education
Miyagi Jerseys for teachers and windbreakers for students (various sizes) June Akashi Hifuku Kogyo Co., Ltd Junior high schools in Kesennuma City (6 schools)
Miyagi Used digital piano June 1
Miyagi Digital scale 6 July 200 Ishinomaki City Offices
Miyagi Fans 6 July 5
Miyagi Child-size tables and chairs; toys 22 July IKEA
Iwate Candles for events 23 July
Iwate Wall-hanging fans 1 August 200
Iwate Recreation kit replenishments Regular
Fukushima Fans 2 August 95 Minamisoma City Board of Education
Miyagi Hand sterilizer 3 August 4,680 Lion Corporation Preschools, etc.
Miyagi Antibacterial freshener 3 August 3,600 Magnet Corporation; Antimicrobial Technology Co., Ltd.; Jutech Corporation; Clean Techno Co., Ltd.; Mitani Valve Co., Ltd.; HY Corporation Preschools, etc.

-Number of UNICEF Children’s Mini Libraries distributed: Approximately 240,000 books to over 1,900 locations (as of 4 August 2011).
-Number of children that have participated in the UNICEF “Let’s Play! The Outdoors Playtime Project” in Fukushima Prefecture (including planned numbers): More than 31,000 (as of 4 August).

*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 4 August 2011 (compiled by the Information and Public Affairs Division).