Miyako recreation association helping the disaster affected area

　Since the end of April, Miyako recreation association has been visiting evacuation centers and elementary schools for recreation volunteering. Some of the volunteers had their houses damaged and their recreation volunteer equipment swept away by the tsunami.

On the morning of May 29, volunteers gathered in the car park of Mikako city municipal office and headed for Michishige elementary school in two cars. Their trip one way took 50 min because Miyako city is geographically large with narrow mountainous roads which were damaged by the recent disaster.

In Michishige, the height of tsunami reached 40m above sea level. Michishige elementary school initially became an evacuation center but with the return of school, students from Chikei elementary school and Uiso elementary school have been diverted here and temporary housing have been erected in school grounds.

At 10am, about 40 children with their mothers gathered in the gymnasium. After introduction, they warmed up by dancing to uplifting songs and playing games. Next they played with giant skipping rope, Dodgebees, Baggo, Bamboo-copter etc in groups. Miyako city recreation staffs were very skillful in persuading children to join in and play. There were lots of excitement, laughter and clapping as children became absorbed in the games.

When the small children started getting bored, association’s vice chairman Ms. Makiko Sakakita gathered them using a bell. She and the children held hands in a circle and sang “Pan pan the bottomless pan, let’s go home when the bottom falls through” and moved around in circle. As more children joined in, the circle grew larger and larger.

For older children, a volunteer named Mr. Masaru Yonezawa entertained them by playing swordfight. After getting enough physical exercise, children started making paper airplanes. After each made their own airplanes, they split into groups according to grades and flew the plane competing for distance.

They ended the program with a rhythmic stretch exercise to a song called “Like a flower that blossoms in the wild”.

Ending the program with stretch exercise.

Helping the children of disaster zone “the Iwate Kids Brigade”

　The coastal areas of Iwate prefecture such as Miyako city and Kamaishi city have day care styled children’s center and children’s centers that functions as child care center as well as after school care center. All these children’s centers play a vital role in the local community. Many the staff working at the centers located in the disaster zone has been affected by the recent evetnts. They continue to work at children’s centers as they rebuild their lives from temporary homes.

The “Iwate Kids Brigade” was created in order to support the children’s centers and its staff. The brigade is organized by Iwate children’s center, Iwate council of Social Welfare, Iwate prefectural University and Morioka University. The brigade also participates in the activities of Japan Recreation Association.

On June 22, six volunteers gathered at the evacuation center inside at Iwate Fureai Land and headed for Miyako city Takahama children’s center. Takahama children’s center is a childcare center during the day that also offers after-school care for children. The house around the center was destroyed by the tsunami and the center itself was flooded by the tsunami as well.

3:30pm, children gather at the center after school. First, the children finish off their homework and then they play with the volunteers. On this day, the volunteers from Shiraiwa children’s center of Tono city hosted a cherry seed shooting competition. Children would shoot cherry seed from the stage and compete for the furthest distance. After that, a volunteer named Mr. Daisuke Nakamura performed magic tricks. Using playing cards, he could restore a torn card, change the number on a card and make a card appear inside a plastic bottle. The children were mesmerized by his skillful magic tricks.

Children having fun shooting cherry seeds.

Training recreation volunteers for disaster relief

　Miyagi recreation association has begun training volunteers to support disaster relief efforts within Miyagi prefecture. The first training session was held on June 11 at Sendai. In order to offer continues and stable support for the people of disaster affected area, they first needed to have leader role members who live in the area. The first session involved training 16 such volunteers.

In the training session, volunteers were taught the facts and situation of disaster affected areas, safety management in disaster affected areas, how to psychologically care for the elderly and the young etc. They also practiced necessary communication techniques needed for recreation volunteering. The volunteers then came up with the ideas for activities and held real life practice session at evacuation centers. Some of the volunteers from disaster affected areas such as Kisennuma, Tagashiro, Natori, Rifu etc, and were already involved with the council of social welfare and other volunteer activities.

At Miyagi recreation association, there are already plans to train new volunteers who will be led by the leader role members that have finished training.

Over at Fukushima recreation association, there are plans for children’s camp at Kitakata from August 5 to 7 for the children of devastated areas such as Soma and Minami soma. Also, Japan recreation association and Fukushima recreation association will co-host camps from August 1 to 9 at National Bandai youth exchange center for children who are not able to play outside because of radiation.

During the second training session on June 18, members practiced the program in real life.

Hachinoe city recreation association of Aomori conducting recreation volunteer in Noda village, Iwate.

Hachinoe city recreation association,
Mr. Masaki Takahashi

　On June 27, I took part in the volunteering program in Noda village, Iwate at the request of social welfare center. Although Tanewata area escaped tsunami destruction, the effects of earthquake still could be felt. And for many people in the area, their friends and relative were affected by the disaster as well.

At Noda village, we had fun doing various exercises such as throat exercise and rhythmic workouts. When the session ended, some of the people said to us “when we’ll come next?” and this made us very happy.

On June 29, the students of Hachinoe Junior college visited Noda village and conducted recreation volunteer at a childcare center and special care facility.