Activities Report 7

Social Welfare Corporation "Minori-kai" in Natori City, Miyagi Prefecture for physically and/or mentally disabled people had its building near Sendai Airport completely destroyed by the tsunami. 43 members (including 11 on wheel chairs) and 26 members of the staff could escape the tsunami following the tsunami warning. Since then, Minori-kai has been trying to provide services at temporary buildings. In April, 2013, Minori-kai could re-start its activities in a new building at a new inland location thanks to the support by the Japanese Government and Miyagi Prefecture. However, not enough fund was available for new equipment for the new building.

Relatively new Minori-kai building before the tsunami devastation.

The tsunami destroyed the building.
New building located inland was build thanks to the support by the Japanese Government and Miyagi Prefecture.
KC of Sendai, Children's Fund provided financial support for the purchase of a new washing machine, new cleaners, eating utensils and gardening supplies in collaboration with Kiwanis Clubs Joint Fund.
James Nachtwey's article describes Minori-kai a year after the earthquake and tsunami.

(In collaboration with Bikki Organization Miyagi.)
A music box of the school song with the photo of all 20 pupils (2 freshmen, 4 juniors, 14 graduating seniors) was presented to each pupil of Okawa Junior High School in Ishinomaki City, Miyagi Prefecture, at the last commencement on March 9, 2013 before the school is closed at the end of March. The graduates of Okawa Elementary School in the community are to come on to the Junior High School. Unfortunately, the Elementary school lost many pupils by the tsunami disaster. That is why the Junior High School has only a small number of freshmen and juniors, who were 5th and 6th graders at the Elementary School at the time of the tsunami. Starting from April, 2013, the Junior High School will be merged to Kahoku Junior High School located on a hill.

Group photo at the commencement.

Immediate Past President Toshikatsu HAMADA (Kiwanis Club of Sendai)

Representative Director Muneyuki SATO (Bikki Organization Miyagi)

Music box with photo and the school song with inscription of KC of Sendai and Bikki Organization Miyagi.

(In collaboration with the Heart on Coin "Kizuna" project by students of Kwansei Gakuin University.)
In Utatsu thriving with marine produce industry, 40 percent of pupils lost their home by the tsunami. Most of them communte to the school from temporary houses by school bus. The school buildings are located 17 meters above the sea level, but 45 centimeters above the first floor was flodded by the tsunami.

The fourth and fifth graders visited and studied edible seaweed "wakame" farming at one of the factories in town.

The fourth graders visiting the nursing home "Tsutsuji en" for the elderly.

The third graders visiting the cooperative store.

Recall that the first support ever that this Children's Fund provided was to this school. We donated 30 unicycles with Kiwanis marks to this school on July 15, 2011.

The sea viewed from the Isatomae Elementary School yard	Isatomae Elementary School looked up at from the shore

Namie Junior High School was closed due to its proximity to Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Plant and was reopened in August, 2011 with only 49 students (about a tenth of the original) at an old elementary school building in Nihonmatsu City, Fukushima Prefecture.
KC of Sendai, Children's Fund supported the purchase of educational material.

The Kiwanis building is fully functioning as the library.
TERACO library video
This video was created by a high school student user of TERACO.

"Kiwanis Library Building" donated by Kiwanis Clubs Joint Fund, "Bikki Music Building" donated by the Bikki Organization Miyagi, and "TERACO Study Building" donated by another organization. Children and local volunteers finished the interior using materials purchased through the support of KC of Sendai, Children's Fund. The electric work for the Kiwanis and Bikki Buildings were supported by the KC of Sendai, Children's Fund and the Bikki Organization Miyagi, respectively.
The three buildings are in full operation for many children who live in temporary houses. At our visit around noon on December 8, 2012 we could meet only a few children, since most of the children come to TERACO in late afternoons and evenings.
See earlier reports below for the history of TERACO and our support.

Many of the tsunami-devasted buildings and rubble in Shizugawa have been cleared.

View of the three buildings.

Kiwanis Library Building.

Kiwanis Library Building.

TERACO Study Building.

Support for the "Cosmos Festival" on October 28, 2012 by pupils of Namie Junior High School, which was closed due to its proximity to Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Plant and was reopened in August, 2011 with only 49 students (those wearing "happi" coat) at an old elementary school building in Nihonmatsu City, Fukushima Prefecture. (In collaboration with the Bikki Organization Miyagi and Kiwanis Clubs Joint Fund)

Kosugo Area in Shiroishi City, Miyagi Prefecture has higher radioactivity than the other areas in Miyagi Prefecture due to the accident at Fukushima Dai-ichi Nuclear Plant of Tokyo Electric Power Company. Only the school buildings and the school ground of the elementary school were radioactivity decontaminated. Kosugo Elementary School parents invited 50 elementary school children and 30 parents together with student volunteers from Sendai YMCA to the summer camp at Yuri Honjo City, Akita Prefecture from August 18 through 20, 2012. The children could enjoy outdoor activities without fear of radioactivity.

Fishing

Campfire

Handicraft

Outdoor cooking

The entrance to the TERACO Kiwanis Building

Electric work on September 5, 2012 following the completion of the interior

Two of the air conditioners donated by COSTCO Wholesale Japan, Inc. installed

10,000 new books from BOOKOFF Corporation (donated by GDR, Inc.) installed

Heat-insulating glass wool installation

Furniture painting

Plasterboard cutting

July 2012

July 2012

July 2012

Interior finished on August 5, 2012

Shizugawa viewed from Shizugawa Junior High School (November, 2011)

Shizugawa, Minami Sanriku Cho was devastated by the tsunami on March 11, 2011. On April 20, 2011, Ms. Ayumi OGUSU, a volunteer from Tokyo, started Study Space TERACO inside the temporary shelter at the Shizugawa Elementary School Gymnasium with the cooperation of college students from Tokyo and Sendai. TERACO was continued there until May 6, 2011. TERACO was resumed on June 17, 2011 inside Minami Sanriku Hotel Kanyo courtesy of the hotel.

At TERACO volunteer college and university students help children's study without charge like big brothers and sisters. No reservation is required. TERACO is open every day throughout the year. More than 150 children are registered, totalling over 6,000 so far.

Kiwanis Club of Sendai, Children's Fund has been supporting TERACO since November, 2011.

Children's life is almost back to normal. Schools run on regular schedule. Town bus and school bus take them to the schools and back from temporary houses and houses on high grounds. However, there are no space for the children to engage in hobbies and get together with friends. Kiwanis Clubs Joint Fund came to know about the TERACO children's dream "Railtrack to the future", and decided to donate temporary "Kiwanis building" as TERACO library. Fortunately, The Bikki Organization Miyagi (Mr. Muneyuki Sato, Representative Director), which has been in disaster relief collaboration with Kiwanis Club of Sendai, Children's Fund, decided to donate temporary "Bikki building" as TERACO music studio.

Sato Komuten, Inc. in Minami Sanriku Cho provided for the buildings an ideal location, which is almost in equal distance from Shizugawa Elementary School, Shizugawa Junior High School and Shizugawa High School. Ichijo Komuten Miyagi, Inc. sacrificed weekends and holidays to complete the buildings before the children's summer recess. The first step to realize the children's dream.

"Kiwanis building" as TERACO library.

"Bikki building" as TERACO music studio.

The inauguration of the two buildings was held on July 14, 2012.

Kiwanis Club of Sendai and its Children's Fund are planning further support to TERACO.

Here are more details on TERACO's accomplishments: