音声ブラウザご使用の方向け: SKIP NAVI GOTO NAVI

Miyagi Support Center News "Link (Yui)" No. 7, April 27, 2011

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

Issued by the Miyagi Support Center of the Japan Disability Forum (JDF) HQs for the Support of Persons with Disabilities affected by the East Japan Great Earthquake.

Office: c/o Sendai Work Campus, Taihaku-ku, Sendai city.
Phone and fax: +81-22-306-4663

Thanks to the supports by the stuff of the groups from all over Japan, most support centers for persons with disabilities and shelters in Miyagi Prefecture (except for the northern part) have been visited. In the damaged areas, signs of reconstruction became visible gradually, and the people in temporary shelters are moving to accommodation facilities and temporary housing. In this situation, the needs of persons with disabilities are changing too. Therefore, stuff members of the Center shared the idea that it will conduct visit activities again to provide continuous supports.

Accumulated number of visits as of April 26 (the numbers on April 26 only are shown in parentheses.)

Supporters: 793 (34)
To shelters: 476 (24)
To municipal government offices: 126 (1)
To support centers for persons with disabilities: 244 (0)
To organizations concerned: 91 (0)
To individual houses and other places: 141 (4)

Relocation of Miyagi Support Center

Japan Disability Forum (JDF) has been doing visit surveys and support activities, using a part of Sendai Work Campus as the office of Miyagi Support Center. On April 30, it will move to Haginosato-Daini-Fukujuen of the Social Welfare Corporation Kyosei-Fukushikai, where the activity will start on May 1. New address: c/o Daini-Fukujuen, 38 Kagitori Midodaira, Taihaku-ku, Sendai-shi, Miyagi-ken Phone: +81-80-4373-6077, +81-80-4373-6078

Miyagi Support Center
Photo 1: Miyagi Support Center

Establishment of a center in the northern part of Miyagi Prefecture

Due to the collapsed roads and traffic regulation, it takes as long as 3 hours just to go to the northern areas of Miyagi Prefecture from Sendai City where the Support Center located. Sometimes the time we could spend for the visit survey was only over an hour. Sometimes we had to go there for 2-day visit without knowing where to stay overnight. Under such a situation, it was necessary to establish a center in the northern area in order to provide full-scale support there. Therefore, on April 28, a new center in the northern area will be established. The Social Welfare Corporation Keisenkai kindly let us use a part of its facility Wakabaen in Tome City as the location of the new center. As we have been doing in Sendai Work Campus, we will conduct full-scale survey visits to the support centers for persons with disabilities and shelters in the northern part of Miyagi Prefecture. We have been preparing for this, utilizing our experiences so far.

Address: c/o Wakabaen, 23-16 Aza Nishi-Tsunaki, Yonekawa, Towa-cho, Tome-shi, Miyagi-ken
Phone: +81-90-8349-9403

Current activities of the Center (The accumulated total number of the involved supporters is 793 as of April 26.)

In order to know the real situation in the shelters and the support needs of persons with disabilities, we are gathering information not only on temporary shelters but also on the accommodation facilities and temporary housing to which the affected people are moving. On April 24, some supporters were relieved by new members. Manuals are being developed and the gathered information is being organized one more time to ensure Center’s stable operation and further developments.

Reports from the involved supporters (Summary)

I was overwhelmed by this earthquake’s extensive devastation. I realized how important is to be with the affected people and understand their feelings and wishes. I would like to continue the support not only directly but also indirectly such as raising the voice to the national government with other people. (a supporter from Osaka)

I came from Okinawa with 5 colleagues. The reality in the affected areas is too shocking for words. It was much more than the information on TV or newspapers. Through the consultations, I realized that the current need of many people is psychological supports. I would like to tell my experiences here to many persons, and continue to support with JDF, community and the government for early recovery. (a supporter from Okinawa)

Seeing the wide expanse of muddy rubbles and wreckage in the affected areas, I felt a sense of loss, which made my knees wobble. I really appreciated the efforts of the local people and JDF people, and, at the same time, I felt just helpless. However, I would be happy if my involvement contributed to the reconstruction in any way, and am grateful for learning a lot from this experience. I’m sure that there is a long way to go, and I would like to do as much as I can back home. (a supporter from Tokyo)

Meeting of supporters
Photo 2: Meeting of supporters

Activity record

  • April 24 (Sunday): Provided goods for Tome City
  • April 25 (Monday): Meeting for establishing a center in the northern part of Miyagi Prefecture
  • April 26 (Tuesday): Visit survey in the shelter in the Onagawa nuclear power plant

To rebuild better lives of persons with disabilities in the community, we need people who support our work now!

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