Volunteer experience in Miyagi, Japan (Dec 2011) – Sabine

Last December, Sabine from Germany paricipated in the United Planet Japan, Miyagi prefecture Quest.  This is what she had to say:

Volunteering in Japan had a deep impact on my life and has left me with wonderful memories and the strong wish to return to Japan as soon as possible.

The cultural experience was amazing – accompanied by Goto-san I had the honor to wear a beautiful furisode, take part in a traditional tea ceremony, was instructed in Japanese dance and Ikebana and was able to witness a Shrine ceremony.

But interacting with the local people was the most intense experience. It was inspiring to see with how much spirit and courage the local people are rebuilding their communities. I really feel that I was able to experience the daily life in Japan and I felt very welcomed by everyone.

I can honestly say that this experience has shaped my way of thinking and I feel blessed that I was able to spend time with these wonderful people in the most amazing country I’ve ever been.

 

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I wish I could go on the quests again and again! I’d love to live in japan for a while. I want to learn Japanese properly now and maybe I can stay in Japan for a bit longer in the future and teach English. That had become some kind of dream for me after my time at the school.

United Planet took good care of me and allowed me to experience Japanese culture and my quest in a very well organized environment.

-Sabine from Germany

Volunteer experience in Aichi, Japan (Nov 2011) – Taffi

“My experience in Japan has exceeded all expectations. The cultural exchange with the locals – coupled with my Quest - have ensured that memories of my stay here will stay with me for a very long time. Having had similar experiences in different countries and with different organizations, I can say that United Planet`s Japan program offered me a more satisfying experience “

-Taffi (Abdullah) from U.K-

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Volunteer experience in Aichi, Japan (Nov 2011) – Jai

“This is my 2nd experience volunteering with United Planet and I have thoroughly enjoyed both Quests.
I previously went to Mexico for a conservation program for sea turtles and am now assisting the elderly in Japan. I was very pleased with the level of support both provided in both Quests. I became very immersed in both places, learned a lot of the languages and experienced the local culture and cuisine of both places which is what I wanted.”

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“I was not prepared for how different life in Japan was going to be. It is simultaneously a very modern and traditional place. There is an order in which you do everything and customs are strictly observed. I’ve tremendously enjoyed learning about Japanese culture from my host family and staff/seniors at the senior day care center where I volunteer. I wish I could stay for longer because it would take a lifetime to learn all the things I would like to about the people, culture and language.”

- Jai Lin from NYC, NY USA -

Volunteer experience in Aichi, Japan (Nov 2011) – Meg

This early November, Meg, Jai and Taffi came to Nagoya to participate in United Planet Japan Aichi prefecture Quest program.

“The United Planet in Japan was beyond ideal; it was very organized and sculpted my first experience in Japan to be the best it could be! Japan is everything I expected and much much more. The traditional values that shape the every day lives of the Japanese people is extremely inspiring. The people’s respect for each other and ultimately everything on earth is so admirable. I love it here and I will absolutely be back.”

-Meg from Long Island, NY, USA-

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Visiting America – Pictures

With the United Planet Team having lunch in the Boston Public Garden

Presentation at Suffolk University (see more here)

Tufts University

Marblehead Rotary Club at Boston Yacht Club

MIT University

Wellesley College

Harvard University

It’s a wonderful opportunity to meet so many great people.  Right now I’m visiting Seattle – it’s not over yet!

Volunteer in Aichi Prefecture – Part 1

These are photos of temple etc where the kindergarten is. (In fact 15 minutes away from my house!)
Inside of the land, there is a temple area and kindergarten.

The owner of temple and, kindergarten is Narita-san.  She is very nice person, and she and her whole family live on this land too. Narita-san is a principal of the kindergarten and a professional teacher of tea ceremony, Japanese dance,
Japanese calligraphy, etc.  She can teach Japanese culture and more to UP volunteers.  Needless to say, UP volunteers are more than welcome to volunteer at her kindergarten.

Hope you can find the tea ceremony house in these photos – the house looks yellow with green roof, and that is the tea ceremony house inside of this land.  They can meditate and other types of activities there too.

Eiheiji (Eihei temple) in Fukui is very famous in Japan, many tourists from abroad also visit too.  This temple belongs to Narita-san and it also follows the same teaching, same buddhism as Eiheiji. So, it is a traditional one.

Narita-san and her friends also can teach flower arrangement etc. to UP volunteers too.

Visiting America

I visited Boston and had a great time meeting all of the UP members and giving presentations to local organizations and universities.

Here are the places I planned on visiting:

• The Fish Family Foundation
• Suffolk University
• Wheaton College
• Tufts University
• Consulate General of Boston
• Center for Global Partnership and US-Japan Foundation
• Japan ICU Foundation
• Grand Circle
• Marblehead Rotary Club
• Wellesley College
• Travers Century Club
• Boston Japan Medical Relief Initiative
• Harvard University
• University of Washington
• and more!

As you can see, I’ve had a full schedule.  Right now, I’m in New York City, and next stop is Seattle!

I, Dave (UP Founder) and Professor Suleski from Suffolk University

Please visit www.unitedplanet.org for more information about Volunteering in Japan.

8 Months After the Great East Japan Quake…

I’ll be arriving in Boston soon! Here’s a post originally from the United Planet Blog: 

How are the survivors managing after the quake, the tsunami, the fires? How can we offer help that is productive and lasting?

Please join us for a webinar featuring
Ms. Chie Goto, United Planet Japan Country Manager.
She will discuss her travels meeting and helping the thousands of survivors, many of whom remain homeless; and let us know how we can get involved.

Friday, September 30, 2011  |  6pm EST; 3pm PST

Please email us to confirm your attendance, and we’ll send information about how to call and log into the webinar.

Email:  jessica@unitedplanet.org

Thanks!

If you would like to arrange a meeting with or a presentation by Ms. Goto while she is in the U.S., please let us know also.

Voice of a Survivor – Kid’s Case Part II

Akito : )

“My husband and I worked really hard and finally finished paying off our house loan last year – we were really looking forward to enjoy our new, second life, but now everything is washed away by Tsunami: clothes, furniture, my children’s study materials, our dream home, and all of our plans as well. Even after the house was destroyed and washed away, the land belonged to my husband and me. But we no longer can build houses there because the city wants to build a memorial park in the whole area. They don’t want to take any risk in the future in case another big Tsunami hit. But we don’t even know how much the city is going to pay for each person’s land – discussion is still going on.

I am grateful if anyone comes to the disaster area from abroad – even just coming here – that action really counts and that is all what matters. I would appreciate if volunteers can help us do what we cannot such as teaching English to kids or promoting cross-cultural understanding by interacting with kids, etc…”

- Akito’s mother 45 years old

At Akito’s elementary school, the majority of kids survived but there is an elementary school in Ishionmaki where 68 students lost their lives
and 6 are still missing from Tsunami. When the earthquake hit, Akito’s principal and teachers decided to make the children evacuate to higher ground.

But one of the elementary schools in Ishionomaki, Okawa elementary school, after the earthquake, the principal and teachers were discussing and arguing where to evacuate.  A few teachers said they should evacuate to the mountainside located at the back of the school, then another teacher said trees might fall down and be too dangerous. Forty minutes after the earthquake hit, eventually they decided to evacuate to another higher place - ironically, the higher place where they tried to evacuate was actually in the direction near the bridge where the Tsunami broke the embankment.

Ten minutes later on a way there, the Tsunami hit and the majority of the students were washed away.  As a consequence, 74 children (including 6 missing kids) from one school out of total 108 students were gone. But some students and teachers walking in a line – as soon as they saw the Tsunami, they quickly turned around and ran away to the mountain side and survived.

Both cases, those are same city elementary schools under the same MEXT system.  It is so ironic and sad that a kid’s value of life was depended on teacher’s decision.  The city education board took responsibility and apologized, but those kids who lost their lives won’t come back…

- Chie

Voice of Survivor – Kid’s case Part I

Akito, 12 years old, at his elementary school. More than half of his classmates lost houses and family members.

Kadonowaki elementary school in Ishinomaki city.  3,150 people in Ishinomaki lost their lives from the 3/11 disaster. There are still 850 missing.

If you zoom in, please see the inside of the broken window…

Dedication flowers for people who lost their lives at this school

A temple located next to the school. The grave was destroyed too.

*******************************************************

According to a current report by MEXT (Ministry of Education,Culture, Sports, Scient and Technology) in Japan, 44,000 children (elementary school and junior high school students) who are 3.11′s earthquake, tsunami victims face difficulties in furthering education and applying for aid. If high school students are included, a total of 73,000 children need aid.

Therefore, MEXT decided to provide annually a maximum of around 87,200 yen ($1,162) per student in the last grade of elementary school, and 175,280 ($ 2,337) yen per student in the last grade of junior high school.  But the budget the Japanese government has for this is running out soon.

Voices of kids who survived in Ishinomaki. They go to same elementary school:

“When earthquake happened, the majority of us were at elementary school and with instruction of principle and teachers,we ran away to the hill. But some of students who left home earlier or were absent from school lost their lives. Many of residents were around the school, and people were evacuated at my school.  Then the Tsunami came and especially elders and handicapped people who could not run away farther lost their lives at my school. When the Tsunami came, cars started hitting eachother and caused
fires. It was burning for 3 days – that is why my school got burnt.

I lost my good friends from Tsunami – they are triplets.  On that day, they left school earlier. When the Tsunami hit, they were fleeing with their mother and grandmother in a car. Out of those 5, the mother, grandmother, one of triplets were found from the car as corpses. But 2 of triplets are still missing. I feel so sorry for father, he lost his wife, all of his kids and his mother.

Some of my friends had seen bodies at school too. Why do kids have to see dead bodies?

My cousin who is 17-years-old goes to high school and lost his father from the Tsunami. It was only 2 years ago when my cousin lost his mother from cancer. He had younger brother but he was washed away by Tsunami with his dad. My grand mother decided to look after my cousin…

My house was destroyed by the Tsunami and I lost all of my study materials, clothes, sports items, everything.  I was evacuated to the shelter, then moved to distant family home. Now I am staying at temporary housing with my family…

My dream? I want to be a tennis player. If a volunteer come from abroad, I want to play sports with them.”

-Akito, 12 years old

“My dream is to become an architect when I grow up. So many people lost their lives and houses from this March 11th disaster. I want to build very strong houses for people so that Tsunami will never wash it away. “

-Akito’s class mate (boy)

“My dream is working for TV station and creating programs the making people smile”

-Akito’s class mate (boy)

“I want to become a professional soccor player and contribute money for poor people”

-Akito’s class mate (boy)

“Many people lost their lives, so I am appreciating the life I still have and the most important thing is Kizuna (meaning bond, tie in Japanese), Kizuna to people, feeling connected.”

-Akito’s class mate (girl)

“I want to go back to my life I used to lead before. I want to meet people in my neighborhood once again in my life, but they are not there anymore… many lost their lives. Many are also spread all over for evacuation. “

-Akito’s class mate (girl )

“My house is washed away by Tsunami, but I survived. One’s life is very important – if all of us are connected as one, I believe recovery from this earthquake can quick. I really want a quick recovery and my city Ishinomaki to be city as it used to be. ” Akito’s class mate (girl )

“Let us move forward to the future step by step….”

-Risa, Akito’s sister 15 years old.