“Buddhist monks from Hamamatsu-city visiting Kesennuma”
Open the temple to anybody
We visited two temples in Kesennuma-shi on 13 October 2011 with four Buddhist monks, who are members of Soto-shu Hamamatsu Youth Organization in Hamamatsu-city in Shizuoka prefecture. Hamamatsu-city is located near the coast area, which is a similar environment to Kesennuma-city, and is predicted to get tsunami damage caused by Tokai Coast Earthquake. Therefore, the Buddhist monks came to hear the story about how each temple in Kesennuma works as evacuation center after the earthquake, in order to apply their experience to predicted disaster from Tokai Coast Earthquake.
The temple that we first visited was Kofuku Temple, which is located in one of the most damaged area from the earthquake. According to the monk of Kofuku Temple, since the elementary school is closely located, many school children came and evacuated in snowing. Those children played outside, and voluntary helped other people during staying in the temple. Their volunteer spirit helps people get together as a team in the evacuation center. Also, they prayed and chanted a Buddhist sutra for many victims at the cemetery, in which the victims are temporally buried.
The temple that we visited second is Sensen Temple, which is located in Motoyoshi-town in Kesennuma. More than 400 people were evacuating there. According to a chief monk of Sensen Temple, it was predicted that the earthquake would hit Sanriku area more than 90% probability, and he expected to open the temple as evacuation center. Therefore, he started repairing the temple, and prepared for the predicted disaster in advance. One of Buddhist monk from Hamamatsu Youth Organization said, “Their story makes me enhanced. I want to visit here next time too.”
]]> Revival Cheering Farmers Market
We are invited by local Commerce and Industry Association, and joined the event of “Revival Cheering Farmers Market” at Tsuya shopping promenade in Motoyoshi-town in Kesennuma-city on 14 October 2011. This event is held every two-month starting before the earthquake, and is especially supported by young generation. In the event, local farmers were selling a variety of vegetable, such as green onion and cabbage, and we (SVA) served Imo-ni, which is local food in Tohoku area, to visitors. Some of them stopped by the farmers market on the way from the shopping promenade. One of visitors said, “We need to cooperate with young people for revival. Therefore, it is important that many young people come and live in this area.” SVA will support to build up such community with local people.
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On August 14th, 'Revival Festival of Hiraiso' took place at Motoyoshi-cho of Kesennuma. Silent prayers to the victims of 3/11 disaster and the hope of revival took place during the festival. Many will greet the first Bon this summer, but after 5 month after the disaster, there are still a lot of families still missing their family members.
Hikado Festival would usually take place during this time period but this year, the 'Revival Festival' performed by three regions; Maehama, Hikodo, and Taka was held. Citizens and volunteers from the three regions got together and opened small shops at the festival.
Hiraiso, where the festival took place is one of the region where our SVA Kesennuma office is located and also where one of our employees, Kasahara lives. Upon opening this 'Revival festival', he got together right away with the local people and also gathered his friends to clean up the beach to create a space for this festival.
"Right after the disaster, the festival was set to be cancelled but the three regions got together and worked hard to open this festival to give hope and shine to people" said one of the local men.
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Upon accepting the educational support program, the vice-principal of the elementary school had spoken to us about his thoughts on the students and wanting to "do what we can today for the children who will bear the future of this region in 10 to 20 years. We, as teachers, are responsible for educating them on how to survive through these difficult situations." The educational support programs are not only a place to look at children's studies but it also gives opportunities for children to express their feelings that they may not usually have a chance to release.
For 3 days from 29 July through 31 July, SVA collaborated with Kesennuma-city, the city's Disaster Volunteer Center and various volunteer organizations in the city to perform traffic-control during the issuance of the disaster relief payments. Approximately 9,000 households in the city are eligible for the disaster relief payments. Congestion was expected and we had gathered at 2 venues in the city at 7am for the traffic control. Approximately 7,500 households had visited during the 3 days to receive the disaster relief payments.
If the expectations of an NGO are swiftness, flexibility, and differentiation from the public sector, the pick-up truck library that runs through rugged streets of the disaster-affected regions can be seen as very NGO-like. Its efforts are like that of "Jibuta" from the masterpiece "Shoubou Jidousha (firetruck) Jibuta" from Fukuinkan Publishing. 
Mobile library supported by SVA, will be going around Rikuzentakada city, Ofunato City Sanriku-cho, Otsuchi-cho, and the Yamada -cho of Iwate Prefecture where the big earthquake left a massive damage in the city. 
For the voices from the refugees such as "it is great that we can borrow books while living in the temporary houses", it makes us want to say "Thank you for borrowing the books". Here are some of the voices we have received from the refugees while going around the temporary houses with the mobile library.
