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Aeneas Wilder: Writings Iwate EarthQuake 2011: Support activities organised through Hearty Towa Net

A report from our trip to the affected areas from Kamaishi to Ofunato can be read here. Video documentary of our search for our friends can be seen here. Text and photos from a trip to Otsuchi can be viewed here.

 

 
Hearty Net Towa: A Project History
 
 

People who have donated: ?Participants of the International Youth Exchange program, “The Ship for World Youth”, operated by the Cabinet Office of Japan
Colleagues of Japan International Cooperation Center (JICE) Tohoku Branch Office and other offices
People met at the technical training programme for oversea participants, operated by Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA)
In addition, friends of the above mentioned groups , from across Japan.

 
March 20th

The project was launched
(The request for cooperative action was sent out across Japan through internet). The collectiona nd cataloguing of donations began

 
March 21st Some friends in Towa soon offered help to manage the project.
*Note: Currently there are four core members to manage the project. The number of one-time supporting volunteers has been about twenty in total.
 
March 29th The team is offered a space at the Towa Hot Spring Building, where donated goods
are displayed for anyone and disaster affected persons in particular to take. (The space was
under a good management up to 27th of April.
 
March 30th Boxes of goods were delivered to Tsutsumi Nursery in Otsuchi Town, Kamihei
District.
*Note:The delivered goods were carefully selected to meet with the request made by contact persons through discussions in advance. The content of boxes differs from one site to another every time, so the details are not specified here. Yet, they are mostly clothes, sanitary goods, basic items of everyday life, etc.
 
April 1st A delivery of goods was made to Miyagi IYEO in Sendai City, Miyagi Prefecture.  
April 2nd A delivery of goods was made to Jion Temple shelter, Hirota, Rikuzentakata City.  
April 4th A delivery of goods was made to Tsutsumi Nursery, Otsuchi Town, Kamihei District.  
A delivery of goods was made to Orikasa community, Yamada Town, Shimohei District.  
April 7th A delivery og goods was made to the Sawada Family in Kamaishi City.  
April 8th Two thousand and five hundred Chrysanthemum flowers, donated by JA Soo
Kagoshima Florist Section, were sent to morgues in Otsuchi Town, Kamihei District, and
Yamada Town, Shimohei District.
 
April 11th

A delivery of goods was made to the Kamaishi Catholic Church, Kamaishi City.

 
One thousand paper cups were delivered to the Shinsei Kamaishi (protestant) Church
in Kamaishi City.
 
April 15th A delivery of goods was made to the Kamaishi Catholic Church, Kamaishi City  
A delivery of goods was made to Tsutsumi Nursery, Otsuchi Town, Kamihei District.  
A delivery of goods was made to the Sawada Family in Kamaishi City.  
April 16th Family Kubo, evacuated from Kamaishi City to Towa Town, paid a visit to take some
materials in need.
 
April 21st Family Sano’, evacuated from Kamaishi City to Towa Town, paid a visit to take some
materials in need.
 
April 23rd The project team organized an occasion at Nahan Plaza, Hamanaki City, where
donated goods were offered for affected persons to take. Approx. eighty people came and one
hundred boxes worth of supplies goods were offered.
 
April 28th The delivery was made Tsutsumi Nursery, Otsuchi Town, Kamihei District.  
April 29th The packages of plastic containers and else were sent to a shelter in Ofunato-Kita
Primary School, Ofunato City.
 
April 30th The clothes for a new born baby were delivered to Family Wada, evacuated to the shelter
at Kenko Kan, Hanamaki City.
 
May 3rd The project team participated the Towa Onsen Fleamarket, and organized “Thanks
Towa Onsen”, where 50% of total sales was donated to Towa Onsen. It was to show
appreciation and respect for their support to our project by providing a space.
 
May 3 – 5th “Smile Exhibition” was held at Michi no Eki Towa (Towa Roadside Station) in Towa
Town, Hanamaki City. At the same time, messages for the affected persons, sent from in and out of Japan
were displayed.
 
May 5th Clothes for adults were delivered to Shelter located in Ando Primary School, Otsuchi
Town, Kamihei District
 
May 23rd The delivery was made to Tsutsumi Nursery, Otsuchi Town, Kamihei District
During the Fourth week of May: “Smile Exhibition” is planned in Otsuchi Town, Kamihei District.
 

?Supplies donated until now: Over five hundred boxes in different sizes from more than two hundred people

1. Recipients
1) March 29 (Tue) – April 27 (Wed): Towa Spa (Towa Town, Hanamaki City, Iwate)?
Supplies/Goods: underwear, face towels, small towels such as handkerchief towels, bath towels, hygiene products (toothbrushes, tooth paste, hairbrushes, razors, shampoo, hair conditioner, skin lotion, skin milk, shaving cream, after-shave lotion, sanitary goods, etc.), disposable hand warmers, pocket tissues, boxes of tissues, underwear (for men, women, and children / tops and bottoms), socks (for adults and children), shoes (mainly sneakers), winter clothes (overcoats, bench coats), other clothes, bags, children’s toys (mainly stuffed toys)
An example of replenishment (as of April 11):
40 undergarments and 40 underwear for men, 40 underclothes and 40 shorts for women, 40 sanitary shorts, 300 toothbrushes, 18 packages of sanitary goods, 120 bars of soap, 2 boxes of disposable hand warmers, 3 boxes of face towels, 50 pairs of socks, 20 winter clothes, 20 pairs of shoes (for adults and children

2) March 30 (Sun): Tsutsumi Childcare Center (Otsuchi Town, Kamihei District, Iwate)
Supplies/Goods: 2 boxes of used baby wear (for building an agreement of the “used” condition)

3) April 1 (Fri): International Youth Exchange Organization of Miyagi (Miyagi IYEO) (Sendai City, Miyagi)
Supplies/Goods: 16 boxes of clothes, 1 box of women’s underclothes, 1 box of windbreakers, 1 box of face towels, 3 boxes of handkerchief towels, 9 boxes of used towels, 10 boxes of disposable hand warmers, hygiene products (1,000 toothbrushes, 61 tubes of tooth paste, 1 box of wet tissues, 3 boxes of sanitary goods, 1 box of toilet paper/boxes of tissues/pocket tissues), food and seasonings (30kg of rice, 15 bottles of soy sauce, 2 boxes of dry noodles, 120 cup-noodles, and 6 boxes of other stuff)

4) April 2 (Sat): Jion Temple Shelter (Hirota, Rikuzen-Takata City, Iwate)
Supplies/Goods: 1 box of men’s clothes, 12 blankets, 107 bars of soap, 1 stove burner, 48 butane gas cartridges, 1 box of disposable hand warmers, several winter scarves, 60kg of charcoal briquette, hygiene products (disinfectant gel, skin lotion, skin milk, facial soap, lip cream, wet towels for body, toothbrushes, tooth paste), 1 box of detergent, 1 box of kitchen goods, retort pouch food (which can be prepared only by hot water heated by stove burner), 10 winter clothes, 5 bags for packing, 1 radio, a few batteries

5) April 4 (Mon): Tsutsumi Childcare Center (Otsuchi Town, Kamihei District, Iwate)
Supplies/Goods: 44 boxes of gym clothes (for primary school children / both long-sleeved and short-sleeved / tops and bottoms), 2 boxes of men’s socks, 5 boxes of disposable hand warmers, nursing care products (9 packs of adult diapers, 3 packs of incontinence pads, other nursing care products), 23 boxes of used towels, 80 masks, 1 box of kitchen  and laundry detergent, 1/2 box of moisture cream products (such as hand cream, skin lotion and skin milk), food (18 packages of curry roux blocks, 127 packages of retort curry, seasonings, etc.), cleaning tools (20 brooms, 21 buckets, 20 dustpans, 1 box of dust clothes, 5 pairs of work clothes), 18 fabric tapes, 2 pairs of infants’ shoes, 1 box of stationeries (notebooks, memo pads), 1 box of children’s T-shirts

6) April 4 (Mon): For Orikasa Community (Yamada Town, Shimohei District, Iwate)
Supplies/Goods: 14 boxes of clothes (for men, women, and children)

7) April 7 (Thu): Family S (mother and a daughter), who moved to a flat (Kamaishi City, Iwate)
Supplies/Goods: 1 box of kitchen goods, 1 box of laundry goods, 1 box of underclothes, 1 box of eating utensils, several face towels and bath towels, 2 boxes of clothes (tops and bottoms for each box), 2 blankets and 2 thin comforters, 4 pairs of women’s pajamas, 2 winter clothes, several bags, 2 boxes of food and seasonings

8) April 8 (Fri): Tsutsumi Nursery (Otsuchi Town, Kamihei District, Iwate)
Supplies/Goods: 1,500 spray chrysanthemums (by request from those who wanted to lay flowers on deceased persons’ bodies)

9) April 11 (Mon): Kamaishi Catholic Church (Kamaishi City, Iwate)
Supplies/Goods: 6 boxes of women’s socks, 42 boxes of clothes (for men, women, and children), 4 boxes of women’s socks, 15 pairs of shoes, 3 boxes of blankets, 2 boxes of face towels, 2 boxes of winter scarves, 2 thin comforters, 2 boxes of women’s underclothes, 3 packs of nappies, 1 box of cup-noodles (24 packages), 2 boxes of disposable hand warmers, 1 box of sanitary goods, 48 rolls of toilet paper, 202 bars of soap, 1 box of cooking oil and seasonings

10) April 11 (Mon): Shinsei Kamaishi Church (Kamaishi City, Iwate)
Supplies/Goods: 1,000 paper cups (for affected people, volunteer staffs, and persons concerned)

11) April 15 (Fri): Kamaishi Catholic Church (Kamaishi City, Iwate)
Supplies/Goods: 5 boxes of nappies (large size), 3 boxes of bottom wipes for babies, 7 boxes of disposable hand warmers, 5 blankets and cotton blankets, 4 lap robes, 1 rug, 3 boxes of infants’ picture books, 2 boxes of infants’ toys, 1 box of children’s clothes, 1 box of children’s socks, 2 boxes of tableware for children (paper plates, paper cups, plastic plates, cups, folks, spoons, disposable chopsticks, etc.), 4 boxes of infants’ picture books, 2 boxes of kitchen detergent, 2 boxes of laundry soap, 1 box of bath goods such as shampoo and hair conditioner

12) April 15 (Fri): For Family S (Kamaishi City, Iwate)
Supplies/Goods: 2 blankets, skin lotion, skin milk, 2 boxes of toilet paper, 5 boxes of tissues, 2 pair of comforter cover, 1 hair dryer, 1 radio-cassette recorder, 1 box of materials in general

13) April 15 (Fri):? Tsutsumi Nursery (Otsuchi Town, Kamihei District, Iwate)
Supplies/Goods: 14 boxes of used towels, 3 boxes of nursing care products, 1 box of face towels, 5 school bags, 3 boxes of laundry soap, 2 boxes of kitchen detergent, 1 box of men’s underwear, 240 jars of hand cream, 1 box of radios, flashlights, and batteries, 3 boxes of daily goods and stationery, 3 boxes of handkerchief towels, 60kg of rice, half box of cotton and rubber gloves, 2 boxes of dried noodle

14) April 15 (Fri):??Shiroyama Community, Otsuchi town, Kamihei District, Iwate
            Supplies/Goods:?400 pairs of socks (for adults)
           
15) April 16 (Sat):??For Family K (parents and 3 kids) (Towa town, Hanamaki city, Iwate)
Supplies/Goods:?6 cans of powder milk, 3 packs of nappies, bottom wipes,?a few baby mugs, bath towels, baby clothes, 1 pack of toilet rolls, 2 boxes of laundry soap

16) April 21 (Thu):??For Family Sa (elderly couple) (Towa town, Hanamaki city, Iwate)
Supplies/Goods:? 2 boxes of various goods (laundry soap, clothespins, kitchen detergent, toilet rolls, box tissues, a few boxes Saran Wrap, kitchen sponges, dish towels, rags), 2 cooking pans, dishes, a few bars of soap

17) April 23 (Sat):?“Hand in Hand” (Nahan Plaza, Hanamaki city, Iwate) for affected people
            Visitors: 80 people
Supplies/Goods:?150 boxes of various goods, including kitchen detergent, kitchen items, toilet rolls, boxes of tissue, boxes and bars of laundry soap, bathing items, sanitary items, nappies for the elderly, packages of wet tissue, rags, dish towels, cleaning tools, aprons, clothes for every age, shoes, baby goods, toys, picture books, table ware, cooking tools, kitchen items)

18) April 28 (Thu):? Tsutsumi Nursery (Otsuchi Town, Kamihei District, Iwate)
Supplies/Goods:?sanitary items (2 boxes of shampoo and hand cream), 7 boxes of clothes (suits, shirts, blouses, vests, color blouses, school bags), 2 boxes of long sleeve shirt

19) April 29 (Fri):??Ohfunato Kita Elementary School Evacuation Center (Ohfunato city, Iwate)
Supplies/Goods:? 2 boxes of plastic containers, 1 box of food (rice cake, soybean flour, snack), 3 boxes of stationary (office supply: file, stapler, scale, envelope), 1 box of rags, 1 box of sanitary items (wet tissue, disinfect cream)

20) April 30 (Sat): For Family W with 2-week-old baby (Kenkou Kan, Hanamaki city, Iwate)
            Supplies/Goods:?baby clothes

21) May 3 (Tue): Towa Onsen Fleamarket, “Thanks Towa Onsen” (Towa town, Hanamaki, Iwate)
Supplies/Goods:?13 boxes of clothes for all age, 10 boxes of dishes, 5 boxes of cooking items, 2 boxes of hand-knitted socks(from Finland), 2 boxes of baby clothes(from Hong Kong)

22) May 5 (Thu): Ando Primary School Shelter (Otsuchi Town, Kamihei District, Iwate)
            Supplies/Goods:?5 boxes of clothes for adults

23) May 23 (Mon): Tsutsumi Nursery (Otsuchi Town, Kamihei District, Iwate) (planned)
Supplies/Goods: still discussing. Perhaps mainly summer clothes, various items of living needs.

24) For temporary houses under construction in Tono City, Iwate (planned)
Supplies/Goods:?25 boxes of family pack (planned) →?One family pack contains tableware and/or basic cooking pots/pans for a set number of family member.

 

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