eQuilter Blog

Another update from our friend Shizuko:

Dear Luana,

I hope you and your family are keeping well.

Slowly but surely, reconstruction of devastated areas has started to move.
Gasoline and heating oil started to arrive and gas stations will be able to open business tomorrow morning, even though it is still
in the limited areas. There are already a long queue tonight. When a reporter asked some of them what they would like to do first.
A man said he would go to find missinhg families and friends. Another said he would go to confirm a body of his relatives.
According to a funeral director in Kesennuma City of Miyagi, an area most badly hit, there are still 500 bodies and it may take till the
middle of April to carry through the cremation. Some people in the isolated areas cannot come to receive the bodies.

Children at Evacuation Centers:
Like everybody else, even children are finding what they can do.
– A group of small primary school children are offering a massage to elderly;
– A group of older children are visiting homes of elderly asking what they need badly;
– Another group are delivering to elderly, who cannot walk, their meals.

The removal of wreckage including cars started.

Radioactive substance has been found in green leafy vegetables like spinich and milk in Fukushima prefecture where the nuclear-power
generated plants locate. Whole matters have been very heavy in your heart and mind.

I must stop now.
A bientot,
Shizuko

Thanks to our customer Carole, who passed on this inspiring letter from a woman named Anne in Sendai.

*****

A letter from Sendai , Japan – from Anne

                        Anne
                        writes:

                        "Things here in Sendai have been rather 
                         surreal. But I am very blessed to have wonderful friends
                        who are helping me a lot. Since my shack is even more
                        worthy of that name, I am now staying at a friend's
                        home. We share supplies like water, food and a kerosene
                        heater. We sleep lined up in one room, eat by
                        candlelight, share stories. It is warm, friendly, and
                        beautiful.

                        During the
                        day we help each other clean up the mess in our homes.

Seven days after the 9.0 quake off Japan, donations to nonprofit organizations have reached about $87 million, according to a tally by the Chronicle of Philanthropy, a newspaper covering nonprofits. In comparison, one week after the earthquake in Haiti, donations totaled about $275 million. In the case of Hurricane Katrina, it was over $522 million, CNNMoney reports.

http://news.blogs.cnn.com/2011/03/18/japan-quake-live-blog-nissan-monitoring-car-exports-for-radiation/?hpt=T2

Another report from our friend and customer Shizuko in Japan.
(note: Medecins Sans Frontieres is the French version of Doctors Without Borders, one of our top charity $ recipients)

*****

In addition to the earthquake/tsunami, blasts at the nuclear power generating plants have become the top news.
Residents within 30-km of those plants are being evacuated. Even my friend in Yokohama is receiving two people (out of 30 needed to
evacuate) from the same company she works.

There are still 380,000 people in the evacuation centers (29 people died there). It is reported that after a week of very trying days, a sign of
recovery has become noticeable ? making self-help efforts toward recovery by helping and encouraging each other. Much needed goods like
water, blankets, powdered milk, foods have been arriving and started finally to be delivered to the people in need. However, due to lack of
gasoline and damaged infrastructure, solid logistics action/assistance have yet to be established.

In one scene on TV, you see piled-up donated goods, in other seen (a hospital located within 30 km of nuclear power generated plants), a doctor
was calling desparately tonight for immediate attention in need of foods, water, gasoline in particular. The hospital has 199 beds and tried to move/evacuate
patients as much as they can, but there are still 150 patients severely ill like ventilated patients and also a half of them are elderly. Before the evacuation,
there were 8 doctors (now 4), 80 nurses/medical staff (now 10) and cook. Tsunami refugees sheltering there are helping, like feeding the patients.
They only have one more days food.

Dr. Eric Barnes, Director General of Japan Medecins Sans Frontieres visited Miyagi and Iwate and expressed his concern on symptom of dehydration.

Well I must stop here.
Thank you for your continued prayers and attention,

Shizuko

Our friend and customer Shizuko has sent us another report of what is happening in Japan. Thank you Shizuko!!

***

I thought I would summarize below what I saw through papers and TV during
the day as these might help you plan and organize
your Quilts Japan Project. So, my report is not orderly. Comments by
affected people are from different evacuation centers as
I was unable to take down different names.

In addition to the earthquake and tsunami, the blasts at nuclear
power-generating plants added further concern. As you know,
President Obana phoned PM Kan for the second time since the incident and
extended further assistance from your country, i.e. to dispatch
some nuclear power specialists in addition to the troops that are already at
the cite. He further offered their assistance for a medium-long term basis.

Now at different evacuation centers:
– A nurse has been working practically non-stop like other medical
professionals and she has been unable to go and find her father.
– There are people taking shelters at private houses as they can’t go to
evacuation centers due mainly to the lack of gasoline.
– At evacuation centers, stoves are only used at night due to the lack of
heating oil.
– PET bottles filled with hot water are used as hot-water bottles for the
elderly.

– Government says relief supplies started to arrive from people all over the
country. However, there are no staff to sort things out and deliver them
yet and asking
individual donations are delivered to a support center in one’s prefecture.
Money donation is most welcomed at this time. As I said earlier, many
supply goods are arriving
from different manufacturers, eg. blanket manufacturers etc.

– A Chinese girl was asking for assistance in her language.
– Another woman who lost her identification was asking legal assistance.

– A lovely looking couple was interviewed. She had a backpack; among them
besides basic evacuation goods, she had a small box of needles, buttons, and
thread,
for just in case. Her husband had worked at a desaster prevention center
and she had learned from his work. They both said they cannot go feeling
sorry
and will start again.

– One week has passed, a professional says it is obvious that children
require special attention on mental care. Some started to show the symptoms
of PTSD.

– In some areas, it snowed today. A woman was gathering the snow into a
garbage bag in order to use it for toilet.
– There are some areas still isolated.
– a man calls for getting communication means in case of medical crisis.

– A doctor at Red Cross Hospital says that they are facing limit of its
operation, due to the lack of oxyten, drip infusion, surgical instrument,
etc. , that means the death
of patients.
– Home visit nursing care has been stopped due to the lack of gasoline.
– A staff calls for food, water, medicine… as well as manpower.

Courageously,
– An elderly woman says hearing the voice of “Are you OK” gives her strength
to live.
– Another says she feels lucky to be served a warm soup – gives her feeling
that they are cared and gives her strength.

Thank you for reading this rather lengthy report.

Arigato
Shizuko

Our customer and friend Shizuko in Japan has just sent me this update:

Dear Luana,

The devastation is still so difficult to watch, but I thought you might be interested in knowing what was like today in general.
Since I don?t have much free time, I usually watch a summarized version of news today.

The biggest topic is the concern over the blasts at nuclear power-generating plants ? commentators always have different view.

There are still 400,000 people at evacuation centers. Many relief supplies are arriving, but unable to distribute due to
– administrative systems also damaged/suffered
– severed roads,
– lack of gasoline
– damaged communication tools
– no distribution center
– not enough information
– lack of media information, etc.

As a result,
People at non-designated shelters by government, like staying at a temple, are unable to receive support (like food for instance)
A man was being interviewed: Somone passed away at home, but unable to go due to lack of gasoline.

On the other hands, people are making their best effort to help each other like making soup ? ingredients from less-damaged houses.
Making rice balls by volunteers.
Some babies were also born.

At one place where they were being interviewed, an American helicopter has suddenly/unexpectedly arrived and delivered various
kinds of canned goods.

In Tokyo area:
– scheduled interruption of electric service and public translation continue.

Thanking you for your prayers and caring thoughts,

Shizuko