June 14, 2010

Putting 15 years of disaster care experience to work

Orphans of Great Hanshin-Awaji Earthquake take part in

June 14-21 Ashinaga delegation to Haiti

Orphans and care staff will present donations to local organizations, conduct emotional care programs for children, and interview candidates for study in Japanese universities

 

Ashinaga conducted an emergency street-corner fundraising campaign in Tokyo and Kobe on Sunday, January 17, 2010, in support of children in Haiti who lost parents in the January 12 earthquake. Ashinaga also called for donations via its Web site, which as of the end of May resulted in 4,531,375 yen in funds that will be donated to local NGOs in Haiti.

 

Ashinaga conducted a site survey March 13-15, after meeting with the Haitian Embassy in Tokyo. The June tripÍÔchedule belowÍØill feature orphans of the Great Hanshin-Awaji Earthquake and Ashinaga staff delivering donated funds to Haitian orphans, and conducting an emotional care program. In view of the damage suffered by Haitian education facilities, staff will also interview Haitian students who are candidates for study at Japanese universities.

 

Since the Great Hanshin-Awaji Earthquake in 1995, Ashinaga orphans have raised funds and provided support to orphans in 11 countries around the world affected by earthquakes, including Colombia (1999), Turkey, Taiwan, India, El Salvador, Indonesia, and China. These 15 years of experience produced a ÅÄare manual for children affected by earthquakes and disasters, and it has been used with health care workers around the world. Ashinaga now turns its focus to children in Haiti, and a former Ashinaga student now working in a French firm in Japan volunteered her time and effort to locate translation and interpretation resources. Ashinaga is also working closely with a local Haiti non-profit.

 

Ashinaga earnestly hopes for the day when orphans of the Haiti earthquake can talk of their dreams with fellow orphans in Japan, while living in AshinagaÃÔ residential facilities in Tokyo or Kobe, and attending Japanese universities.

 

Ashinaga Delegation in Support of Haiti Earthquake Orphans

Schedule

June 08 (Tue.)-11(Fri.) Ashinaga staff, advance preparation in New York

     June 14 (Mon.)       18:00 Japanese orphans leave from Kansai; 22:05 arrive in New York

     June 15 (Tues.)       11:40 arrive in Haiti; spend June 15 18 conducting the following:

                                    1. Ŧmotional care exchange activities between Japanese and Haitian orphans

                                    2. Presentation of funds raised in Japan

                                    3. Seminar on Ťaring for child victims of disasters to health care workers, etc.

                                    4. Interviews of Haitian candidates for study at Japanese universities

       June 19 (Sat.)       12:50 leave Haiti for New York; leave NY at 8:14 on June 21 (Monday)

     June 22 (Tues.)       16:00 arrive at Kansai International Airport, hold press conference (planned for airport)

 

Donations: Å¢shinaga kaigai iji kokoro no shienguchi (Please indicate ÅÇor Haiti campaign.?

Postal account number 00190-9-559337 (or donate via the Web: http://www.ashinaga.org/)

 

Contact:　Ashinaga: Kaisaka Bldg., 1-6-8 Hirakawa-cho, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo 102-8639  03-3221-0888

Kobe Rainbow House: 1-7-3, Honjo-cho, Higashi-nada, Kobe, 658-0012, Hyogo, 078-453-2418

www.ashinaga.org