Hands On Tokyo Youth Impact Project

Dear Supporter,

    The teen advisory board has been very busy since our last report. The teens left the comforts of Tokyo and spent a weekend volunteering in the Tohoku region.  Almost four years has passed since the magnitude 9.0 earthquake damaged the area, causing one of the most devastating natural disasters on record. With each trip, Hands On Tokyo reassures the local residents that they have not been forgotten.

   In May, seventeen students accompanied by two chaperones travelled to Tohoku from Tokyo. This was made possible by supporters like you! Thank you so much for your support of our teen advisory board. Because of your generous contributions the teen advisory board was able to contribute to  our ongoing efforts in the Tohoku region. We raised $4,150 on Globalgiving so far, and we have $5,850 remaining to reach our minimum fundraising goal. We could use your help and support in getting the word out to others about the campaign underway to meet our goal!

  Here is a recap of the trip from Jennifer the club leader: 

    “We finally arrived at Yamamoto-Cho after 6 hours of traveling. We were in Yamamoto-Cho to help Saito-San,all his crops were destroyed in the tsunami along with his wife. We started by securing the paprika plants so they could continue to grow instead of flopping over to their side. This was a tedious task but no one complained. With 17 people the job was completed quickly and we moved on to the more labour-intensive task of sticking large metal tubes in the dirt to support the structure of the greenhouse. Although this was tough, we were able to get a couple greenhouses completed before we went back to our hotel for the night. Before we left, Saito-san offered us some of his delicious fresh strawberries that we enjoyed looking out at the beautiful mountains. 

    The next day, we traveled to Ogatsu-Cho where we visited the effects of the disaster on an elementary school. This touched the hearts of many of the students as they walked around the rubble viewing the broken down classroom walls and a crumbling painted mural of children holding hands. Then the bus drove us to a rose garden, which was started by Mrs. Tokumizu to give hope to the people because after the disaster the area was left undeveloped and gray. The rose garden was a symbol of regrowth, beauty and color. We pulled the weeds and cut the lavender to make into potpourri. After gardening, we went to visit an elementary school teacher who led us in a simulation of how the kids escaped from the rapidly rising water. We saw rubber balls, wood planks, and other things that got stuck in the tree when the tsunami hit. Then, he showed us a video that was taken on 3/11 of the actual tsunami. It was a very powerful experience. This really stirred emotion amongst the student volunteers and many told me that they would love to go on this trip again on their own time during the summer when they can as well as with the club again next year. 

   I really enjoyed being the trip leader and I am very excited for next year and all the volunteer opportunities to come. I am so grateful to be part of Hands On Tokyo and an active member of the Japanese community.”

Jennifer,  Hands On Tokyo Club Leader