Booklet "I am always stammering! September 2011" pdf

8/4/2019 Booklet "I am always stammering! September 2011" pdf

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I am always stammering! 0

I am always stammering!

September 2011


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Booklet I am always stammering!

CONTENTS

- Introduction

- Reports from Japan

FUKUSHIMA VOICE from PRAY+LIFE

- Fuku-Fuku Farm

- The ceiling and the puppy love

- Report from Indonesia -

Challenges in Rebuilding Post-Disaster (Hafiz Amirrol)

- Report from overseas

Voice from Canada (Chie Kinjo)

Many thanks to our sponsors:

Aki Warasawa, Ayumi Hashimoto, Emika Takahashi, Hiroshi Nishi & Keiko Nishi, Kojiro

Koshikawa, Mai Harada, Mariko Mugitani, Masako Inoue, Mayumi Oyama & Hanson

Endra Kusuma, Miho Yoshizaki, Ryo Araki, Norio Matsuba & Hiroko Matsuba, Saori

Seki, Yumiko Arima, Rumah Kita Bunko and friends. (Honorities omitted.)

Japan Indonesia Network (JIN).


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What is Booklet I am always stammering!?

I am always stammering! was initially the title of a discussion. I planned

the event where people can discuss freely about any topic. Then, on 11

March 2011, Japan was hit by the unprecedented disasters caused by

Earthquake and Tsunami. The nuclear accident also occurred in

Fukushima. So the first I am always stammering discussion held two

weeks after the disaster was combined with charity event. The donations

made by a lot of warmhearted friends in Indonesia have been sent to the

relief project by Shigeru Ban Architects.

As time passed, the support activities have declined; however, the people

in affected area are still living in fear. Nevertheless it is not easy for

Japanese residents overseas to go there. What can we do? Support

activity can be provided overseas as well as on site. At least we can send

out information and share them with Indonesian (and also foreign

countries') friends.

Indonesia had also experiences with Earthquakes and Tsunami. Disaster

can happen at any time anywhere. Thats why we want to share

information, experiences and knowledge. We believe that Not to forget is

one of preparedness for disaster.

Then we decided to issue bimonthly Booklet I am always stammering! in

English. We hope our small voices can reach you.

Thank you.

Kumiko Homma (editor)

Copyright of photograph: PRAY+L


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About PRAY+LIFE

On March 11, Fuskushima was hit by a devastating Earthquake, Tsunamis and

Nuclear accident. The daily lives of people changed in an instant. The fact confronted

us with something day after day.

I could not accept the shock of the disaster because it was too big. In such a situation,

I got the idea to leave the experiences and feelings lost with time. If we find their faces

as a human, something will be changed even a little. So I started to interview the

people who lived in Fukushima and recorded one story per person.

After the interviews, I knew that each of them lived with different thoughts,

circumstances, surroundings, information sources, families and friends. Life is

constructed with a lot of complicated things. So it is impossible to judge which theory

is correct, which is not. There are just the living itself.

I know what I can hear from the interviews and what I can tell you are only a part of

them. They are very little. Someone could be hurt. Someone wants to forget. It still

makes me hesitate. However, I decided to put their voices out because people I

interviewed were very appealing even in such difficulties. I felt their very existences

have the power to produce the future.

There are many problems remaining. I think it could happen not only in Fukushima but

also anywhere anytime.

I sincerely appreciate those who told me and hope the voices to be a pray for the

future.

(Translated by Kumiko Homma)

Copyright of PRAY+LIFE

Each person has his own face.

Each person lives his own life within their jobs, circumstances, families and friends.

Even if each voice is small, any voice can be a segment for our future.


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Fuku-Fuku Farm May 2011, from Tabito-machi, Iwaki

We would like to put our cattle out into the pasture, to let them graze and grow up

comfortably. We want to make cheese from their fresh milk and food that our family

likes to eat. We want the local people to enjoy the food we make. We want to see theirsmile, we want to communicate with them. We want to live among the local people

while keeping good relationship with them and making a living from locally produced

products.

Having a dream like that, Mr. and Mrs. Fukumoto looked for land and finally found it in

Kaidomari, Tabito-machi. It was three years ago. The pastureland had been

abandoned for more than 15 years, now covered with bushes. It was the new world of

hope for them. They named the place Fuku-Fuku Farm, and stepped on the soil of

Kaidomari with full of hope.

First, they needed a house to live. They converted an office cabin into a house by their

hands. They removed some parts of the wall to make windows and boarded the

concrete floor. They put heat insulation on the outer wall and then warmed themselves

up with a wood-burning stove. They got some big stones from a construction site and

smashed them into pieces by hammers to make gravel to cover the rough path. A


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neighbor brought them an old bathtub, so that they could take a bath with hot water

heated by kerosene. Next, they started preparing grazing land to keep cattle. Clearing

thickets, cutting off branches of trees, they made grazing land and a plot forvegetables. To make their living, Norio Fukumoto got some jobs in the mountain,

worked as a construction laborer and delivered newspapers while his wife, Natsu, who

had teaching experience found a post as a substitute for a teacher who was on

maternity or childcare leave, and then became a part-time teacher at a primary school.

While they did those jobs, they kept clearing the land.

A year past in a flash. In August next year their long-awaited cattle came to the farm.

The opening of Fuku-Fuku Farm. Cattle walked around the pasture, their dung

returned to the soil, and the soil grew grass for the cattle to eat. Sometimes children

came and played on the farm, other times Norio and Natsu enjoyed the peacefulness

outside. They grew vegetables and grass for winter, and when autumn came, they

mowed the grass with a mowing machine and made hay in a vinyl greenhouse.

Next year they started producing cheese on a full scale. In autumn 2010, the third year

since they moved in Kaidomari, they started selling their handmade cheese. Their

dreams came true. The next dream of Natsu was to open a caf in Fuku-Fuku Farm.

Their handmade cheese came to be known more and more, visitors to the farm

increased little by little.

It was the day of the primary school graduation. When Natsu got home after the

ceremony at school, she found Norio taking a break after being interviewed for a TVprogram. Then the ground shook. They turned on TV and watched a visual record of

tsunami striking the northern area. It looked just like a spectacle from a movie. The

earthquake didnt do much damage to their farm, so they didnt realize what actually

happened on that day. They worried about the nuclear power plant, but TV news said,

There would be no problem.

After the next day, they got to realize how serious the situation was. When they visited

a friend in the neighborhood, they found him preparing for evacuation. When they

called a shop where they were going to deliver cheese, they were told that it was

impossible to open shops in town. TV news was still repeating, There would be noproblem. But Norios brother called from Tokyo and told him, Youd better leave as

soon as possible. Norio started thinking about evacuation and asked a local

government office how to evacuate the area. We havent considered any plan of

evacuation at this stage. Were afraid that it may be impossible. That was the answer.


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How come the government doesnt care much about protecting the lives of the

citizens of the town, of the prefecture, of the nation? Norio was astonished. If

something happens, we have to protect ourselves, he decided. Cattle can survive at

least half a year in the pasture. I have to think about my familys safety first. In the

morning of March 16, they left the farm and went to a hotel in Tokyo.

Maybe we cannot come back. A thought arose in their minds even though they

couldnt express it.

While In Tokyo they couldnt think about anything but the people in Kaidomari. They

wanted to help those who stayed. Both of them were too restless to sleep. They got

some information about Iwaki from Twitter and sent it to the people in Kaidomari. They

made phone calls and were told, We cant get neither petrol nor kerosene. That

piece of information made them decide to go back. Lets go back and see the

situation. Three days after they moved to their friends house, they bought petrol and

kerosene as much as they could carry in the car and went back to Kaidomari.

When they returned, they unexpectedly found that things had been almost back to

normal in Kaidomari. They felt so relieved and started their ordinary days in the farm

again.


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In spring, came the planting season. The farmers in Kaidomari started planting as

soon as they got approval from JA (Japan Agricultural Cooperatives). According to

news, the radiation dose in this area was higher than other areas in Iwaki City. But thefarmers said, Compared to the place where the dose is the highest, its much lower

here.

Not every vegetable was tested. There was not enough information what kinds of

vegetables were not allowed to ship. They didnt know how to test their products at

home. It would cost too much anyway. Elderly farmers smiled and said, Thats OK

with us, or We dont know if we can sell our rice or not, but we need rice for

ourselves to eat anyway. And they kept working in the fields. In the season of edible

wild plants, they had a festival of hunting edible wild plants. While Norio and Natsu felt

a doubt creeping into their minds little by little, they helped organize the festival and

talked with other people how to liven up the spirits of the people in Kaidomari.

Then happened a big aftershock. The ground shook more violently than the quake in

March. An earthquake directly below the area. In Kaidomari, spring water was gone,

mountain streams dried up. Landslides killed some people. Boom! Boom! Since 11

March, there was the sound of explosions day and night as if somebody was

launching fireworks between the mountains. Now they knew that it was an advance

warning of an earthquake. After the aftershock, Norio and Natsu began to think again

of what to do.

Dont just compare to other places. We have to know exactly about radiation, aboutthe state of contamination of this land. We must look at the reality.

Farmers have to touch the soil and inhale dust every day. They also have to work in

the rain. The reference value of radiation dose is set without considering such case of

radiation exposure dose. The government announces the measured value of radiation

dose of water-washed vegetables. The radiation dose of grass in pasture is much

higher than other vegetables. And cattle eat it without washing. Naturally the radiation

dose of milk becomes high. Contamination is more and more concentrated in the

pasture and radioactive substances remain ever since. A recycling-oriented farming

causes a vicious circle like that.

In the environment like this, we cannot produce anything we can sell with confidence.

I dont want anybody who lives in the area full of danger of external exposure to eat

food which may cause internal exposure as well. Some of our customers tried to

encourage us and asked us when we are going to start our business again. But we


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dont want sell. We are now in the unusual environment. In the unusual environmen t,

we cannot do usual business. If it is possible to change the soil or perfectly remove

radioactive substances, we want to stay. But we have learned how and it is difficult todecontaminate pasture. Also we cannot expect any help for the decontamination. We

have to do it by ourselves for decades, for all our life. That means we have to give up

producing cheese. We also cannot invite children to our farm. Every day we wear

masks, and run into a house when it rains. We have to live like that all the time. If we

stay here, the life like that would be a burden on our next generation. If we choose to

stay here, some people might think this land is OK. But actually it is not OK. It would

be better to move somewhere else and produce cheese again. During summer

holidays, we invite the children in this area to our farm. We grow vegetables safe to

eat and send them to the children here. Its much more like a positive way of living,

weve come to think that way.

For the people who have no choice other than to stay here, their way of thinking might

not be quite welcome. A lot of agricultural producers in Fukushima are afraid of raising

their voices. Even though they think in that way, they dont dare to speak openly.

Everybody thinks We have to keep going. But how many of them can actually keep

going forward? Even each specialist in radiation effect might have a different opinion

about such a matter. But if the people who live here dont speak up about the danger

of internal exposure, they might dig their own graves in the end. It is the reality.

Whichever they choose, it would be a bitter choice. It is painful to choose. No one

knows which choice is the right one until the end. Still, they have to choose.

After grappling to find an answer, they decided to leave Kaidomari.

Until now I thought if we have hope and make our effort, we will be rewarded in some

way. But now Ive learned even though while we are having a happy life, we can drown

into trouble like this and lose everything at any moment. To protect ourselves, we have

to take part in the society even though its bothersome. We have to speak up, we have

to state what we think. Its very important. It may be a small matter, but everything will

start from it, I think. I want to keep cattle. Weve already started producing cheese. To

be honest, I want to keep going in this place. But, for me, it is the most important thatmy family can have a healthy life.

Going into the mountain and taking some berries to make jam. Enjoying the beauty of

the nature and the changes of the seasons. Seeing calves were born, milking cows,

staying outside without doing anything, watching the stars. In winter, being warmed up


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beside a wood-burning stove. After getting up in the morning, going to see the nest of

the hens. Hey, weve got eggs again!

Such joys of ordinary days.

The days in Kaidomari.

(Translated by Ribeka Ota)

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

The ceiling and the puppy love

Nana went straight home after her school as usual and sat at her desk to do her

homework. Nana lives in a municipal apartment on the 3rd floor with her parents and

her 6 siblings. On March 11th, two of her younger sisters, her 2nd oldest brother and

her mother were staying at home. There was a sound coming from TV and it seemed

to be just another usual afternoon.

Suddenly, the earth quake struck them. The shelves fell over, their things were thrown

all over across the floor, the wall made loud squeaky noises, and a crack formed on

the ceilings across the rooms.


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Nana ran to the living room where her mother was. Her mother was holding the little

sisters under her arms and shouted, Not safe here, put your shoes on and well go

outside! Nana staggered in the shaking room. She tried to stay close to her mother

and brother and walked toward the front door. She put on her shoes and went outside.

They went to a safe area and looked for her two other brothers who were on the way

coming home from school. They found the two brothers, both were safe.

If there is another big shake, our home might collapse. they thought. They decided to

go to an evacuation area instead of going home. The people there were saying

Tsunami would come. Mother tried to reach Nanas father and called him many times.

Nanas father works at a nuclear power plant company by the sea. Please stay safe!

they all prayed.

When the earthquake occurred, her father was still at work. He was told to evacuate

immediately. He got into a car leaving most of his belongings behind. All the phone

calls he made to home did not go through. Nanas father was already nearby when the

call finally went through. Nanas family was relieved to find out everyone was safe.

But the situation at the shelter was not as good as they hoped. The shelter can only

spare either one rice ball or one bread, the children were hungry, there is also possible

danger of the house collapsing, water or other supplies cannot come and news of the

nuclear accident terrifies them. Radioactivity cant reach over here so we are fine,

said people at the shelter, trying to console Nanas mother. She was having headache

and nausea from the shocks and those words didnt help her to calm down. The

aftershocks keep happening. I am worried about the radioactivity. There is not enough

food... how am I supposed to protect my kids? Nanas mother thought. Her family

then decided to stay with their relatives in Yokohama.

As soon as they arrived in Yokohama, they heard news about the Unit 3 explosions.

This may be bad. If it gets worse, we might not be able to go back home for 10 or 20

years, said the father, who has experience working inside the nuclear power plant.

We cant go back to Fukushima anymore?. The family was stunned by the thought of

it. The fathers colleague contacted him. He said, I was taking care of th e explosion. I

had to leave because it exceeded the allowable limit (of radioactivity). Nanas familywas afraid that the father might have to go to the nuclear power plant as well if his

company asks him. Not long after, the company contacted him. It was an order to go

to a thermal power plant.


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Father and mother went back to Iwaki (in Fukushima) first without the children. The

house was left as it is after the earthquake. Mother didnt want this mess in the house

to remind children about the earthquake. So she threw away all the broken objects,cleaned up the rooms and put everything back to the way it was as if nothing ever

happened. When she felt the house was ready, she went to Yokohama to bring her

children back home.

However, only a few days after Nana and her family returned to Iwaki, another major

earthquake occurred again. It was raining and there was lightning on that day. Nana

immediately ran outside barefoot in the rain. I dont want to go home! Im scared!

The family decided to go to a shelter with Nana who was still frightened by the

earthquake. They went around several shelters, asking if they could stay although

their house wasnt collapsed. They managed to find a shelter that would take them in.

Every time there was a rumor among children that said, There will be an earthquake

on this day, Nana was filled with anxiety. Lightning or raining also made her anxious

and made her cry. I dont want to go home, said Nana. The family comforted her and

took her home, but Nana would wake up alone in the middle of the night and couldnt

go back to sleep. When Nanas little sister or brother jumped around the house and

shook it even a little, Nana would get frightened and cried. Because of this situationthe family had to go back and forth the shelter.

Whenever a doctor came to the shelter, the mother consulted about Nanas situation.

Some doctor would say, Its the parents fault. You should just go back and stay home

and other doctors would say, Forcing and taking her back home would make it w orse


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so give her some time to adjust. The only thing the mother could do was to wait and

see.

There was also another concern. Its the impact of the radioactivity on children. The

fact that radiation is not visible made their fear it more.

Even though the parents told the children, Dont touch dirt or water. No more playing

with water, the children often forgot and played with them the next day. It was very

hard to say No more dirt, water or flower, since it is young childrens normal behavior

to play with them. However, Nanas parents had to make sure that their children would

have a future. They later learned about what happened to the people of Chernobyl.

They were not worried about themselves, but they dont want the same fate to happen

to their children.

Nana said, Since people tell me not to go outside, I play cards, games or make our

own card games and play with them inside. But Im not scared because the number of

radioactivity is low in Iwaki. Only small children wear masks in my school. There are

some children who were wearing masks because of hay fever but not for the

radioactivity. I cant do anything if I worry too much.

The mother continued, Even though it says the radioactivity number is lower in Iwaki,

it is not a usual number. I think there is quite amount of radioactivity and I am cautious

about it. I would like to move to safer place for my children. But when I think of how

Fukushima people are discriminated outside, it discourages me to move out fromFukushima. Im afraid to go to Tokyo because I heard the news about the bullying in

Tokyo towards kids from Fukushima. No one is to be blamed but I am very reluctant to

move now. I want outside people to know what we are going through in Fukushima. If

all the people in Fukushima were told to evacuate, I would be happy to do so.

However, I am afraid how people would treat us if my family moves to other place on

our own. There were tears in her eyes as she was talking.

The mother added, I want the children to know that they have done nothing wrong to

deserve this.

The shelter became a place that people get together, unite, and comfort each other for

both adults and children while they are still facing anxiety. It seems like children are at

ease while they are playing together. The children also started to volunteer taking care

of others and assisting cooking. They learned about caring for others and the


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importance of working together through this experience. It is clear that something

changed inside of them.

After living in the shelter for quite some time, Nana met a boy of the same age. He

became her boyfriend, a puppy love. The positive experience in the shelter has slowly

transformed her fear into strength, Nana is now ready to get her life back.

Nana said We can go home! The person who check houses came and said its ok. So

it is ok now!

During the holidays in May, the family finally returned to their own home.

(Translated by Chie Kinjo)

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

Challenges in Rebuilding Post-Disaster

Hafiz Amirrol

The main problem with rebuilding and reconstruction projects after a disaster lay first

in the scale of the destruction of buildings and infrastructures and, to a lesser extent,in the poverty of those who suffered the tragedy (i). In the three worst hit countries of

the 2004 Indian Ocean Tsunami Indonesia, India and Sri Lanka, the majority of

people who suffered lived on the margins, on the edge both of the sea and of society.

Houses were often fragile and so the violence of the waves rendered extraordinary


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numbers of people homeless. Along the coasts of Southern India and Sri Lanka,

virtually all homes were destroyed in a belt stretching up to half kilometres inland, for

hundreds of miles. In Aceh, no houses at all were left standing over many acres ofland, and large amounts of land were permanently lost. Almost 700,000 people were

made homeless. In addition to these shelter problems, clean water, sanitation and

hygiene issues were at the poorest level, contributing to the spread of diseases. With

serious defects of medical facilities, these problems had worsened the living standards

of the disaster victims. After a disaster of such magnitude, defining and classifying

needs, quantifying reconstruction activities, financing modalities and resourcing

approaches were not easy tasks. The need for a systematic developmental framework

is crucial in each of the relief work and intervention. Post-disaster development cannot

simply be viewed from the perspective of a single building project. It is not simply a

problem to be solved. Rather, these rebuilding programs are complex socialredevelopment institutions that interact in many ways with a range of societal issues

and surviving daily life in a broader perspective. Consequently, these rebuilding

programs can only be addressed responsibly within a broader developmental

framework, which addresses the realities of the context. In all disaster-hit areas in

poor countries, the most dominant of these realities are poverty, health and education

problems, unemployment and scarce resources. A defining condition of poverty and

hardships is that it is necessary to pool resources and to work more collectively (ii).

Four central dimensions lie at the core of such a developmental framework:

1. The need to stimulate the emergence of qualitatively decent totalliving/working/learning environments.

2. Identifying the need to use reconstruction and rebuilding initiatives to generate

employment.

3. The need to stimulate social cohesion through a reflexive design and planning

program.

4. Participative roles of community as an important process.

1. Stimulating the Emergence of Qualitatively Decent Total Environments

A feature of most rebuilding and reconstruction initiatives is their narrow definition into

fast and cost effective programs only. The resulting environments are almost poorly

designed and built, unfailingly monotonous, sterile and non-supportive, even when

money from external humanitarian aid is reasonably adequate (iii). The quality of

these rebuilding projects is not only determined primarily by the quality of a singular

building but also by the quality of the public spatial environments. Agencies which

work on these programs need to work collectively with proper coordination on a well


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planned redevelopment blueprint to stimulate a qualitatively decent total environment

for living, working, learning and even playing. There is a need for a paradigm shift

within the concern of rebuilding a massively destructed disaster-hit area, which thusfar has been dominated by two powerful ideologies: the political ideology of building

economics and design ideology of standardization. The main concern of this approach

is economics and efficiency (iv). The standardization design strategy had replaced

rationalist thought with functionalistic design approach. A humanistic, integrative and

pragmatic way of thinking which sought to create redevelopment order for urban or

rural, in a manner which allowed considerable flexibility of interpretation has become

somewhat lost. These vulnerable communities would be moving from the old to the

new after being affected at large - physically, emotionally and economically. As relief

works and rebuilding programs progress, these communities will also be in a motion of

uncertainties. Thus, the task of relief workers and architects is to provide a reflexivedesign and offer a democratization of planning approach. The rebuilding blueprint

strategies developed by various local and international agencies such as the United

Nations and countrys representatives became a key mechanism for the

implementation of the reconstruction and development programs for the affected areas.

Our task was to further strengthen this blueprint and worked in line with its principle

which emphasises the need to enhance the integration of society and economic

opportunities and to contribute to the correction of building practices which promotes

the idea of safe building for a community at risk.

2. Roles of Community as an Important Process

In the 1973 BBC documentary series, The Ascent of Man, Jacob Bronowski regards

cities as humanitys greatest act of community co-operation. The fact that disaster

happens and people start to work together co-operatively towards a better rebuilding

is an extraordinary feat. The British historian, Arnold J. Toynbee once quoted;

The 20th

century will be chiefly remembered by future generations not as an era of

political conflicts or technical inventions, but as [an] age in which human society dared

to think of the welfare of the whole human race as a practical objective (v).

Every layer of the society should understand support roles and responsibilities.

Decision makers and practitioners from NGOs including womens and children

organizations to professionals, academicians, students, local authorities,

parliamentarians, and community representatives should attain the understanding in

being prepared and being able to manage disaster related plans, problems, and


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solutions. Networking events and programs could provide an intimate venue for

practical interaction and exchange. The aims are to build knowledge, strengthen

partnerships, create new ones, and provide platforms for sharing novel ideas andpractices. Interventions in disaster areas must perform vital functions in structuring

and organizing knowledge, not only for the beneficiaries, but also for stakeholders and

designers in creating a safer and better place to live in, especially in the wild and

dangerous areas that are vulnerable to destruction and calamity. Humanitarian works

and rebuilding programs have become the interface and access point for the other

development activities, ranging from socio-cultural activities to economic revitalization

programs to capacity building to the local community at large. A total disaster risk

management methodology must be adapted in order to achieve a sustainable cycle of

activities, building performance and economy to help improve the life of the vulnerable

communities. This methodology demands a collaborative effort in order to createcontinuous support for the strategic response and must involve all stakeholders, most

importantly, the beneficiaries.

i. Kuntoro, M. (Dr.) (2005) BRR NAD-Nias: One Year After the Tsunami, BRR First Year Report,

Badan Rekonstruksi dan Rehabilitasi Aceh Nias, Jakarta.

ii. Santoso, I. (2005) Lolos Dari Maut Tsunami, Radio 68 H&Q Communication, Jakarta.

iii. Indonesian Human Development Report 2004 (2004), The Economics of Democracy:

Financing Human Development in Indonesia, BPS Statistics Indonesia, BAPPENAS and UNDP,

Jakarta.

iv. Hardy, S. (ed.) (2008) Environmental Tectonics: Forming Climatic Change, ArchitecturalAssociation Agendas No. 6, AA Publications, London.

v. Toynbee, A. (1957) A Study of History, Oxford University Press, Oxford.

Copyright of Hafiz Amirrol

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

Voice from Canada

Chie Kinjo

On March 10th, 2011 9:46 pm local Vancouver time, a big earthquake and tsunami

struck Japan. (March 11th 2011 at 14:46 in Japan time). The news reached Canada

right away, the images of the tsunami taking over towns were broadcasted all over the

television.


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There are about 20,000 Japanese living in Vancouver. Im sure all the Japanese

people who are living outside of Japan were worried about their families, relatives and

friends in Japan. I tried to contact my family in Saitama right away. However, thephone line was down so I couldnt find out what was happening to them. A few hours

later, my family responded through email from their cell phone. I was relieved to know

that they were fine.

Right after this disaster, there were many movements here in Vancouver. A cable

company called SHAW started a service that is free phone call to Japan and free

Japanese TV channel, NHK. It was very generous of them to provide this service, as

many people found it helpful to monitor the situation that is developing in Japan.

Japanese community started their movement as well. Many of Japanese organizations

quickly set up BC Japan Earthquake Relief Fund together, organizing fundraising

events, selling crafts and gathering street donations. Many Japanese restaurants,

shops, and individuals contributed for earthquake relief fund.

Photo.1


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I work at a child daycare in Vancouver, TOSS (Tennyson Out-of-School Care Society).

As the children at my daycare know that I am from Japan, they tried to comfort me and

gave me hugs and kind words for my family in Japan. A 5-year-old girl drew somepictures to cheer up my family which later I passed to my mother. They were pictures

of a teddy bear, a little girl and a Japanese flag (Photo.1). Another 5-year-old girl gave

me a teddy bear to comfort me. It was very moving that young children show their

concern and care about what was happening.

I wanted to do something for

Japan with the children. So I

decided to set up a donation

box. The children and I made it

together and they decorate it

with their handprints in

different colors. We called it

The Wishing Well so every

time they put money in, they

get to make a wish (Photo.2).

The families at my daycare

were very generous and some

donated more than once.

Some children even brought

their own money to put in it. Itmight have been a small

amount, but the meaning is so

much more than that. It meant

a great deal to me.

On Friday, April 8th, my supervisor and I held a bake sale. The children participated in

the bake sale by baking some of the treats, 5-year-old to 10-year-old were involved in

making cookies, brownies, tarts and rice crispy squares (Photo.3). My supervisor,

colleague and I also baked at home and we prepared 14 different kinds of sweets all

together. Each item was sold at 50 cents and $1 for 3 items. On bake sale day, the

children were very excited and all they could talk about was which treats they were

planning to get.

Photo.2


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The event was a big success, we also had many people coming from outside TOSS to

check out our event. During the bake sale, I also had Origami sale on the side. I made

animals, frogs, and popular Japanese anime character, Pikachu in origami (Photo.4).

Photo.3

Photo.4


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On another day, we had a DVD sale for families as part of the fund raising. We have

been having talent show every year, where the children dance, sing, tell story and play

instruments on our humble stage. So we decided to make a DVD from the talent showthis year and put it up for sale as a part of the fund raising activity.

From the Wishing Well donation box and the fund raising event, we collected $903 all

together. We were quite proud of this result. With only four of us and a handful of kids,

we made it happen. We donated the money to Japan through Red Cross Canada. I

am grateful to everyone who took part in this event, for they are the ones who made it

a success.

So many Canadians donated for Japan, which I am sure it helps tremendously in the

recovery of Japan from this crisis. It warms my heart to see how generous people in

Canada can be. As time goes by, we see the news about Japans crisis fading.

However in reality, the people in Japan are still suffering. The crisis is not over,

especially in Tohoku and Fukushima, many people have lost their houses and all of

their possessions. On top of that, Japan is still facing a nuclear crisis and still

struggling to combat the situation. Please do not forget about the situation in Japan.

The danger they face is still very real and I will continue to do my best to support any

way I can. I know one thing for certain, that a small act goes a long way.

(August 2011, Vancouver)

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

Even I am always stammering I have small voices to tell you

September 2011, Bandung Indonesia


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I am always stammering! September 2011 issued on 9 Sept. 2011

Editor: Kumiko Homma

Designer: Emika Takahashi

Collaborators (honorities omitted):

Ribeka Ota, Chie Kinjo, Hafiz Amirrol, Peony Maeda.

Special thanks to PRAY+LIFE

("Fuku-Fuku Farm" and "The ceiling and the puppy love"

are copyrighted by PRAY+LIFE.)

Copyright: I am always stammering! All rights reserved.

- You can download the Booklet or get a copy at the shops*. (If you need it by mail, please

let us know your name, address, phone number and the quantity you need via email.)

- If you would like to contribute in our activities, we welcome financial support with the

amount of Individual: Rp50.000, Corporation: Rp200.000 valid in multiples*.

*Please visit our page on Facebook for more details.

http://www.facebook.com/groups/iamalwaysstammering

Contact: Kumiko Homma

(Mobile: +62-81220369918, Email: [email protected])


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Documents

Booklet "I am always stammering! September 2011" pdf