Miyagi Support Center News "Link (Yui)" No.35, August 10, 2011
“Let’s support our fellows in Tohoku with our bonds of friendship and strengths!”
Issued by Miyagi Support Center and Miyagi Northern Area Support Center of Japan Disability Forum (JDF) Headquarters for Support of Persons with Disabilities affected by the East Japan Great Earthquake
Offices: Miyagi Support Center: c/o Hagi-no-sato, Fukushi-kojo, Taihaku-ku, Sendai-shi
Phone: +81-80-4373-6077 Fax: +81-22-244-6965
Miyagi Northern Area Support Center: c/o Wakaba-en, Towa-cho, Tome-shi
Phone: +81-90-8349-9403 Fax: +81-220-45-2223
Website: http://www.dinf.ne.jp/doc/english/resource/tohoku_earthquake.html
The Joint Meeting of the staff of Onagawa Town and the members of JDF
photo:The Joint meeting of the staff of Onagawa Town and the member of JDF
The Joint meeting of the staff of Onagawa Town and the member of JDF held on August 5. Participants were a public health nurse, an officer of the Social Welfare Council and three physiotherapists of Onagawa Town Hospital, and three members from JDF, Mr. Fujii, the Chair of the Executive Board of JDF, Mr. Ono, the Chief of Miyagi Support Center, and Mr. Harada, the secretariat of JDF.
We discussed previous support provided by Onagawa Town and JDF. We also discussed future cooperation between Onagawa Town and JDF. We, JDF, talked about the opening of support center in eastern part of Onagawa Town from August 13. Onagawa Town will support us through delivering our leaflets to every house.
We confirmed to hold the meeting every two weeks and establish the system for information exchange.
The Meeting with the officers of Minami Sanriku Town
The meeting with the officials of Minami Sanriku Town and the staff of disabilities related organizations was held at Meeting Space in Bay-Side Arena. We discussed the subsidy from Yamato Welfare Foundation for reconstruction. This foundation subsidizes maximum two billion yen per one case. The officials of Minami Sanriku Town applied for the reconstruction of industry. They seek to hire disabled people in fishing industry or manufacturing industry of souvenirs. We also discussed the welfare and reconstruction of town in the future.
Although many residents in Minami Sanriku Town are elderly, it is important to listen to the ideas of young people for reconstruction. We usually try to stop the outflow of youth population. However, we are required to change the way of thinking. There is a plan to establish places for people with disabilities and bring young carers from other places.
The next meeting will be held on August 23 to discuss these topics more deeply.
The messages from Supporters
photo:a supporter from Tokyo
I worked at main office from July 31 to August 6. A resident in the shelter told me ‘the supporters like you gave me energy.’ I was deeply touched to hear that.
I was moved to succession between supporters. Each group works from seven to ten days and the other group follows the work in support center. Therefore, the succession is very important. I conducted activities based on information which the ex-supporters had accumulated. I hope that my work could keep succession.
The only thing I worried about is persons who do not have any relationship with support centers. I spent my days struggling to listen to these persons who could not tell their needs.
I really hope for them to stay safe until their needs will be met.
I attended summer festival.
photo of the summer festival
Tanabata festival in Sendai, one of the three largest festivals in Tohoku region will be held from August 6 to 8. People made the decorated bamboo poles for comfort for victims by the East Japan Great Earthquake and for hope to reconstruction. The sufferers from Tsunami wholeheartedly made paper cranes. You can see these in Tanabata festival. I was heard that making paper cranes had led many sufferers calm and gave power for pray when they were exhausted.
I was invited to the summer festival held in Hagi no Sato, the current main office of JDF Miyagi Support Center, on August 6. I saw that many people attended and felt excited under the strong sunshine. The photo is above.
I spent my time busily visiting homes, listing to people with disabilities, consulting and doing paperwork. So I felt relaxed to attend this festival.
We will open Miyagi Eastern Area Support Center. It is now under construction!!!
Persons with disabilities who have needs and ask for support also live in the eastern area (Ishinomaki City and Onagawa Towan). Many places still need more staff. The staff of Main office of Miyagi Support Center visit there every day.
We make a plan to open the Eastern Area Support Center to meet needs quickly and decrease the cost for our support. We will show the detail in next newsletter.
More than five hundred and seventy supporters and staff from everywhere in Japan have worked since Miyagi Support Center opened. Some of them have visited for support many times.
It is still a long way to go. Let’s keep relationship and involve more friends for reconstruction.
We need more supporters for the following activities.
- Visits to detect and respond to needs
- Office work including telephone consultation, needs coordination, response to needs, accounting, clerical work, public relations and others
- Place: Miyagi Support Center (in Sendai-shi), Miyagi Northern Area Support Center (in Tome-shi) We are waiting for your call.
- Please make contact us after the latter half of August because we receive many applications during Bon holiday.
Translated by Japanese Society for Rehabilitation of Persons with Disabilities
Volunteer translator: Ms. Yuri Goto