Volunteering in Tohoku

                        I've been thinking of volunteering in Tohoku since I arrived in Japan. Unfortunately, there were many hindrances such as my location (it's more than 700 kilometers away from the area), money issues, my friends backed out, volunteer houses were full, those who couldn't speak Japanese well couldn't be accepted etc. It took time for me to look for a volunteer group but I finally found OGA for Aid. Angela Ortiz, the director of the administration, patiently replied to me and guided me all throughout the time I joined their group. Using seishun 18 kippu (cheapest way to travel in Japan), I traveled to Tohoku alone. From Sendai station, I needed to travel by bus for 2 hours to go to OGA's bunkhouse. I slept on the bus, when I got up, I saw nothing but a huge rice field. I'm used to seeing this scenery in Japan but when I checked  if we're already near using google map, I was shocked to realize that we were actually in the middle of the disaster-stricken area! I couldn't believe how the tsunami erased everything on its way.

                      I taught English to a junior high school student. The boy looked excited to see a new face in their town so we talked for quite a long time. I also happily helped in OGA's Green Farmers Association. From the top of the hill  where the farm is located, I stared at the seemingly peaceful ocean. I learned that before March 11, 2011, Minamisanriku residents were leading simple lives with fishing as the main source of livelihood.

                        Before going back to the bunkhouse, we went to Shizugawa, the place with the highest death rate during the tsunami. I can't help but stare at what I saw- the whole place was erased from the map. It is hard to comprehend that the place where hundreds of buildings were once located is now a ghost town.  I felt weak as I look at the swept away bridge (I honestly thought they were just starting to build it up), broken cars, pile of debris, twisted steel and all the reminders of the incident. All those reminded me how strong can nature be.

                   Schools are located in high areas so most of the students were safe. I went in front of Shizugawa JHS, it probably was a great spot for looking at the whole town but now the scenery is just an eye sore. I find it unbearable to imagine how the students survived watching their town with their family and everything they have be swallowed by the tsunami.

view from Shizugawa JHS

                    I remembered the JHS student I taught , I suddenly felt admiration for the boy for being so positive in life. The whole time we talked, he only mentioned the good things they have such as their famous products. He even convinced me to go to Sunshine Village, I learned later on that it's a small mall made up of tin houses, the only interesting place in the middle of the rubble. He didn't complain about not having lights in roads at night, few buses, no supermarkets etc.

                        During my short stay there, I was lucky to meet the community leaders in a party. All of them happily shared stories but they also seriously talked about how to revive their city. I've learned from Angela and Peter that they also lost their relatives, houses, businesses and almost everything they have. They didn't think of their personal problems, instead, they lead in helping those who need more help. After the tsunami, they starved for almost 3 months but they shared everything they have equally for everyone. Once again, the Japanese showed what most of us forget especially in challenging times- KIZUNA or unity in Japanese. No matter how strong was the tsunami, it didn't take away their relationships and will to survive.

                   You've probably seen a lot of impressive pictures of how the disaster-stricken areas were cleaned up. The truth is the devastated areas are so huge that they still need help in clearing things out. Aside from that, residents also need help in recovering from their traumatic experience. There are still a lot of things to do in Tohoku. Please don't hesitate to give a hand whenever you can, no matter how small your contribution will be. I will always be thankful that I was given the chance to volunteer with this group. I'm looking forward to future projects that will make Tohoku residents' lives better. I know the tsunami is not just the Japanese thing, it is a challenge to all of us, citizens of different nations to unite!