一般財団法人　連帯　東北・西南　RENTAI　TOHOKU-SEINAN

Rentai Tohoku Staff, Liu and Tahir here.

The average age of the people residing in the Miyata temporary housing estate is high, and there are more than 40 elderly residents living alone. Since residents with children tend to move to temporary housing estates located near schools, there are only 5 families with children left at the Miyata temporary housing estate. With the hope of being able to help enliven the residents who normally don't have much opportunity to interact, we held this curry event on the 12th of February 2012.

• Departure

We depart in our car loaded with supplies and food prepared the day before at Sennmayacho Exchange Center. There has been heavy snowfall in the southern part of Iwate prefecture but we head for Ofunato with thoughts of the people awaiting our arrival.

• Preparing for the event

Coordinator of the Temporary Housing Residents Association welcomed us and helped us setting up the tent and cooking equipment in the cold, as well as preparation of the meal.

Although it was difficult to check the contents of the cooking pots due to the cold temperature outside, the residents actively participated in the making of this meal.

In the community hall, we cut up all the ingredients with the help of many ladies.

• The meal begins

Due to the limited space in the community hall everyone enjoyed the meal in turns. Despite this, they spent such an enjoyable time as to forget the cold outside. The stars of the Miyata temporary housing (the three children) also seemed very satisfied with the unusual Pakistani curry.

Rentai Tohoku Staff, Liu and Tahir here.

We received a request through a supermarket chain in Rikuzentakata to hold a Pakistani curry and Chinese dumpling party at the Takinosato industrial park temporary housing estate, and therefore held this Chinese New Year Party on the 29th of January. The event didn't simply involve provision of meals, but rather we had residents taking part at each stage of the party from preparation to participation.

• Preparation

In order to provide the best possible ethnic food (Pakistani curry and Chinese dumplings) to the temporary housing residents we started preparing this meal with the help of local residents on the 28th of January at the Minami Konashi Exchange Center in Sennmayacho.

Although it was quite difficult to get the ingredients ready for 250 meals worth of curry and dumplings, everyone is very pleased with the result at the tasting session. We are looking forward to the real event tomorrow.

• Leaving for the temporary housing estate

On the 29th of January we headed for Rikuzentakata from Sennmayacho along roads where snow still remained. At Takinosato industrial park temporary housing estate, we chose the tent site together with the residents and erected the tent, and then carried the supplies from the car into the assembly hall of the temporary housing.

• The making begins - Dumpling team

Although it is very difficult to make the dumpling skins, volunteer ladies from China taught the residents how to make them, and once they got the hang of it, they seemed to enjoy themselves.

Malik, a Pakistani doctor from Rentai Tohoku, participated in the curry team. He dealt with the chicken (cutting the meat and removing the skin) as though it was a surgical operation. There was a feeling of tension in the air!

　 In contrast, the vegetable preparation team members were chatting together in a friendly mood while preparing vegetables.

The men's team in the tent outside were stirring the curry, standing by pots of 1m diameter with huge ladles. Although it was hard work stirring continuously with these big ladles to prevent the curry from catching the bottom of the pan, it was a good opportunity for exercise.

• Completion

 

600 dumplings were made before 12 o'clock. They were cooked in boiling water and were placed in egg soup, ready to eat.

• The meal begins

At 12 o'clock, nearly 200 people gathered in the assembly hall; however there wasn't enough space and some people enjoyed eating outside. The weather was good, so it felt like a picnic.

• A gift from the residents

After the Chinese New Year Party, when we were leaving the temporary housing, the residents gave us a postcard with the character 'road' written on it. Reading the message on the postcard gave us great strength. Since then we feel that, 'bond' isn't simply a character, but is a true link between hearts.

We will continue to support making bonds between hearts.

  Rentai Tohoku Staff, Liu and Tahir here.

  While urban areas such as Tokyo and Nagoya are already in the mood for Christmas and New Year, the distant disaster areas have only just begun their first steps towards recovery. We held a Christmas Party on 23rd December with the disaster victims who have been facing hardship for the past nine months to help relieve their stress and renew their hope for recovery.

  This Christmas event wasn't simply the usual meal distribution event hosted regularly by Rentai Tohoku. We met with people of the Residents' Association and decided to provide curry for 300 people (Rentai Tohoku and residents of the temporary housing would provide for 150 people each) and aim for an event in which the residents themselves would be actively involved.

• Preparation
  There are around 300 people living in the temporary housing at Takekoma Primary School, however due to inadequate space, it was not possible to erect an assembly hall. The event this time was therefore held at a hall Kamihosone, a short distance from the temporary housing. Since it was the day before Christmas Eve, the volunteers put up a large Christmas tree and the Coordinator of the Temporary Housing Residents' Association decorated the tree as well. Children gathered, naturally fascinated by the tree.

  Inside the hall at Kamihosone, residents have started preparing Japanese style curry. The Takekoma Primary School Temporary Housing team and the Rentai Tohoku team continued curry making in a friendly atmosphere.

  The children are very interested to see the volunteers who are trying to handle the giant cooking ladles inside the Rentai Tohoku tent.

  The children who are waiting for the curry to be ready are quite excited watching dances, Japanese traditional performances, singing, and Chinese shadow boxing.

• The meal begins
  At 12 o'clock, the people began eating and comparing the curries made by the residents' team and the Rentai Tohoku team.

  Although there is a tendency for there to be lack of communication between residents in the temporary housing, as a result of this sort of party, the residents were able to talk about their fond memories and thoughts.

• Memorable moments of this event
  The student volunteers from Nagoya brought lots of scarves and gloves handmade by Nagoya citizens and distributed them to the residents along with encouraging messages and good wishes.

  The Coordinator of the Temporary Housing Residents' Association surprised us when he distributed Christmas presents not only to the residents but also to ourselves.

• Conclusion

  This event on the 23rd of December was the last event of 2011, however, Rentai Tohoku will continue to support the recovery effort into 2012.

  Rentai Tohoku Staff, Liu and Tahir here.

  On Sunday 11th December we held a Pakistan Curry Party at a temporary housing estate built on a tennis court in Kesennuma, Miyagi Prefecture.

• Background
   The temporary housing at the Kesennuma tennis court is located at the border of Iwate and Miyagi Prefectures, and is in an isolated location. At this time of year when the weather is becoming truly winter-like, and people tend to stay indoors, it is most vital to rejuvenate communication. At the request of the Coordinator, Temporary Housing Residents' Association, we decided to hold this event.

• Preparation
   For this event we received support from the Rotary Club, who arranged for all the equipment and ingredients. We prepared the ingredients to some extent the day before at the Center in Senmayacho, and departed for Kesennuma. Although it was snowing when we left Senmayacho, Kesennuma was blessed with good weather, just right for this event.

   The ladies gathered in the assembly hall and helped prepare the vegetables. Everyone was so skilled that there seemed to be no need of Tahir's instructions.

Men helped preparing the meat outside, in spite of the cold.

When the preparation of ingredients was complete, the curry-making began with Tahir.

When they finished their part of the preparation, the ladies team watched the curry making from the window while listening to Tahir's explanations.

• The curry is ready
   Piping hot curry was ready and the dishes were handed through the window.

• The meal begins
   The residents of the temporary housing, the volunteers, and Rentai Tohoku staff spent an enjoyable time talking to each other as though they were one big family. Eating the curry that was made by everyone warmed not only our bodies but also our hearts.

• After the meal
   While having Pakistani tea (chai) following the meal, we had a great time talking about the customs and culture of our countries, as well as about the recovery effort.

  At the end of the party, the residents of the temporary housing expressed their thanks and shook hands and we promised to come again.

We at Rentai Tohoku will continue to help, though little by little, deepen the bonds together with the disaster victims, while receiving their enthusiasm towards the recovery effort.

  The seminar on self-supporting reconstruction: "Toward the Light", held on 29 October, included victims from Rikuzentakata, Ofunato, Kessenuma, and Ishinomaki, with 90 people from Miyagi and Iwate Preferctures taking part and exchanging opinions.

  Here are some of the opinions that were exchanged during the panel discussion.

The seminar on self-supporting reconstruction: "Toward the Light", held on 29 October, included victims from Rikuzentakata, Ofunato, Kessenuma, and Ishinomaki, with 90 people from Miyagi and Iwate Preferctures taking part and exchanging opinions.

In this regard, Coordinator, Mr Yoshinaga suggested that the qualities possessed by volunteers (e.g. working for free, working for the benefit of the public, working on their own initiative) is the best sort of energy. The seminar was concluded with the following words: 'Because volunteers work on their own initiative, if they spread themselves at the grassroots level, they will become a system that unifies the volunteers and be able to become a new democratic movement with ideas which are different from those of the conventional system.'

Rentai Tohoku will continue to support and corporate to enable self-reliance and recovery of the disaster-stricken areas.