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Welcome to Aid for Japan

On the 11th March 2011 the most powerful earthquake ever to have hit Japan with a magnitude of 9.0 Mw occurred off the Tohoku east coast. This earthquake, which has become known as the Great East Japan Earthquake, happened at 14.46 JST.

 

One of the most terrible consequences of the earthquake and subsequent tsunami has been the substantial loss of life in Japan. This has resulted in about 350 Japanese children now being orphaned due to the death of both their parents and a further 1500 children have lost one of their parents from this disaster.

 

‘Aid for Japan’ is a United Kingdom registered charity. Our aim is to provide long-term support to these Japanese children who have been orphaned.

 

We have invited two children during Christmas time in 2012. Please watch this clip from Japanese TV news.

 

February 2013 by Akemi Solloway Tanaka www.akemisolloway.com

 

1. What is the unique selling point of our charity?

We specifically support orphans who lost parents in the Tsunami Disaster on the 11th March 2011. Our charity, established under UK law, will help these orphans by raising funds in the UK.

 

2. What can we do for Tsunami orphans?

We can provide financial support for education fees and mental care and give the children a chance to visit the UK to meet their supporters.

 

Supporters can sponsor an orphan by monthly standing order and have the opportunity to exchange letters and emails with them which will be translated by our volunteers.

 

Before two the children visited UK, Akemi sensei’s students had met them in the spring of 2012 in Japan. Please watch this short video.

 

 

We would like to invite the children back with other orphans during this summer holiday 2013.

 

During their stay, they shall not only sightseeing but also studying the English language and manner. They shall spend time with the English students who are studying Japanese language.

 

We include animal therapy, art therapy, music and dance therapy, drama therapy in the class.

 

3. How do our actions help orphans?

Our charity is a contact point for orphans and their careers who have an interest in the English language and culture. As these are an important part of education in Japan, we aim to help build valuable skills for the children’s future.

 

Please read the report by one of girls that visited the UK in Christmas 2012.

 

Kana's Report

 

4. Why is this so urgent?

Childhood has a huge influence on the future of lives of young people. As children grow up so quickly, their experiences before they become adults are precious. By reaching out, we seek to raise as much money as possible and send our wishes from the UK to support the lives and futures of the Tsunami orphans.

 

5. Why is our charity different?

Because we are a small charity organisation, we are able to give supporters more personal updates about their sponsored orphans through our web site and show how their money is being used. Sponsors will be able to see the real benefits of their donations, as we report on the progress of children as they grow up.

 

6. What is our relationship with the orphans’ schools in Japan?

We always contact to orphans’ schools and visit to meet teachers and friends. When we invited two children in 2012, we asked permission for their winter holidays to start earlier than normal to allow them time to travel.

 

7. What do we plan for the next six months?

We will ask companies and other organizations with connections to Japan, such as martial arts clubs, to support our work.

 

Gift Aid reference number is XT31630 to HM Revenue & Customs.

8. Sunday 10th March 2013

We will hold two years memorial event for the Great East Japan Earthquake and have a two minutes silence for the victims.

Two Years Anniversary

 

9. Monday 11th March Evening

Details at the top of this page.

 

For reaching out to the press and media, we plan to run a parade in London wearing kimono and cosplay as manga or anime characters.

 

We will communicate with other charities related to education and investigate the potential of creating future scholarship schemes in collaboration with them and create a network of both young and retired volunteers in the UK so that we can all work together for Aid For Japan together.

 

10. Long-term activities.

We want to become a well-established and reputable organization to provide long-term support for these orphans from our work in the UK and provide a place where orphans can come to study English at any time.

 

The orphans’ schools will be connected with English schools so that young English students studying Japanese can exchange letters through us to promote friendship between Japan and the UK.

 

The first group of orphans came to UK in 2012 and we plan to bring more groups during summer holidays in 2013.

 

We shall research the differences between legal and social systems in England and Japan to understand their differences.

 

11. Why the UK?

For the Japanese orphans the UK is a distant land and culture. The orphans who contact our organisation are interested in England and the English language and so visiting British people is an exciting and precious experience. One letter received by one of Akemi’s students from an 11 years old orphan said “I am so excited to be going to England”

 

Akemi’s English students and others are looking forward to seeing them and are already planning sightseeing adventures in London. To give such tours in London, British students have to study Japanese very hard, which improves their own skills.

 

We want to give our heartfelt wishes to the Tsunami orphans to show that our support is not only with money but to tell them that we really care and think about them.

 

12. Why we should support them for the long-term.

Each orphan will get British supporter. British supporters can watch the children grow up. They will communicate by letter, e-mail and Skype in the future.

 

This is a monthly automatic donations (£10 suggested) Please fill out this form with your signature, and send to our office address: Flat 12, The Towers, Lower Mortlake Road, Richmond, Surrey, TW9 2JR ENGLAND

 

If you would like to help one orphan for a monthly automatic donation, we can send you more information. Please choose one orphan ( Maria or Kana) to support monthly. Minimum £10, please.

 

When the orphans reach adulthood and our financial support comes to an end we hope that relationship will continue. With a personal link to the UK, the orphans will have a contact point for future UK visits.

 

We want the orphans to feel that the UK is their second home.