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Miyagi Support Center News “Yui (Link)” No.48, September 30, 2011

“Let’s support our fellows in Tohoku with our bonds of friendship and strengths!”

Issued by Japan Disability Forum (JDF) Headquarters for Support of Persons with Disabilities affected by the East Japan Great Earthquake

Offices:
Main Center: 2-12-2 Itsutsubashi, Aoba-ku, Sendai-shi, Tel:+81-80-4373-6077 Fax:+81-22-266-0292
Eastern Area Center: 99-7 Motomachi, Wakuya-cho, Tel:+81-229-43-6639 Fax: +81-229-43-6685
Northern Area Center: c/o Wakaba-en, Towa-cho, Tome-shi, Tel:+81-90-8349-9403 Fax:+81-220-45-2293

Website:http://www.dinf.ne.jp/doc/english/resource/tohoku_earthquake.html

Talk by the Chief of Fishery Promotion Section of Industry Promotion Division, Minami-Sanriku Town Office

Mr. Akihiro Dazai, the Chief of Fishery Promotion Section of Industry Promotion Division, Minami-Sanriku Town Office
Photo 1: Mr. Akihiro Dazai, the Chief of Fishery Promotion Section of Industry Promotion Division, Minami-Sanriku Town Office

 On September 25 at Wakaba-en, Mr. Akihiro Dazai, the Chief of Fishery Promotion Section of Industry Promotion Division of Minami-Sanriku Town Office, kindly talked about his experiences of earthquake and reconstruction. Based on his own experiences of suffering from the earthquake, he talked about the management of shelters, including the difficulty of managing shelters by municipality administration alone, the importance of communication among different people in the shelter, and the necessity of cooperation with various stakeholders. Regarding to the outlook of future recovery, he mentioned central government’s support and Yamato Welfare Foundation’s subsidy which gave a momentum to real recovery of fishery industry. He also talked about details of future direction of the municipality. From the audience, Mr. Hatakeyama, the Director of Nozomi Welfare Workshop, made a comment that he would like JDF members to feel the recovery of Minami-Sanriku not only from the viewpoint of welfare, but also from many other viewpoints. After that, with Mr. Dazai, we visited a reconstruction site to witness how the recovery got started. We felt the importance of knowing and telling the people in our home town not only about the tragedy of the earthquake but also the future reconstruction.

Construction of a temporary fish market
Photo 2: Construction of a temporary fish market (left: as of September 25, right: as of October 1)

Footmark of Support

JDF Moving Company???

Staff from Miyagi Support Center 27th Cycle
Photo 3: Staff from Miyagi Support Center 27th Cycle
(left: A supporter from Iruma Tobu Miyoshi-no-Sato, Saitama Prefecture, right: A supporter from Taisei-en, Fukuoka Prefecture)

Because most shelters in Ishinomaki City will close during October, many requests for moving support from shelters are coming to Eastern Area Support Center. Most are moving to temporary houses. After 7 months since the earthquake, debris has been taken away from some parts of affected areas, and people can do shopping as before in commercial areas. However, many people still remain in shelters, and many of them cannot go out alone due to old age or disability. Eastern Area Support Center is busy to respond to the requests from those people, utilizing its wheelchair van, and many more of such requests are expected to come.
Every support staff works for just over a week. During this one week, I got many “Thank you” and felt happy. However, there are many thoughts left, such as “Can that old lady move to a temporary house without any trouble?” and “Can she live in new place without problems?” I would like to share such thoughts with new support staff in the next cycle.

Yamato Welfare Foundation gives “Subsidy for Reconstruction of Livelihood and Industrial Infrastructure Damaged by East Japan Great Earthquake” to Minami-Sanriku Town.

With an information support by JDF, Minami-Sanriku Town’s application for Yamato Welfare Foundation’s subsidy program was approved. Yamato Welfare Foundation’s program supports recovery and reconstruction, using the donation including 10 yen per 1 parcel handled by Yamato Transportation Corporation. Minami-Sanriku Town’s plan is an emergency reconstruction project of fishery industrial infrastructure (Total amount is 525 million yen including 365 million yen subsidy from Yamato.). Minami-Sanriku Town aims early recovery of its fishery industry and promotion of social participation of women, persons with disabilities and elderly people.

  • Number of dialogues with persons with disabilities (up to now): 1,548 persons
  • Number of supporters (up to now): 722

We need more supporters.

Activities: Visits to detect and respond to needs
Place: Onagawa-cho, Kesennuma-shi, Minami-Sanriku-cho and other places handled by Miyagi Eastern Area Support Center (in Wakuya-cho)

Translated by Japanese Society for Rehabilitation of Persons with Disabilities
Volunteer translator: Mr. Shintaro Nakamura