By Amy Moyers-Knopp | Project Leader, Executive Director, Living Dreams
August 2011 Tohoku
Our project co-leader, Mike Maher King, has recently moved to Sendai in order to work closely with 19 children's homes in Miyagi, Iwate, and Fukushima prefectures. During the week of 8/8/11 Mike will be driving to all homes to meet (once again) with home directors and to deliver various donations for their children. For this particular trip, Mike will be delivering new clothing for kids (mostly winter wear for 2012) as well as toys.
Since April 2011, our organization has been working with these 19 children's homes to find out what their immediate and long-term needs are for their children. These needs have ranged from very basic items to more enriching program support (tutoring, camps, art workshops, etc). Not all of the homes have provided full details of their needs, but our goal is to have a starting base of information from all 19 homes by Fall 2011.
Based on personal communications with homes, and completed needs assessment surveys by many of the home directors, we have been able to learn about many needs and have purchased and arranged for the delivery of the following for Summer 2011 across the 3 prefectures:
The above is just the beginning of our organization's support plans for children's homes in Tohoku... once this first phase of (mostly) 'tier one' support is carried out, our organization will look to deliver more enriching-type programs such as more camps, snowboarding trips, arts therapy workshops, yoga classes, tutoring and computer labs through 2011 and well into 2012.
Upon clearance from the children's home staff (if permission is in fact granted), we will post photos from some of the programs and support delivered to date. Children's homes are very careful to ensure the privacy and security of their children. Only photos of children approved by the homes will be allowed to post here on GlobalGiving.
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