Creating a disaster resistant inclusive community (Iwaki City, Fukushima Prefecture)

 

A regional population includes all types of people; from small children to older citizens, people with differing disabilities, illnesses, and native languages. Involving diverse participants in disaster risk reduction, to make them well prepared for emergencies is the way to build a resilient community.

Following the Great East Japan Earthquake, the Gender Equality Center in Tohoku took the initiative to run training sessions on gender equality and disaster. Participants included staff of municipalities and fire departments, as well as local community leaders. As a result of the initiative, understanding of the importance of both genders taking equal roles in disaster risk reduction has been gradually increasing. To accelerate this and for gender-equal perspectives to take root in the region, the Training Center for Gender & Disaster Risk Reduction (GDRR), has　been using its vast know how and experience to educate local organizations and individuals. JEN partners with GDRR and supports its activities.

Activities In Ishinomaki (March 2011-October 2015)

Our Activities During the Emergency Phase (March 2011-February 2012)

1. Assistance for Remote Hardest-to-Reach Areas

2. Flexible Assistance to Meet the Victims’ Changing Needs

3. Community Revitalization and Psycho-social Care

Livelihood Recovery Assistance

* Ishinomaki Area Branch, Eastern Ishinomaki Branch, Maeami Branch, Samenoura Branch, Yagawa Branch, Tomari Branch, Yoriiso Branch, Omotehama Branch, Kitakami-cho Jusanhama Branch and neighboring coastal areas.

** 300 water tanks, 10,000 sandbags (used as weight in fish-raising), 11 large-sized tents, 7 generators, 1400 fish baskets, 13 forklifts, 1 winch, gravel and ropes.

Exchange Program

Community Revitalization Assistance

 

Community Radio Program "Sukidaccha ♥ Ishinomaki" Project

We produced a community radio program with the hope that it would give courage and hope to victims. For a total of 17 weekly episodes, 21 local residents who were active in restoration in their respective community were invited to share their approaches, their worries and their process towards restoration. The program allowed local residents in Ishinomaki City to share their feelings and wishes through the radio and helped boost their motivation for recreating their communities. The program was shared via the Internet across the globe, which brought an opportunity for a global audience to find out about the restoration progress of Ishinomaki City and understand the local community's feelings.

 

Sasunohama Region Support Project(2012-March 2013)

In 2012, JEN set up a multi-purpose communal facility called Hama Yuu at the entrance of Sasu Beach as the focal point of regional regeneration. At first, the plan was to create a space where displaced residents can come together and interact. In December of 2012, the space started off as a locally-operated oyster restaurant. In March 2013, the menu was expanded, and interaction between residents and visitors increased. In 2013, roughly 4,000 people visited the restaurant facility from outside the city, in effect contributing to the regeneration and development of the region.The restaurant is now independently administered and operated by local residents.

 

Exchange Project “Let’s go to the Sea!”(2012-2014)

At year-end 2012, JEN facilitated a discussion with the residents living along the Eastern shore about how they wanted to regenerate their neighborhood. The two keywords that repeatedly came up in the discussions were 1) “regeneration of the fishing industry” and 2) “more opportunities for personal interactions”. As a way to address this second concern, JEN kicked off the “Let’s Go to the Sea! Fishing Industry Experience” in a joint effort with the local residents. Then in 2014, the “Let’s Go to the Sea!” project really gained momentum, spreading across the Oshika Peninsula, transcending its former limitations of just being about the sea and growing to be a core cooperative program in the area.

 

We hope that this project will continue to be a way to allow visitors to enjoy the region’s seasons, nature, and traditions and galvanize them to become partners in our effort to regenerate the region. JEN will continue to work with this project by recruiting participants, being involved in the operation, and facilitating project proposal meetings and workshops.

 

Promoting Self-Sufficiency in Temporary Housing

 

From the initial emergency period of the disaster, JEN has been providing a wide variety of community support, including workshops for the establishment of a temporary housing council and the reestablishment and operational support of a community communication space in the three coastal regions in which we are active.

 

As emotional support is just as important as providing temporary housing or food, JEN has been incorporating activities that build and enrich the day-to-day lives of those living in the temporary housing units from May 2011. These include fun activities such as “Tea Time”, flowerbed making, and handicrafts. Others include relaxation exercises taught by on-site clinical psychotherapists and disaster preparedness training taught by the local firefighters. Three years since the disaster in 2014, many of those residing in these temporary housing units are becoming increasingly concerned with their living situations. JEN has been planning various activities to address their fears and concerns as well as motivating and helping them achieve self-sufficiency once again. JEN will continue to support those affected by the disaster as they transition from living in temporary housing units to the new public housing units.

Nurturing Future Reconstruction Leaders in Ishinomaki

 

From the emergency period of the disaster, JEN created spaces for kids and provided academic and emotional support. Motivated by a desire to provide activities to relieve stress and get the young residents moving again, JEN offered dance lessons, held soccer tournaments, and offered other programs that encourage goal-setting among the children. Other programs focused on the healthy development of kids living in the affected regions as well as workshops and activities to help develop leadership among the community’s youth. With the help of other regional volunteers, JEN was able to renovate some of the public schools, repair and set up playgrounds and toys, and facilitate programs that taught kids about the Ishinomaki region and its beauty.

Schoolyard Equipment Assistance Project (December 2013–February 2015)

 

In 16 elementary schools in the areas flooded by the tsunami in Ishinomaki City, the schoolyard equipment has become unusable or partially unusable due to salt damage. Giving consideration to the repair and donation plans, JEN donated new equipment and repaired the existing ones in four schools. Through this project, we were able to develop an environment where children can play safely in all schools in the flooded areas. JEN also maintained small parks in the residential areas that had been left unrestored.

Kodomo-kai (Children’s Club) Revitalization Project (March 2014–February 2015)

 

The earthquake disaster significantly reduced the opportunities for children to do outdoor exercise and the places where they can play safely. JEN redeveloped safe places for children to resume kodomo-kai activities as a watch-over system in areas where the activities have been suspended since the earthquake occurred. We promoted cooperation and strengthened the community while the residents themselves discussed the design of the parks and the rules of use. In addition, through participating in park maintenance efforts the residents’ awareness has been nurtured in such a way that the parks really belong to them. The resumption of kodomo-kai was originally scheduled for fiscal year 2015, however, triggered by this project, kodomo-kai activities have restarted ahead of schedule in February 2014, and their meetings and events have been organized since then.

Parent-Child Home College (March 2014–February 2015)

 

After the earthquake, parents themselves have been suffering from stress arising from the difficulty of living due to the delay of reconstruction and the anxiety about the future, and many parents tended to lose heart in taking care of their children. As an opportunity to improve the situation where parent-child conversations have become less frequent and the depth of contact between them has become weaker, JEN held a series of events to learn about Ishinomaki, their hometown. Through this six-series event, parents and children refreshed their minds and bodies by being freed from their daily lives. Our aim was to promote psychosocial care of both parents and children to improve the family environment. In the presentation session at the end, they shared that their communication at home has improved by talking about these events as well as about other topics. In addition, many parents commented on their children’s growth and the psychosocial care. “We had been avoiding sea bathing since the quake, but we very much enjoyed [sea bathing], so we were reassured that we are safe now,” one parent said.

The “Reconstruction Plan We Can Carry Out” Project (November 2012–March 2014)

 

Since Fall 2012, JEN has assisted the “Reconstruction Plan We Can Carry Out” project initiated by the students of Kadonowaki Junior High School under the slogan: “Let's fill the town with flowers to regain colors from being gray.” By supporting the voluntary activity of the children with local residents and volunteers, the beautiful flower beds created in the affected area have given courage to many people. Children will play an important role in the reconstruction efforts of the future. JEN encouraged them to act proactively so that they will be able to develop a positive attitude that they can contribute to something if they try.

Current activities