By Atsuko Hattori and Yoshitaka Okada | Board Representative and Board Member
It was Christmas, a big day for children. Although no Christmas decoration was seen in Rikuzen Takata City, Kirarin Kids (KK) is naturally offering a Christmas Party with home-made food and fun activities for children and parents to enjoy the occasion. As a special event of the day, they invited a local poppet-group which has been active for the past 25 years in Rikuzen Takata. Since the group bases their performances on traditional stories, it was a very good opportunity for children, young mothers, and families who have just moved into the city to know local culture. Instead of offering free performances, KK charged 300 yen, but they also gave a present to the audience.
Another event offered on that day was “Hallow-baby Mothers’ Day” for mothers whose babies are less than one year old (Picture 1 and Picture 2). The purpose was for new mothers with the first baby to have relaxed lunch while they can consult a district nurse attending the lunch. Mothers can have a rare opportunity to consult a nurse, make friends in a similar situation of having the first baby, and share their problems and interests. Not having excessive stress is considered important for mothers, since it may also prevent any abusive behavior of mothers. Most of staffs attend and pay special attention to mothers and babies, so that mothers can enjoy eating lunch. The room is filled with laughers and smiles (Picture 2). All food is home-made, well balanced in nourishment with an unusual menu, hoped to be replicated at home. The event was well thought-out and heart- warming. This type of event is organized once every month on the fourth Mondays, which children and mothers really enjoy attending. However, when a baby becomes one year old, mothers cannot attend the session and often get disappointed, since no continuous program is available.
Despite more communications takes place through SNS these days, this type of event is informed to mothers by fliers. Since quite many events are organized, SNS mails tend to be forgotten or ignored, while mothers keep fliers close to their hands as reminders. Fliers are also a good means to inform new events.
Two new programs have been added since the beginning of 2017. One program is to offer a temporary baby-sitting and the other is to offer events initiated by staffs. The temporary baby-sitting is frequently used by families who newly moved into Rikuzen Takada and do not have any relative to whom they can entrust their babies when necessary. KK staffs feel really satisfied when they hear that the mothers are extremely happy to move into Rikuzen Takata because of a nice environment of “Community-based Childrearing.” This feeling really fits well to the goals of KK, which has been working very hard to build such environment.
New ideas and plans from seven staffs often come to the Head of KK, who encourages them to think of new events. Since the strength of the private sector is speed and flexibility, they just try and see how each idea will come out. In December, one staff taught how to create letters and designs made of moss. Since it became quite popular among mothers and children, the staff herself became quite motivated to create more and do better throughout a year. Thanks to her efforts, this program became quite successful in digging up needs. It is quite important to judge what staffs can do and cannot do. For difficult parts, KK is trying to cooperate with experts, who can help to make a project attractive and successful. For example, in a initiative for cooking, a new menu was offered by a specialist from Ichinoseki, about one or two hour distant away from Rikuzen Takata. During the winter, since the road becomes icy and snowy, KK is thinking of looking for another person from a city along the coast where road conditions are better. As a side effect of such activities, KK has been succeeding to identify new talents of the area, and have developed the connection of many quite talented local people.
There will be a big change in 2018. Dump cars are still going by and unloading soil to raise the land level of a huge area (Picture 3). But a new shopping mall was completed the last year, and a new City Hall will be completed this year. Although it may still take a few more years before other buildings will be completed, seeing a few buildings built up on a huge empty area gives a hint of a new stage in rebuilding the area and raises people’s expectation of seeing a new city soon.
In one corner of the huge area, the private sector will build a building in which Social Welfare Council, Tourist Association, and other public entities will move in. KK will also move into the building. Presently, it is in a stage of designing, involving a famous architect, Mr. Kengo Kuma. It may still take a little bit of time before KK can move into the building.
The KK’s move to the building was proposed by the City Office. This fact may suggest that KK’s activities have been contributing significantly for stimulating and activating residents’ living. They are highly proud of this proposal, since the public has recognized their achievements. However, their old experience of Tsunami torments them, since the new place will be located right next to the ocean. They really have to figure out how to protect children when a disaster situation occurs again. Another worry is how to allocate staffs, since the new place is much bigger than the present one. Presently, seven staffs are rotated with the salary for two full-timers. If this place requires to allocate additional staff to keep eyes on children, how can it be financially managed? To create the sustainability, it may become necessary to increase revenue. In 2018, they are trying to persistently improve supports to childrearing in Rikuzen Takata. But a new set of problems started tormenting them in a new stage of redevelopment, though they are really happy with the unexpected result.
Links:
By Hattori Atsuko and Yoshitaka Okada | Board Representative and Board Member, DSIA
By Atsuko Hattori and Yoshitaka Okada | Board Members, Ippan Shadan Hojin DSIA
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