KIZUNA PROJECT TEAM TONGA 2012

BOND OF FRIENDSHIP JAPAN AND TONGA

Done by Mele Finau.

INTRODUCTION

On our arrival day, it is a dream come true to every participants from Tonga that who’s not believe that they finally made it to stand safely on the land of Japan. The first day, woke up in a different and more developed country that as beautiful as I ever see in my life. This is my first time to be out from my original country to an overseas country and for that it was the beginning of my journey in knowing and learning many things in reality of life. This is the story I will forever told to anyone, always remembered and can’t erased.

EXPERIENCES

The innovation of different and new experiences in life that is one of the best part during the trip.

Social Life and Emotion Feelings

Since from the first day we reached, everything was perfectly plan by JOCA. Meeting with new people had built up many things that I did not have and I had learnt a lot from them. When meeting them was totally a new page to be added to my life. We went around all places and it was a new thing to learn from. People of Japan are fine and I had witnessed it there is no critical matter from the tsunami and earthquake are still untouched. They are all back to the right places they use to be before. As follow below are pictures from different place that I marked as I learnt many things from these

people.

Con’t on EXPERIENCE

VISIT TO EDO-TOKYO MUSEUM • Very interesting to know the history and kept them for generations • VISIT TO SOPHIA UNIVERSITY • Sharing and Chatting with some of the students there had encourage me with my study. • VISIT TO THE SHIBAURA WATER RECLAMATION CENTRE • So surprised to see how water recycled made in its form to upgrade water supply and

avoid unhealthy sanitations. • VISIT TO THE DISASTER AREAS - Meeting victims in the Hachimantai Resort witnessed the tsunami and earthquake that I

was moved by their stories of reality. - Listening to the story telling by the City Government official from Ninohe City, intact from

tsunami is to tell what he has witnessed and experience. In reality I felt the pain of this person and encouragement to be brave during those times of disaster occurred.

- Disaster Sanriku Railway in Kuji City, from the point of view and visiting this area during riding on the train with the story telling by one of the victims of how the disaster flow in to the land was the best story that I always kept telling my family every time. Hearing his stories of brave people were died on the disaster that gives me lots of expressions that they are people should be reward with gratitude for they sacrifice so others can survive.

- Fishing boat Cruise and fishermen story tellin in Tanohata Village made by the victims in the village. It costs me a lot of courage to learn more from them so that I will better prepared if it happened in my country.

Photos

Con’t on experience

ACTIVITIES that built my skills and it helps a lot in my country for many things. - Visiting Honjo Life Safety Learning Centre. I did enjoy learning about the fire awareness and earthquake prevention to save your own life

from being injure or loss - Orientation and Lecture on the Great East Japan Earthquake During this orientation I started to slowly learn more about Japan. Hearing the real matter

happened not like the rumor are spreading around the world. It enforces me to work together with my colleagues is gain lots of potential than working by my own.

- Visiting the TOKYO RINKAI DISASTER PREVENTION. - First save your own life before saving others. It was a very good and important lecture

made by one of their staff. Its vital to know what to do during and after some natural disasters happened. I gain a lot of knowledge of education and awareness for my country in that we are similar to some were happened in Japan. Treated of a dying and injuries victims during the natural disaster by using of newspaper, hanger chief while hospitals and clinics will not open. Taking of a stuck person out from buildings where falling object fall upon. We are critically very dangerous to many natural disaster, so far that this disaster preventions will help my island. Capable of making paper cups, bowls and plates after natural disaster. Lots of activities made in this lecture and gives a lot of courage to come back with it to teach my youthful people and also children whereas they are not knowing or teaching them about all of this.

- Visiting to the Disaster Area to Aeria Tono where it attract tourist to go to Japan - We arrived to Aeria Tonol at evening and we experience an earthquake just the time we

entered to the hotel, this is my first time to feel the real shaking of an earthquake not like we have here in Tonga is a small one. Everyone was shocked but I was happy to know the reality of an earthquake and this is like a wake up call for me to be prepared and no panic. Aftershock is over and our coordinator direct us to go back to our room and prepared for evacuation. We packed what we had taught by many lectures to take only the most important things like spare clothes, money and passport, water, light or torch. We are thankful for this trial that everyone participate and work together and evacuate to the first floor for the next guide.

- On the next day, we visited to the place where tourists loved to visit during their vacations and tours. We learn to make slippers by using of natural methods. As a team we had work together and it was amazing to know that new methods from natural can be able to made some slipper to decrease wasting money but we can made it by our own.

- Another wonderful program was playing together with the children in one of the disaster area was the happiest time of my life that I did have much fun with this kids and they are all were friendly and lovely children. This has remind me of good Japan that they are friendly. I had miss those times together with new people.

- Moving to Haichimantai - Survivor story and frame photo making - This is the second time I had witnessed that there is a possibilities to

make things by using of natural resources to make frame for a photo without using the new development framing (computer). We were taught to use decoration of photos from the oceans different things, shells, rocks and rupees. Since we are Pacific Islands and it is very vital to know this very well that can be one of the major sources of income to make use the living and non living things lying around the coastal areas.

- Reaching to Tanohata Village - After dinner on the first day we reached there, we were working

together as the whole team writing essay of the things we have come through during the visiting areas where disaster occurred. I was ashamed to work together as a team like this and this project cut me off from this feeling and I had faced to work together with other Tongan participants to share ideas and points . It was funny and very endorse me to always do the same in my country.

Photos from some of the activities we participate in

OUTSTANDING OF THE KIZUNA PROJECT

• Programs and Plans

A well organize programs and plans made by JOCA and JICE. This has been helpful and everyone enjoy everything that they had brought us during this trip.

• Accommodations

They are beautiful and it was the first time to many participants of us to experience living an expensive and valuable hotels like this. Everything was beautiful and the views was totally great

• Food Preparations

I do enjoy the food and especially the traditional food taste at Aeria Tono. We never ever felt someday that we are starving or hungry and this is the most things that I ever miss coming back.

• Culture and Lifestyles

I can tell the different how Japanese people still value their culture such as respect, good hospitality and warm welcoming of guests outside their country. I witnessed this when we were leaving from Haichimantai, we were on the bus and I saw the manager of this resort outside running from behind with his two hands wave and make farewell until we disappeared from his sight. A warm welcoming of the manager at Ragasou Hotel is define as a humble heart that can’t be found by any manager of my country but Japanese can intend to do that. Dancing and singing was my favorite part of this trip when our Coordinator, Mr.Kuninobu Kawazu has taught us a song and the great dancing and entertaining by the people of Tono.

OUTCOMES FROM THIS TRIP

• When we left Japan and on our way to Fiji Island, 18th of December 2012, we were at the Tano’a Resort in Lautoka and we take effects of what we learn so far in Japan and practice them by helping and giving hands to the staff of this hotel for cleaning up after the hurricane that occurs in previous days before we arrived. Everyone participate and we all enjoy helping each other to clear out falling trees from the sides of the resort. This is the remarkable and the first move made by the Team Tonga after coming back from Japan.

CONCLUSION

In total of all this trip like I had said in the beginning no matter that it seems like a dreams that can’t be happening but it do happen. This trip has formed many new exchanges to me and I do hope it did the same to all other participants of Kizuna Project. This I had learnt to work and be brave whenever a natural disaster may come in the future. This was made a great influence in my attitudes that it is always best to be good to everyone and mentality to teach my people of good hospitality. After this trip, I am grateful to everyone for providing and construct this project that it helps me with everything and I won’t stop spreading the word “JAPAN IS FINE" when I met people, friends, organizations and public services. Its hard to say good bye to this wonderful country of Japan but it is easy to remember all the good memories of the people.

VOTE OF THANKS

• I would take this little moment to make a vote of thanks to JOCA, JICE, and the

Government of Japan for making this project happened so that I may have a chance to witness the Great Japan and to share the knowledge of disaster preventions with its people.

• Many thanks to Mr. Kuninobu Kawazu for the supports and a deeply helping hand you given during we work together in this project. If it wasn’t for you we won’t reach this far.

• Thank you to every staff from the USP in FIJI for all the hard working and the trust you lay upon us in way that you chose us to be a participant for this project.

• My thanks to the Tongan Supervisor who taking care of us during the trip and to all my other participants from Tonga I wish that we still holding hand to tell and tell the good things to our people of what the people of Japan need us to do. Thanks to you all for everything.

ARIGATO!!!!!!!!