I have put this article online.
While it is great people are helping, there are still places lacking the love, help and respect they need in the north of Japan.
- Oh, I. Went to Tohoku to volunteer....and insert here the story of a beach clean up, cooking meals at evacuation centres, collecting rubble etc.
Volunteering is the new 'boom' it seems in Japan. And this is great, not just because the north needs all of our help right now, but because it will hopefully teach us all so much more about charities, donations, and the real meaning of helping a needy cause.
Having lived in Japan for five years and having worked with various organisations both here and abroad, (mostly helping animals in need), I noticed how different things were here in Japan.
While people here are very helpful and generous overall, it is slightly different when it comes to the bigger picture.
Of course there exists the big organisations like the Japanese Red Cross Society and even international NPOs, like World Hunger Relief, but only these big ones seem to get noticed.
Various countries have fun runs, mini marathons, all sorts of sponsored events, all to raise money for causes. Sadly, none of that really happens here.
I did a sponsored bike ride around the Yamanote line a couple of years ago in order to raise money for an organisation I support in Indonesia. This was shortly after the big earthquakes they had in Sumatra and the organisation had an office damaged and a boat missing too.
When I explained to people what it was I was doing and why, they were happy to help, but for many, it was the first time they had heard of something like this. You give money to someone you may not even know so well so they can send it to who? Crazy stuff.
But, this is what I know. Fundraising events are great for promoting awareness and getting people involved. Since the awful tragedies of March 11, people the world over have rallied around with all sorts of ways to raise money, send donations etc, including within Japan.
It has hit home hard how much some people need that bit of extra help and love that comes from an outside source. What does it matter if you don't know the person to whom you are sending new shoes to? What does it matter that you don't know who will enjoy the food you are sending up? The important factor here is that you are doing it and sending it with love, which is perfect for our friends in the north.
Being able to travel to the north to lend a hand is another grand gesture. So what if Golden Week is short, what is a day or two here or there? So many people are giving up their time and money to help.
This is amazing. The giving spirit that Japan is already well know for is now being shared to the wider community. People aren't so withdrawn anymore, we are all open to giving and receiving much more freely than before.
I don't doubt that this will continue. The want to share, to help, to give is boundless. We just need to be aware that all the people affected by March 11 are being helped.
The big organisations are sending all the volunteers to the areas you may hear about in the news, but Tohoku is big. So big in fact, that not everyone is getting the help they need.
Apparently, there were 300 000 volunteers in Tohoku this Golden Week, yet I was in Shichigahama and we were five. This was an area overlooked by the Government. house are just about intact, but damp. Access to shops is limited as is the water, the gas and provisions are scarce.
So, while it will always be a great thing to help and lend a hand, why not try to look for the small groups in need of assistance. Then your volunteering love will go to people not really sharing this current 'boom'.
Gambarre Tohoku. Let's keep the fighting spirit strong.
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