While most people have already pulled out of Japan and have psychologically moved on, China Care International has continued to partner with grassroots groups in Japan to build on the progress that was made since the tragedy that took place there. The magnitude 9.0 undersea earthquake, and the subsequent tsunami, destroyed everything in the local area. Houses, roads, utilities, schools, shops, and left no foundations to be built on. The Japanese National Police Agency report confirmed 15,867 deaths, 6,109 injured, and 2,909 people missing, as well as 129,225 buildings totally collapsed, with a further 254,204 buildings half collapsed, and another 691,766 buildings partially damaged. Major damage was done to and caused the shutting down of local nuclear power plants, leading to evacuations affecting several hundred thousand Japanese. The Japanese Prime minister referred to the disaster as the toughest, and most difficult crisis for Japan since World War Two.
On the one year anniversary, CCI representatives traveled to Japan to attend the one year memorial ceremony held in Sendai and handed out free calenders, books, and materials to help the people who are grieving from their loss. People who had lost everything, loved ones, homes, businesses, schools, received free of charge materials aimed at helping them cope with what has happened and to help them move on to a normal life again.
CCI has been providing a coffee house with coffee from South America to continue helping the people in the disaster zone. Currently CCI is still sending coffee to a coffee shop in Sendai. The coffee is given to a coffee truck that patrols the disaster area where people are working every day to rebuild their lives. The coffee truck drives into the working zones, parks, and sets up a small social corner where workers can come and drink warm coffee for free. The workers are dealing with this loss on a daily basis, and everything that they do stands as a reminder to what their country has suffered.
This small act of kindness has touched the hearts of so many of the people in the disaster zone. Knowing that people are still caring and supporting them, and a free cup of coffee that can relax their minds for a few minutes, helps them deal with all they see.
We were also able to provide outdoor cabinets to many of the survivors who are rebuilding their lives. These cabinets allow them some semblance of privacy and a place to put what things they now have. It is a place of comfort and safety when they have lost so much.
At the end of last year, CCI was also able sent the funds to provide several hundred outdoor storage units for Japanese who are still living in emergency housing provided by the Japanese government. These storage units were weather proof to protect the precious few items that many of the survivors own. 1,000 units were delivered in the Aeon Temporary Housing area. Although they have a place to stay, it is temporary and necessarily quite small. The outdoor storage units allow for room inside their dwellings, and provide them with a place more comfortable then without them.
CCI, working together with the coffee shop, was also asked to provide sewing machines at the coffee shop where classes were given for locals as well as workshops to make blankets and cold weather gear for the victims of the tsunami. CCI was able to provide ten sewing machines for Sendai. Several locals are now attending classes to use the sewing machines and others are using them to provide themselves and others with necessities. This gives a great feeling of self fulfillment and independence for people who have been living for more then a year at the mercy of those around them.
China Care would like to extend a thank you to all those who have partnered with us, making these things possible. The items we have worked on have been used after consulting with locals and people working on the ground, and determining that these things are the most necessary and effective at normalizing the lives of those affected by the natural disaster.
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