Miyagi Support Center News "Link (Yui)" No. 29, July 16, 2011

Let’s Support our Fellows in Tohoku with our Bonds of friendship and strengths

Issued by the Miyagi Support Center and the Miyagi Northern Area Support Center of the Japan Disability Forum (JDF) Headquarters for the Comprehensive Support for Persons with Disabilities

Miyagi Support Center
Office: c/o Hagi-no-sato Fukushi-kojo, Taihaku-Ku, Sendai City
Phone: +81-80-4373-6077
FAX: +81-22-244-6965

Miyagi Northern Area Support Center
c/o Wakabaen, Towa-machi, Tome City, Miyagi Prefecture
Phone: +81-90-8349-9403
Fax: +81-220-45-2223
URL: http://www.dinf.ne.jp/doc/english/resource/tohoku_earthquake.html

Cheer up Local Social Resources!
-Heartbeats Small but with Big Hope-

Photo 1: Lunch service resumed

“Rubato”, Daily life support center
Moved to the new place and resumed lunch service

Ms. Emiko Meguro, Chief staff, was so thankful to JDF, recalling the day the Great Tsunami hit the center, “JDF members from around Japan were so helpful, raking out the mud and rubbles. The facility was moved to the new place and could resume the lunch service now. We can see the smiles in the users’ faces now.

“Nozomi Welfare Workshop”, Daily life Support Center
-Reconstruction efforts with never-give-up spirit-

Nozomi Welfare Workshop, located in Iriya, Minami-Sanriku Town, 4 months afterwrd, started vegetable farming with the collective efforts of the users and staff. The Workshop buildings were totally destroyed by the Great Tsunami. A prefabricated building was constructed on one of the users’ land. The wild land was covered by the weeds at that time. JDF members also joined the new vegetable farm making, weeding, plowing, and planting the young plants. We are so happy to know that the farm now yields potatoes, egg plants, cucumbers, tomatoes or paprika. The way forward mind of the affected people is so impressive, which tells us that there are so many spaces we can do. We are so sure that their strong never-give-up spirit will show them the way to go.

Photo 2: Workshop farm

Photo 3: Vegetable farm with potatoes, egg plants, cucumbers, tomatoes, paprika, etc.

Taro & Jiro will Come!
Sympathy visit to the affected places by Mr. Taro Murasaki with Joro, monkey partner

Photo 4: Monkey show by Taro & Jiro

Monkey show by Taro & Jiro is planned by JDF and Taro & Jiro Production as a joint project. Taro & Jiro will make visits and perform the monkey show, starting from Earth Village in Yamamoto Town on July 28, a facility in northern area on the next day and the other places as many as possible. Mr. Taro wants to meet the affected people and make them laugh by the Taro & Jiro Show.

Bridging the life needs and support

Minami-sanriku Town has been gradually restoring its life base. Open Café were set up soon after the Tsunami for the affected people to get together by the local groups and the outside supporters. Mobile convenience stores are now running in the communities. Some of the welfare workshops for persons with disabilities resumed their activities. But means of transportation is lacking. Though the hospitals, the shops and the workshops have been re-functioned, there is no access for the affected to reach there. The shelters and the temporary houses are set up in the further places from such life-base-facilities. JDF has been trying to meet as many as the affected persons with disabilities and to identify such key life-based needs to bridge the support effectively.

Findings

A university professor shared his findings that Medical facilities have been restored by June. But free voluntary medical services still have given to the people continuosly, which may affect the restored medical activities. Phase-out stage should be identified properly by the voluntary groups. And the newly emerged needs should be sensed to provide transportation measures for access to the resumed life-based facilities. Since people with mentally disorder have a tendency to live in the limited social life, it gets very difficult to identify them especially on the occasion of emergency.

★Survey record (as of July 15, 2011)

Total number of the persons with disabilities who had dialogue with JDF: 1,414 Total number of the supporters: 522

Meetings held to give explanation on move-in Temporary Houses

Meetings were held at Tomarihama Life Center and other places on July 15. Concerned people including persons with disabilities were participated to get explanation to move in the temporary houses. The new support for the procedures and move are anticipated.
On the same day of July 15 construction of the temporary houses for persons with disabilities were completed in Iwate Prefecture, and in Miyagi Prefecture 2 cases of death in loneliness were reported. Since the persons with disabilities are inclined to be lonely, our ongoing support is all the more needed.

Photo 5: Taro & Jiro

Call for dispatch supporters to the affected areas

waiting for your call to +81-80-4373-6077

Contents:
At site: Visiting the affected for needs identification/action-taking, etc.
At office: Phone consultation, general affairs, public relations, accounting, etc.

Places:
Miyagi Support Center (Sendai City)
Miyagi Northern Area Support Center (Tome City)

Translated by Japanese Society for Rehabilitation of Persons with Disabilities
Volunteer translator: Ms. Mayumi Yamazaki