With Japan, We Prepare Together

Between July 23 and 25, 2014, International Medical Corps and AAR Japan provided basic disaster training and distributed emergency evacuation kits to individuals working and/or receiving services at the Kibou no Mori Welfare Association. Kibou no Mori runs several job-creation facilities for Persons with Disabilities (PWDs), as well as a rehabilitation center to help PWDs develop the skills they need to live independently in their community.

Over the three-day period, International Medical Corps’ Country Representative, Yumi Terahata, and AAR Japan’s Project Coordinator, Atsushi Naoe, visited 6 Kibou no Mori facilities to provide emergency preparedness training to residents and to distribute 212 emergency evacuation kits. During the training sessions, we emphasized the importance of being mentally and physically prepared for an emergency, such as: having an emergency plan with family and loved ones; stocking enough food, drinking water and water for daily needs in the home for at least three days; and writing out the names of medication, emergency contact numbers, and other important details, and always carrying around this information in case support is needed.

The Kibou no Mori facilities that employ PWDs and were visited by International Medical Corps for training and emergency evacuation kits included:

Keyaki Kyodo Sagyojo: Makes and delivers lunch boxes to regular customers, as well as, provides lunch delivery services for the elderly at the bequest of Iwaki City.

Kobo Keyaki: Under the philosophy of “Jisan-Jishou (produce locally, consume locally)”, this facility uses locally-grown soybeans to make “Iwaki-made tofu” and delivers this product to customers. This studio also runs a small café where customers can buy side dishes, tofu products and lunch boxes.

Atelier Kitayama: This facility uses the tofu and soy pulp produced at Kobo Keyaki to make donuts and cookies. They also make various side dishes. The staff also sells these products door-to-door.

Mori-no-Donuts: This shop makes and sells a wide variety of fried and baked donuts out of soy pulp. PWDs are on both the sides of production and customer service.

Futaba-no-Sato: The PWDs working at this facility collect old paper for recycling and create tin-buttons, rusk snacks, and small accessories.

Friends Kitayama: This facility assists PWDs in developing the skills necessary to live independently within the community. Here, they learn a wide range of life skills ranging from safety, both inside and outside the home; manners and etiquette; health and nutrition; simple budgeting, etc.

During the Tohoku Earthquake of 2011, the Keyaki Kyodo Sagyojo facility became an emergency evacuation center for the PWDs working there. More than 20 PWDs sheltered in the building, including 7 individuals who had to be evacuated from another Kibo no Mori facility located in Naraha, a town in close proximity to the nuclear power plant accident. Mr. Sugawara, the director-general of Kibou no Mori, spoke about his experience running this facility as a makeshift emergency shelter. 

"They all had to survive at Keyaki for a week until they received assistance from the local government. Fortunately, they had drinking water from a nearby well and collected water to flush the toilet from the river. They were also lucky in that they had food in stock, usually used for the bento services they provided."

This experience made Mr. Sugawara realize how Keyaki has the potential to also function as an emergency shelter for the community. Whereas during the Tohoku disaster they could only provide shelter and care for their users, Mr. Sugawara would like the facility to also be able to provide assistance to other vulnerable individuals in the community, such as the neighborhood elderly.