Japan Earthquake Disaster Recovery

In March 2016, Peace Winds America will join our many partners, relief organizations, governments, and the people of Tohoku to commemorate the fifth anniversary of the Great East Japan Earthquake and Tsunami.  We honor the struggles and progress since the disaster.  We look back at our involvement in Japan and also forward toward the future.

Even before the tsunami, PWA was laying the groundwork.  PWA preparedness seminars and workshops drew together the relief communities of Japan and their close allies. PWA training built communication and collaboration networks, and forged relationships that were to prove vital.

Immediately after 3/11 PWA was on the ground, building partnerships and initiating relief.  Within one month we reached 28,000 people with over 160 tons of desperately needed goods:  food, water, shelter, communications equipment, household kits, medicine, cookware, and more.  We focused heavily on displaced residents in temporary houses, providing mobile markets, household kits, heaters and fuel to over 8,000 families.

We partnered with Global Giving to encourage people worldwide to support the Tohoku recovery.  The PWA--Global Giving reports have covered a huge range of recovery projects, from small business grants to restore coffee roasting and marine repair stores to purchased laboratory and sport supplies for the maritime high school. The reports demonstrated  PWA’s deep partnership with the fishing cooperatives, helping these vital engines of recovery return abalone, sea urchin, wakame seaweed, and salmon fishing families to their livelihoods.  They have documented four phases of fishing shed construction, providing hope and assistance to every district of Minamisanriku.

On this fifth anniversary, we deeply thank our many donors, Global Giving, and all our partners.
We resolve to keep working.  We aim to run programs that boost the disaster preparedness of Japan and maintain a focus on the coastal communities of Tohoku.  Even as the Great East Japan Earthquake and Tsunami recede further into the past, our commitment remains strong.

Beginning March 10 at 10:00 a.m. Eastern, Global Giving will be matching all Tohoku program donations at 50%. This is a great opportunity to keep supporting Japan recovery on the fifth anniversary.

Thank you for all your support!  Arigato Gozaimashita! 

As winter approaches in Tohoku, PWA continues supporting the fishing community of Minamisanriku:
 its working families, those still displaced by the tsunami, and vulnerable citizens.  With these goals in mind we are partnering with a local NGO to provide staff and operating assistance for the Halley Valley Community Center.

The Halley Valley center provides critical support to the town of Minamisanriku:  a place for the community including senior citizens and handicapped, to engage in social programs, participate in crafts and training activities, and maintain vital community and social ties.  Through the support of PWA, the Community Center remains open and operational.   Minamisanriku and its fishing community continue to rebuild and revitalize after the disaster.  They greatly welcome this Community Center where the entire community can gather to discuss present and future plans over lunches and tea, cementing personal and social relationships and community ties.

In coming reports PWA will provide more details and photos of the Community Center, its staff, and the community members it serves.  We will also provide a year-end update on the successful fishing sheds program in Minamisanriku and hear from shed builders and recipients.

As always we are grateful to our donors and supporters.  Nearing five years after the disaster, the message to Tohoku citizens is clear:  We so admire your resilience -- You are not forgotten!