Miyagi Support Center News “LINK (Yui)” No. 40, August 30, 2011

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

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

Miyagi Support Center
Office: 2-12-2, Itsutsubashi, Aoba-Ku, Sendai City (New address)
Phone: +81-80-4373-6077
FAX: +81-22-266-0292

Miyagi Northern Area Support Center
c/o Wakabaen, Towa-machi, Tome City, Miyagi Prefecture
Phone: +81-90-8349-9403

Miyagi Eastern Area Support Center (New)
99-7, Motomachi, Wakuya-cho, Tooda-Gun, Miyagi Prefecture
Phone: +81-229-43-6639
Fax: +81-229-43-6685
URL: http://www.dinf.ne.jp/doc/english/resource/tohoku_earthquake.html

Around Temporary House life

5 months afterwards from the great Earthquake and Tsunami, the housing reconstruction process has been going forward from shelter to temporary house. The persons with disabilities also started their new lives in their temporary houses, which were the accomplishment got by their efforts, but not a few problems were already identified.
We would like to highlight some of the temporary houses in Miyagi Prefecture among those we visited in our support activities.

Survey record (as of August 30, 2011)

Total number of the persons with disabilities who had dialogue with JDF: 1,482
Total number of the supporters: 658

Photo: Mr.and Mrs. Soto, and Mr. Isobe, General Secretary beside the care bed offered

Photo: Overview of Yamamoto Town temporary welfare houses devised with wider eaves and more spacious entrance than the standards

Yamamoto Town temporary welfare house

On August 25 Mr. Isobe, General Secretary and we visited Yamamoto Town temporary welfare house to meet Mr. and Mrs. Sato who got a care bed offered by Association for Aid and Relief, Japan. “The mattress is so comfortable to relieve my low-back pain.” Mr. Sato was so happy and expressed his gratitude again and again.

We were surprised to see their devised barrier-free temporary house. The slope to the entrance is wide enough for wheel chair and the entrance is spacious. Both of them are made of wood. Inside of the house a wall between the two rooms was removed and an accordion curtain was replaced, which is fit to the disability condition of Mr. Sato. We were happy to find such considerations for his living in the temporary house for supposed 2 years.
We heard that Yamamoto Town was keen to receive such a disability friendly order with their concern for the affected persons with disabilities. “We failed to get a temporary house by lottery for several times. But finally we lucked out and got the best one.” said Sato delightedly. We could perceive brightness in their temporary house life.
In this connection, we would like to add that Mr. Sato got a letter from Vice Minister of Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare, asking for a feedback on the temporary welfare house. Mr. Sato said with smile, ”I sent back my frank feed back including some negative points such as location of handrail.” (Supporter from Shiga Prefecture)

Footmarks of Support activities

Witness of Ms. Chiba, the affected

Photo:Fumiko Chiba talking about her experiences.

On August 28 Ms. Fumiko Chiba, Service manager and Caretaker of Kibogaoka Group Home, was invited to Wakaba-en where Northern Area Support Center is located to have a sharing of her experience to encounter the Great Earthquake and Tsunami.
When the Great Earthquake occurred, Ms. Chiba was driving her car to work for the Group Home. She got emergency news from the car radio. She quickly tried to communicate with the office and the group home but the line was mixed up and not functioned. Then she managed to get back home. An official recommendation to flee for safety was issued and she fled with her father. At their back the Great Tsunami was running to catch them. She was so scared to see the 21m high tsunami which seemed to cover the whole sky.
She also encountered lots of trouble in her shelter life. For example, sweeping at 3 o’clock in the morning, consuming water in a usual manner in spite of the water shortage situation… Each time a complaint was made, she made an effort to explain about disability and seek for understanding to the behaviors. Another trouble in shelter life was that receiving support goods at free of cost made the persons with disabilities confused. So far they tried to cut down their living expenses to meet the amount of pension they received. But the shelter life was meant that whatever they expressed their demand, they could get them without money. She felt that some action was necessary, and she asked to stop the supply of goods.
After the sharing, the door plate of Kibogaoka Group Home was presented to Ms. Chiba. The wooden plate was made by Mr. Nakatsugawa whom JDF had corresponded since June. (Supporter from Osaka)

Moving a Buddhist altar and a chest of drawers to a temporary house

Upon request to carry in a chest of drawers and a Buddhist alter to a temporary house, two male supporters were dispatched to an affected house by Tsunami. Not only the house owner, but also his younger brother and his neighbours gathered to work together. When I carried down the chest of drawers from the upstairs, I saw the traces of Tsunami at the wall of stairs. It tells that Tsunami came up to the second floor and I could felt the terrible Tsunami.
Around the house, there were broken houses washed away by Tsunami. I felt pain, thinking of the day Tsunami occurred. Handbills of JDF support will be distributed around Onagawa from August 30. It will surely draw out the needs of the affected in the temporary houses. We would like to work hard to meet their needs. (Supporter from Shiga Prefecture)

Call for dispatch supporters to the affected areas

waiting for your call to 080-4373-6077, who can serve for 7～10 days at least

Contents:

At site: Visiting the affected for needs identification/action-taking, etc.

At office: Phone consultation, general affairs, public relations, accounting, etc.

Places:

Miyagi Eastern Support Center (Tooda Gun)

Miyagi Northern Area Support Center (Tome City)

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