AAR Japan

Association for Aid and Relief, Japan (AAR Japan) has been setting up libraries and providing books to facilities for people with disabilities that were struck by the Great East Japan Earthquake in the prefectures of Fukushima, Miyagi and Iwate. The libraries greatly help to stabilize the minds of children with disabilities who are likely to have trouble adjusting to the new environment brought about by the earthquake.

Large-sized picture books have enriched children's emotions – Fukushima

Ever since the large-sized picture books arrived, it has become a valued time for the staff members to read books aloud to the children. The 'picture book room' in Fukushima supported by AAR Japan.

"Nazuna Home", a day care center operated by the social welfare corporation Iwaki Gospel Association, has been entrusted by Fukushima Prefecture to accommodate the increased number of children with disabilities that have come to live in Iwaki-city following the Great East Japan Earthquake. 18 children have registered so far, and the center also supports their parents who are suffering from the anxiety of childcare and living in an unfamiliar place. AAR Japan helped to create a "Picture Book Room" for this facility last April.

Many of the books in the new Picture Book Room are large-sized picture books. For children with developmental disabilities, larger sized books are easier to understand and, as a result, children who previously didn't like reading have come to show interest in these picture books that are several times the size of their own books at home. The children have been actively involved in reading books and expanding their imagination and creating new stories. The staff members are also pleased, saying that "the children are becoming more and more sensitive to the world around them."

A place where children can feel at ease - Miyagi

Library Takechan-chi (lit. "Take's home") is an important place where children and residents in the community can feel at home.

"Koso Takechan-chi", a non-profit organization located in Tagajo City, is a facility that 250 elementary and junior high school children with disabilities attend after school and during long vacations. Its structure was damaged by the tsunami following the Great East Japan Earthquake and the institution was moved to the present location three years ago. As there are no libraries in the neighborhood, the local people wanted to make the renewed facility a place where children can feel at home.

Therefore, last August, AAR Japan was happy to add a library to the facility and contribute 139 books to get it started. It is now an essential place for the children to stay. Speaking about the impact that the library has had on the students, Takechan-chi representative Yukio TAKANO said, "Now that the children have a place where they can read books freely, their emotions seem to be more balanced". The institution is also open to the residents of the community to help enhance their understanding of children with disabilities and is a place where they can get to know each other.

A space to learn about disabilities and to relax among new friends - Iwate

Mr. Nobuyoshi Mitsui (left), the director of Runbinii Art Museum, and visitors who enjoy picture books, and Akiko KATO (right), Manager of the AAR Japan Tohoku Office.

The "Runbinii Art Museum", operated by Korinkai social welfare corporation located in Hanamaki City in Iwate Prefecture, has a permanent exhibition displaying the artwork of people with mental disabilities. With the support of AAR Japan, in June last year, a library section was set up beside the coffee shop on the first floor of the museum. Soon after the Great East Japan Earthquake, there were many cases of people with mental disabilities having panic attacks because of their difficulty in adjusting to drastic changes in their living circumstances. In many cases they were told to permanently leave the evacuation center where many other people lived.

Based on such experiences, the Runbinii Art Museum asked AAR Japan to assist in creating a place where people could cultivate a deeper understanding of others who have mental disabilities so that they are accepted and cared for in times of disaster and stress. AAR Japan joined the Runbinii Art Museum in this initiative and donated 339 books to the new library section, including books on people with disabilities and picture books by Kenji MIYAZAWA, a novelist from the local area, which are gratefully enjoyed by the visitors. In addition, the museum has organized some events where visitors can interact with the artists of the exhibited artwork.

The art director of the museum, Mr. Takashi Itagaki, who has been trying to create a space where visitors of the museum and people with disabilities can interact with each other naturally, said that "through the library section, we are now able to provide a joyful place for people with disabilities and for people with children."

AAR Japan is proud to remain committed to support the establishment of libraries and to provide books to institutions that care for people with disabilities in disaster affected areas.

* This activity was conducted with your generous donations as well as support from the Qatar Friend Fund, a charity fund from Qatar with the aim of supporting the reconstruction of the disaster areas of the Great East Japan Earthquake.

Sendai Office Yuko OGASAWARA [Reporter]

Since April 2011, Ms Ogasawara has been working in the AAR Japan Sendai Office. Ms Ogasawara herself was affected by the Great East Japan Earthquake and joined AAR Japan with the hope to support those who suffered as greatly as she did. Ms Ogasawara is from Miyagi Prefecture and is the mother of two children.“I feel encouraged when I hear people say thank you to me”.

Japanese-English translation by Ms Hiroko HIDA
English editing by Mr Peter BUNGATE

The article on this page has been translated and edited by volunteers as part of the AAR Volunteer Programme. Their generous contributions allow us to spread our activities and ideas globally, through an ever-growing selection of our reports from the field.

On September 19, the Islamic State began its attack on Ayn al-Arab (Kobane) in Northern Syria after having self-proclaimed the establishment of a caliphate and unrecognized state spanning across Iraq and Syria. In the time since, the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) reports that more than 170,000 Syrians have fled across the Turkish border and escaped into South Eastern Turkey. Ms. Hiroko NAITO of AAR Japan, who has been conducting surveys of the refugees’ situation on the ground, provides this report.

From west to east: Ayn al-Arab (also known as “Kobane” in Kurdish), Suruc, Sanliurfa and Viransehir

Sounds of bomber aircraft flying overhead are heard in the shelter

On October 15, AAR Japan conducted a survey in cooperation with Support to Life (STL), a Turkish partner organization. The sound of bomber aircraft flying overhead could be heard from time to time and, in the distance on the other side of the border, black smoke, which was likely to be the result of airstrikes carried out by the same aircraft, could be seen.

Smoke, presumably from airstrikes, rises near the Turkish-Syrian border. (October 15th, 2014)

Kobane is located in an area that has a large Kurdish population and, in fact, the majority of people fleeing from the ongoing offensive are also Kurdish. Some Kurds came seeking help from their families and friends living in Turkey, but many have no one to turn to in the country and are living with other families in the same situation in rented houses or warehouses. An elderly woman, who is now living as a refugee in a room with a leaking roof told us in tears: “I couldn’t bring anything with me from Syria. The only clothes I have are what I am wearing now. I’ve lost everything”.

Extremely compromised living conditions

A family of Syrian refugees living in a tent. Many families have escaped into Turkey with their small children. (October 15th, 2014)

The family in the photograph (left) escaped from Kobane and came to the camp approximately twenty days ago with their six children. The mother is pregnant with her seventh child. They currently live on the outskirts of the town in a tent that they bought for two hundred dollars. “Right now, we are relying on our savings to buy food in the city center. If we cannot find work, I don’t know for how long we can survive”.

Most families in these circumstances, while doing their utmost, are only able to obtain the minimum amount of food and other necessities, such as clothes, hygiene products and cooking utensils, are in dire shortage. AAR Japan will continue to monitor the situation and distribute items of daily necessity, focussing on the Suruc District (Sanliurfa Province), the Sanliurfa City area and Viransehir. We would like to ask for your warm support in order to deliver this desperately needed aid to those who need it most.

A family living in a warehouse with leaking roof. In some places, three families live together in a single room of approximately 16.5 square meters. Mr. Yuichiro YAMAMOTO of AAR Japan to the left. (October 15th, 2014)

A warehouse where several families are living together with the very few items that they brought with them from Syria. (October 15th, 2014)

*The activity outlined in this report is made possible by your kind donations and the generous funding of Japan Platform (JPF).

【Reporter】 Profile as of the date of publication

Ms. Hiroko NAITO, Tokyo Office. Ms NAITO has been stationed at AAR Japan’s Tokyo Headquarters as a public relations officer since November 2012. Upon graduating from university, she went on to pursue International Development and Gender Studies at graduate school in the United Kingdom. She joined AAR Japan after having interned at NGOs and working in a private sector company that runs fair trade projects in Nepal among other experiences. (Born in Niigata Prefecture, Japan)

Japanese-English translation by Ms Hanano Sasaki
English editing by Mr Peter Bungate

The article on this page has been translated by volunteers as part of the AAR Volunteer Programme. Their generous contributions allow us to spread our activities and ideas globally, through an ever-growing selection of our reports from the field.

From the west, Ayn al-Arab (Kobane in Kurdish), Suruc, Sanliurfa where AAR Japan is conducting the survey, and Viransehir.

Since The Islamic State (IS) began its military campaign against Ayn al-Arab (Kobane in Kurdish), Northern Syria, on September 19, more than 188,000 Syrians have crossed the border and fled to South-Eastern Turkey (UN, 14.10.2014). The humanitarian aid effort by the Turkish government and the international community has not been able to keep up with the drastic increase in the number of refugees. AAR Japan is distributing food and basic daily necessities in Suruc District, Sanliurfa Province where there is a refugee population. Hiroko NAITO of AAR Japan reports on their relief efforts.

Aid for those who have still not been reached by the International Community

Two or three families now live in a single room without glass in the windows and with no household goods such as furniture (Suruc, Turkey, October 16th, 2014)

In cooperation with Support to Life (STL), the local partner organization, AAR Japan has been conducting a situation survey in Suruc District, Turkey. Many refugee families are facing extreme hardship in their lives as refugees in places with abandoned housing, warehouses and small tents, barely covered by a roof, scattered around the villages and towns in this Turkish border area. The refugees have no household goods, and even the most basic necessities such as food, blankets, and hygiene products are in dire shortage.

In light of this situation, AAR Japan has delivered the first dispatch of relief items to 50 families, living as refugees in four villages (approximately 300 people). The supplies for each family consisted of roughly four boxes containing hygiene products, kitchenware, and blankets, as well as food such as beans, rice, pasta, cooking oil, sugar, condiments, and tea. Everyone received their goods with a huge smile on their faces: “Thank you for coming to us from abroad. Thank you for your kindness.”

The elderly woman, who told us in tears that she has “lost everything.” When it was her turn to receive the supplies, she expressed her gratitude before returning to her shelter with a smile. (Suruc, Turkey, October 22nd, 2014)

There are many children among the refugees. They came with their families to receive the relief items. (Suruc, Turkey, October 22nd, 2014)

“I am really sorry for those who fled from Kobane; they have absolutely nothing,” says a villager from Suruc. Yuko NAITO of AAR Japan (left). (Suruc, Turkey, October 22nd, 2014)

In the village where we distributed our relief supplies, no support or aid from the Turkish government and International community has reached those who came from Kobane as refugees, and the goods were received with great appreciation. The refugees are struggling on a day to day basis, drawing on their savings and being dependent upon clothing and food given to them by the local population. The temperature has begun to drop, and people must prepare for the winter, and need to do so quickly.

AAR Japan will continue to conduct the situation survey and deliver the relief supplies. We would like to ask for your warm support.

*The activities in the report are made possible by your donations and the generous funding of Japan Platform (JPF).

AAR Japan is collecting donations in response to the Syrian Refugee crisis. We thank you for your support for those in need.

【Reporter】 Profile as of the date of article publication

Hiroko NAITO, Tokyo Office
Public Relations Officer stationed at the Tokyo Headquarter since November 2012. Upon graduating from university, Hiroko NAITO went on to study International Development and Gender Studies at a graduate school in the United Kingdom. NAITO joined AAR Japan after interning at NGOs and working for a private sector company which runs fair trade projects in Nepal among other experiences. (Born in Niigata Prefecture)

Japanese-English translation by Ms Hanano Sasaki
English editing by Mr Kristen Griffiths

The article on this page has been translated by volunteers as part of the AAR Volunteer Programme. Their generous contributions allow us to spread our activities and ideas globally, through an ever-growing selection of our reports from the field.

In cooperation with Accenture Japan Ltd, a consulting firm, AAR Japan has been supporting welfare centers for persons with disabilities, affected by the Great East Japan Earthquake, for the purpose of improving their profit from sales. Here is a report on “making and selling a popular lunch”.

Ms. HAMAUCHI (left), who is teaching CAFE Sweet hot staff members, says, “It’s very important to measure seasonings accurately, so that you can always provide the same taste.” (Fukushima Prefecture, July 31st, 2014)

Aim to increase the average monthly income of 12,000 yen

Welfare centers have been assisting persons with disabilities with the aim of improving their opportunities for employment by providing practice in a wide variety of professions, including making and selling products. Before the earthquake, their average monthly salary was 12,000 yen. However, this amount has been getting even lower since the earthquake because their workplaces were also damaged.

In an effort to support wage increase through product development, AAR Japan invited a popular chef, Ms. Chinami HAMAUCHI as the instructor, and held cooking classes for welfare centers for persons with disabilities, which engage in production and sales of lunch boxes. During January and February in 2014, the cooking classes were held in Iwate, Miyagi and Fukushima Prefectures. A total of 63 participants from 34 centers attended and learned directly from Ms. HAMAUCHI. They were all very impressed by her professional cooking skills.

“25 box” (Niko box) is being prepared with warm hearts by CAFE Sweet hot staff .

Finally, the lunch boxes are ready. Now, this is a real start!

From April, three centers, “Machie no Tabedokoro Fuku Warashi, San no Maru Himawari” (Iwate), “Pokke no Mori, Pokke Communication Networking” (Miyagi), and CAFE Sweet hot, Hot Fukushi Kinenn Kai (Fukushima) started an initiative to commercialize lunch boxes with Ms. HAMAUCHI.

All participants at each center worked hard, though they had some difficulties measuring precise amount of salt and other ingredients. At the end of July, they finally got approval from Ms. HAMAUCHI, and were able to start selling their products. Ms. HAMAUCHI sent hearty congratulations to each center, saying, “Your smile will make your cooking delicious. Please be confident. You have only just begun”.

Feedback session with Ms. HAMAUCHI (left front side) after food tasting at Pokke no Mori (First on the left, Ayana KISHIDA, AAR Japan Sendai Office)

“25box” prepared by CAFE Sweet hot (Fukushima). Tomato rice with mixed grains, fried rolled pork with apple sauce, and vegetable ratatouille. As indicated in the name, 25 ingredients are used to make the lunchbox.

“Fuku Fuku Lunch” prepared by Machie no Tabedokoero, Fuku Warashi (Iwate). Two items, roasted dried kelp and carrot with rice bran flavor, and spinach and turnips with peanut sauce, have been newly added to their existing fried chicken lunch box. The nutritional balance has been enhanced by these additions.

“Happy Deli” prepared by Pokke no Mori (Miyagi Prefecture) with Ms. HAMAUCHI. Local ingredients are used.

At Pokke no Mori, Ms. HAMAUCHI (at the back in the photo) said, “Your heart adds to your cooking flavors. Never forget your smile like the one you have now.”

What we gained from the lunch box lessons

Ms. Ayumi ABE, Service Administration Chief, Machie no Tanedokoro Fukuwarashi
Not only our staff, but also all of the participants from the centers were so happy to learn directly from Ms. HAMAUCHI. We’ve learned the principles of delicious food and cooking. We’ll be able to utilize this in our cooking.

Ms. Kou HOSHINO, Corporate Administrative Section, Pokke no Mori
“During the earthquake, our equipment warehouse was swept away by tsunami waters. It often made me think we would never be able to make lunch boxes again. However, both our kitchen equipment and staff miraculously survived and we can still go on. We aim to increase our sales of lunchboxes prepared using Ms. HAMAUCHI’s recipes, and pay more to our staff.”

(Ms. Chinami HAMAUCHI, front row center, with participants from Machie no Tabedokoro Fuku Warashi) “We were so excited that Ms. HAMAUCHI was our teacher. (First on the right: Akiko KATO, AAR Japan Tohoku Office Director; Second from right: Takeji ASANO, AAR Japan. Second from left, back row: Ayana KISHIDA, July 30th, 2014)

Sanae Okabe, Director, CAFE Sweet hot

I lost a lot in the earthquake, but on the other hand, I’ve been able to meet many people whom I otherwise wouldn’t have. Ms. HAMAUCHI is one of them. She was so friendly that our staff and users were always eager to learn more from her. We want many people to know that there is a center where people are helping to keep chins and spirits up, here in Fukushima.

AAR Japan will continue to assist activities to improve wages for persons with disabilities.

RieYAMANE, Tokyo Office: YAMANE was born in Shizuoka. She studied health management, planning and policy at graduate school in the UK after finishing undergraduate degree in Japan. Upon returning to Japan, she worked as a nurse, and joined AAR Japan in May 2013. She is currently in charge of the Tohoku and Zambia programs. “Through listening to the voices of persons with disabilities, I want to support them to make their dreams come true.”

Japanese-English translation by Ms Satomi Tomishima
English editing by Mr Richard Whale

The article on this page has been translated by volunteers as part of the AAR Volunteer Programme. Their generous contributions allow us to spread our activities and ideas globally, through an ever-growing selection of our reports from the field.

The Province of Leyte, in the Philippines, was stricken by the typhoon Haiyan (locally known as Yolanda, and typhoon No.30 of 2013 in Japanese numbering) in November, 2013, and rehabilitation of the affected areas is under way. AAR Japan is continuing its support to the devastated areas for the purpose of not only recovering to the pre-disaster conditions, but also building communities that are resistant to future typhoons and other disasters. In August, 2014, we organized training workshop on housing construction and distributed housing repair materials in affected areas. AAR Japan’s local staff member Ryan Labicane reports.

Organizing workshops to build disaster-resistant houses

"Build back better" workshop at New Kawayan, Tacloban City (August 6th, 2014)

On August 5th and 6th, 2014, AAR Japan organized "Build Back Better"workshop, teaching disaster survivors how to construct disaster-resistant houses at two wards (Old Kawayan and New Kawayan) in Tacloban City, Leyte Province, each attended by approximately 40 people (some 15 professional carpenters and 25 local people).

During the workshop, the participants first discussed and made presentations on different kinds of natural disasters the Philippines may experience, and on various ways and means in which each person can prepare for them.

They then received a lecture by a civil engineer on how to build disaster-resistant houses, and on appropriate usage of construction materials. As an exercise, all of the participants also jointly constructed a miniature disaster-resistant house to practice what they have learnt during the lecture.

Construction of disaster-resistant communities will require not only the professional carpenters with adequate knowledge of building stronger houses, but also the local people themselves with the right knowledge on disaster prevention and mitigation. In this regard, the local women’s proactive participation in the workshop was impressive and encouraging.

The participants discussed and presented means to prevent and mitigate disasters. Shown in the left is Ms. Chiaki FURUKAWA (left) from AAR Japan Tokyo Headquarters. (August 5th 2014, Old Kawayan, Tacloban City)

Professional carpenters and local people jointly built a miniature housing to practice what they learnt. (August 5th, 2014. Old Kawayan, Tacloban City)

Building safer houses with right techniques and new materials

From August 13th through 21st 2014, AAR Japan distributed building materials to a total of 267 households in the two wards, where the workshops were organized. At the distribution, mutual support among the neighboring beneficiaries was observed.

In addition, AAR Japan assisted establishing a “carpentry committee” in each of the two wards. In order for the committees to build safer houses using the knowledge obtained at the workshops, AAR provided necessary construction tools and partial financial assistance. The committees’ carpenters are currently rebuilding houses in the two wards.

Construction materials were distributed to 121 households in Old Kawayan, Tacloban City. (August 13th, 2014)

The family shown in the photo below lost their home during the typhoon Yolanda, and now lives in an ad-hoc house made of salvaged materials. The site of the house, however, is close to the sea in a area designated by the government as a No-Build Zone with the view of mitigating future disasters. Having received the materials distributed by AAR Japan, the family will soon be able to move to a safer area, distant from the sea.

As the family lives near the sea and lost their boat because of the typhoon, the father cannot go fishing. With the support of AAR Japan, the family can soon move to a safer area supported. (August 27th, 2014)

The Filipino language has a word “bayanihan”, meaning “to mutually help”. The reporter of this article often recalled this word in the course of the training programs and distribution of the construction materials, as people frequently cooperated and jointly engaged in reconstruction efforts. Many local people also voiced words of appreciation to the support from Japan. As a staff member of AAR Japan, the reporter is glad to have been part of the assistance for the construction of disaster-resistant communities.

Ryan Labicane, AAR Japan Philippines Office (profile as of the date of the article). Labicane is from Tacloban City in the Philippines. As a local staff member of AAR Japan Philippines Office, he has been engaged in support activities of rehabilitation programs in the affected areas of typhoon Yolanda since January, 2014

Japanese-English translation by Mr Yukio Kiuchi
English editing by Mr Allan Richardz

The article on this page has been translated by volunteers as part of the AAR Volunteer Programme. Their generous contributions allow us to spread our activities and ideas globally, through an ever-growing selection of our reports from the field.

October 15th is Global Hand Washing Day!

In many parts of the world where AAR Japan has been actively involved, a lot of people, many of whom are children, have lost their lives to infectious diseases that could have been prevented if they had lived in Japan. This is due to a lack of safe drinking water and adequate knowledge of hygiene.

Since the devastating earthquake in Haiti in 2010, there has been a large-scale outbreak of cholera, which is transmitted by unclean water. The outbreak has left the country with the highest rate of cholera-infected persons in the world. In other regions too, people have no choice but to use unclean water, for example, in the north-western part of Pakistan, where a large number of people have taken refuge from the civil war; and also in the north-eastern part of Kenya, where many people have settled because of the repeated droughts that have made their nomadic life impossible.

Besides providing these countries with wells, toilets and washrooms / washing facilities, AAR has been teaching Haitians the proper way to wash hands and the importance of using a toilet, so that hygienic habits will become part of their everyday lives.

“Where should we pee or poo?” AAR staff in Haiti asks the children in Sacre Coeur primary school, showing pictures of the toilet and hand washing facilities. (March 25th, 2014)

Let’s Do it at Home, too

In Haiti, where toilets are not common, infectious diseases are transmitted by food contaminated by flies and other insects settling on excrement left outside. To make matters worse, due to the lack of education on hygiene, local people have no idea how to sterilize their drinking water, nor do they make it a norm to wash their hands after excretion or before meals. Since 2013, in addition to building a toilet and a hand-washing station in five primary schools in the Carrefour district in the suburbs of the capital, Port-au-Prince, AAR has been offering a seminar for teachers and students to learn the importance of hygiene. The content of the seminar includes topics such as how to clean their house, how to wash their hands, and the importance of keeping their toilet clean. The following is a report by Masumi Honda, Programme Coordinator in charge of Haiti operation.

A teacher who attended the AAR seminar is educating his students about hygiene (May 29th, 2014)

Sound Body and Sound Mind in a Clean Environment

Alexandra, who attended our hygiene seminar, is now the hygiene leader in her school, encouraging her classmates to clean their classrooms and sharing what she learned in the seminar with them. She says that, even at home, she tells her family members about the importance of hygiene and hygienic practices – for instance, washing hands after excretion and before meals, sterilization of drinking water by boiling, sterilization by using a water purifying substance, house cleaning, and the best ways to store and preserve food. By keeping the toilet clean, “it smells good and it makes me feel clean,” she says.

Students are washing their hands in a hand-washing station right next to the toilet. (May 29th, 2014)

First Things First – Preventing Infectious Diseases at Home

Since February 2014, AAR has given the opportunity for parents to attend a hygiene seminar, so that they can keep up with the good hygiene habits. Gilbert (38) is a good example. It used to be the case that he never washed his hands before meals, let alone told his children to do so. However, now he never fails to wash his hands whenever he comes home, since he learned in the AAR seminar how important it is to wash hands, in order to reduce the risk of catching infectious diseases. Through actually practicing how to wash hands properly and learning how to effectively teach his children, he has learned how to spread the message of the importance of good hygiene.

Gilbert and his children. “We now wash our hands together.” (August 19th, 2014)

Lega (28) said, without hesitation: “The most important thing I learned in the AAR seminar was how to preserve drinking water and how important it is to keep our environment clean. I had used the water purifying substance for sterilization, but it never occurred to me how to keep the flies and the mosquitoes away from our drinking water,” as she showed me her water which was stored in a container with a thick lid. After learning that keeping the environment clean can keep away the flies and mosquitoes, and thus prevent infectious diseases, she has started to sweep the roads in her neighborhood and refrain from littering on the roads.

Regale (on the right) and her children. “Ever since I learned how to lead a hygienic life, we have been enjoying a healthy life.” (August 19th, 2014)

Those who attended our seminar have been playing an active role in their respective families, in terms of initiating good hygiene habits. They now keep their toilets and their rooms clean, and hand washing has become an important part of their lives. AAR is planning to provide the local people with more opportunities to learn the practicalities of good hygiene.

We would like to express our gratitude for your donations and the Grant Assistance for Japanese NGO Projects (subsidized by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs) for enabling the implementation of the activities mentioned in this article.

[Reporter] Masumi Honda – Programme Coordinator. Masumi is responsible for Haitian and Sudan operations, stationed at Tokyo office. She joined AAR in September 2011 after working in the private sector. Masumi was born and raised in Tokyo, and studied Anthropology in a university in the US.

Japanese-English translation by Ms Yoko Natsume
English editing by Mr Richard Whale

The article on this page has been translated by volunteers as part of the AAR Volunteer Programme. Their generous contributions allow us to spread our activities and ideas globally, through an ever-growing selection of our reports from the field.

Photo Exhibition “Women in Mine Action – Commemorating the 15th Anniversary since the Mine Ban Treaty”

Focusing on women working in mine action in the world in commemoration of the 15th anniversary of the entry into force of the Mine Ban Treaty [the Convention on the Prohibition of the Use, Stockpiling, Production and Transfer of Anti-Personnel Mines and on Their Destruction], AAR Japan will hold a photo exhibition on “Women in Mine Action” at the Kensei Kinenkan, Tokyo.

Our female staff lecturing women about the risks of mines with a poster of full-size images (Afghanistan, February 19th, 2014 )

The theme of the International Day for Mine Awareness and Assistance in Mine Action (April 4th) in 2014 was “Women in Mine Action ” focusing on the important role of women in mine action in safeguarding lives of people from the risks of mines all over the world. In this exhibition, a total of approximately 30 photos will be displayed that include images of female staff members in mine risk education and victim assistance photographed in through AAR Japan’s operation sites in addition to the photos exhibited at the United Nations Office at Geneva this year that gained a great popularity.
As a member organization of the International Campaign to Ban Landmines (ICBL) that received the Nobel Peace Prize in 1997, AAR Japan has been implementing mine action activities in different countries and contributed to the formulation of the Treaty . Let this exhibition be your opportunity to consider how mine action has changed in 15 years and what is currently needed to achieve a world free from mines . Any one is welcomed at free of charge.

Photo Exhibition “Women in Mine Action – Commemorating the 15th Anniversary since the Mine Ban Treaty”

Date: Wednesday 17th – Friday 19th December, 2014
Time: 17th and 18th from 14:00 to 17:00, 19th from 9:30 to 17:00
Location: Daiichi Kaigishitsu (the 1st Meeting Room) at Kensei Kinenkan
(1-1-1, Nagata-cho, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo)
Access from nearby stations:
－7 minutes walk from the Exit no. 2 of the subway station “Kokkai Gijido Mae
－5 minutes walk from the Exit no. 2 of the subway station “Nagata cho”
Admission Fee: Free (seating capacity of 100 people, please register in advance)

Organized by: AAR Japan
Supported by: the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Japan / the Japanese Diet Member’s League for a total Ban on Landmines
Assisted by: Salesforce.com Foundation / United Nations Information Centre, Tokyo

Since The Islamic State (IS) began its military campaign against Ayn al-Arab (Kobane in Kurdish), Northern Syria, more than 200,000 Syrians have crossed the border and fled to south-eastern Turkey in a month (UNOCHA, October 24th, 2014). Suruc County in the Sanliurfa Province, Turkey is an area, which has had a refugee influx AAR Japan has been conducting survey for families, who are taking shelters outside refugee camps and distributing food and basic necessities in this area. Yuichiro Yamamoto, AAR Japan staff member currently carrying out on-site activities in Turkey, has filed this report on newly-arrived displaced Syrians.

Relief Goods not Reaching Those who Take Shelter outside Refugee Camps

Many of the displaced people are taking shelter in abandoned buildings or warehouses with several other families. The floor is either bare ground or concrete slabs. The families cover the floor with blankets and sleep, but chilly winds and rain blow in through drafty walls and leaky roofs. The situation is dire for many families as relief goods have not yet reached most of them. Without any aid, some dig into their savings to get by, while others receive food and water from local Turks. In response, AAR Japan has distributed food and basic necessities to 50 families with the cooperation of Support to Life (STL), a local partner organization. AAR is now conducting survey on demographics and whereabouts of refugee families to prepare for the next distribution.

Yuichiro Yamamoto (left) is interviewing the Borohs who crossed border from Kobane to Suruc County in Turkey (November 6th, 2014).

Mr. Wael Boroh (34 years old, left in the picture above) and Mrs. Dilo Boroh ( 30 years old, right in the picture) owned a grocery store in Kobane, but they had to close their store and flee their home at the end of October due to the fierce eruption in fighting. They, together with their seven children, walked three whole days toward the Turkish border, and entered Turkey five days ago. A primary concern was making money with which to get by, and so they got a job of picking cotton in the town of Bozova through a contact of relative. Then, on November 6th, the Borohs hopped on a track with other families to the heart of Suruc County. During the interview, Mr. Boroh seemed exhausted, and said “I’ve lost everything; any help is now indeed appreciated. We are uncertain about what will happen tomorrow, even in a few hours ahead. I worry about what lies ahead.”

The destination that refugees reached was already jam-packed….

Among the refugees fleeing to the center of Suruc County, some were unable to find even abandoned houses or warehouses, and therefore must stay at buildings, which used to be funeral homes or wedding halls. A funeral home we visited on November 6th during our survey was filled to capacity. Three families including the Borohs (pictured below) who had just arrived there had no other choice but to seek another place to shelter. A woman who have been leading a refugee life at the funeral home watched them walk off with tears. No doubt she was trying to say, “Sorry I couldn’t be of any help to you. I hope you find safe place to refuge as soon as possible. Good luck!” It was really heart breaking. Every day, ever growing number of refugees are crossing the border into Turkey.

There were some one hundred refugees taking shelter in the funeral home at the time of our survey. During the daytime, many people go out, and thus the actual number of people taking refuge there is much higher (November 6th, 2014).

The refugee families finally got to a shelter, only to find no room left to stay. They had go elsewhere. Most families have many children (November 6th, 2014).

※Considering the political situation the refugees are in, the characters in this report are mentioned by pseudonyms.

Donation

Please extend your support to the refugees.

We are raising funds to support the refugees from Syria.
Click here for donation via internets (The payment can be made with paypal).

Postal transfer account No.: 00100-9-600:
Account holder: 難民を助ける会 (Nanmin wo Tasukeru Kai)
Please write “Syria” on the liaison column. If you need a receipt for your payment, please inform us by filling the liaison column.

【Reporter】Yuichiro Yamamoto, AAR Turkey Office.
Yuichiro is a Program Coordinator, posted in Turkey since October 2014. He worked as an educational consultant in Indonesia, and has bachelor’s degree from a university in the US and master’s degree from a postgraduate school in the UK. The Great Tohoku Earthquake brought about a certain spiritual change, and Yuichiro decided to join AAR Japan. Since then, he got involved in programs to support the disaster victims of the Great Tohoku Earthquake, as well as programs in Cambodia and Myanmar. (Profile at the time of posting)

Since the Islamic State (IS) began its military campaign against Ayn al-Arab (Kobane in Kurdish) in Northern Syria, 200,000 people have crossed the border to flee to Turkey, according to a report published by the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (UNOCHA) on October 24th, 2014. On November 12th, AAR Japan distributed basic daily necessities in the Suruc District of Sanliurfa Province, where a large number of refugees have sought shelter.

Life in Refugee Camps

AAR Japan delivered relief items to refugees who have been placed in a camp set up by the government in the Suruc District, Sanliurfa Province. The refugees receive food several times a day at this camp. However, those who have just arrived have few living necessities. They were very grateful to receive hygiene supplies and kitchen wares for their immediate use.

A truck was parked outside the camp in preparation for the distribution of relief items. Left: Yuichiro YAMAMOTO of AAR Japan

The family told us, “We want to live in peace as soon as possible.”

The whole family came to receive relief supplies.

Basic necessities were distributed in order upon the completion of registration.

(All those photos were taken in Suruc, Turkey on November 12th, 2014)

Daily necessities distributed to per family (8 members)

・Hygiene products:

5 soaps of 200g each, 700ml shampoo, 20l bucket, 2 towels (50cm x70cm each), 2 bottles of 500ml dish detergent, 1kg powdered detergent, 2 packs of 24 nappies, 4 packs of 10 sanitary items, 8 tooth brushes, 2 toothpaste tubes, 4 packs of 5 shavers, 1 jar of shaving cream, 8 pairs of underwear, 8 pairs of socks, 18l washtub, 9l dishwashing tub

・Kitchen wares:

Set of 8 dishes, glasses, spoons and knives, 1 kitchen knife, 1 wooden spoon, 1 frying pan, 1 food container, pack of 5 sponges

・Others:

4 blankets

Reaching Refugees in Dire Circumstances

A number of refugee camps have not been able to keep up with a drastic increase in refugee flows. Many people have been obliged to live outside the camps, with some seeking refuge with their relatives or acquaintances in the cities or villages, or living in warehouses or abandoned houses, using their saving s to survive. Support from the international community is not likely to reach such people because of the difficulties in locating them. AAR Japan is now conducting surveys on the demographics and whereabouts of refugee families to prepare for the next distribution.

*This activity has been possible thanks to your generous donations and the support of Japan Platform (JPF).

Providing activities to deepen people’s understanding of disabilities together with improvements of various school facilities

In Afghanistan, which has been suffering continuous conflicts for years, there are a lot of people living with disabilities due to damage caused by landmines and unexploded ordnance (UXOs). AAR has been spreading the knowledge on how to protect themselves from landmines and UXOs to villagers and school children, while providing support to victims and persons with disabilities.

AAR has installed ramps and constructed accessible lavatories to make it easier for children with disabilities to attend school in Khwowaja Sayaran Public School and Sediqi Public School in Parwan Prefecture.

Nangaray (19), who is visually impaired, is delighted with the newly-installed ramp, which made it much easier for to come to school. With Tamin (right), AAR’s local staff member (September 11th, 2014)

Together with the facility improvements, we provide activities for people to deepen the understanding of those with disabilities. In Afghanistan, there exists an idea deep-rooted among people that disabilities are a kind of shame, and should be held back from the public eye. A number of children with disabilities are unable to go to school, as parents also hold such an idea. All children, with or without disabilities, are entitled to education. In an effort to urge people to realize this and raise public awareness, we visit villages and schools to hold workshops. Our top priority is to enable children with disabilities to enjoy studying in schools with ramps and new accessible lavatories to meet their needs.

AAR visits villages and schools holding workshop to raise awareness about persons with disabilities. (June 23rd, 2014)

These activities have been supported by your generous contribution and a subsidy from Japan Platform (JPF).

【Reporter】 Tamim SHAMS, AAR Kabul Office

Japanese-English translation by Ms Motoko Komai
English editing by Mr Allan Richardz

The article on this page has been translated by volunteers as part of the AAR Volunteer Programme. Their generous contributions allow us to spread our activities and ideas globally, through an ever-growing selection of our reports from the field.

In Laos, many cluster bombs dropped during the Indochina War still remain in the soil as unexploded ordnance (UXOs). From 2010 to June 2014, AAR Japan set up a local office in Xieng Khuang Province, a province located in the north of Laos that has been badly affected, and provided various activities to reduce damage inflicted by UXO-related accidents.
From June 2013 to June 2014, AAR Japan provided training in first-aid techniques necessary to survive UXO-related accidents to 305 village health volunteers (VHVs) in 171 villages and 56 nurses for 22 health centers (HCNs). In 26 villages which had recently suffered many UXO-related accidents, AAR Japan provided workshops on first-aid techniques to a total of 1,300 villagers. In addition, with cooperation of a local organization, we prepared posters to have villagers know how to be alert in their daily lives to prevent UXO-related accidents and composed a song on the dangers of UXOs, offering them to the organization and radio stations.
Below is a summary by Noriko ANDO, an AAR Japan volunteer involved in the initatives, including the details of the hands-on training and workshops at the site and remarks from villagers.
AAR has installed ramps and constructed accessible lavatories to make it easier for children with disabilities to attend school in Khwowaja Sayaran Public School and Sediqi Public School in Parwan Prefecture.

Noriko ANDO instructs HCNs on resuscitation. (December 23rd, 2013)

“Does Urine stop bleeding?”Addressing problems caused by traditional treatments

There are still a lot of villages utilizing traditional treatments such as utilizing chewed herbs or urine on injuries to stop bleeding. These treatments often exacerbate the wound, necessitating more complicated treatments later at the hospital. In villages away from hospitals, VHVs appointed by village leaders provide medical treatment such as prescribing simple medicine. However, their ignorance of proper treatments could lead to the loss of lives that might be have been saved. AAR Japan provided a full explanation of the problems caused by traditional methods as well as proper first-aid techniques at workshops.
Some VHVs opposed our methods, remarking “I myself stopped my bleeding using these methods. They are effective,” “We have been told to do so since long time ago.” We explained the discrepancies, that “it was just a timely deed of urinating on the injury when it was time to stop bleeding,” “You will be infected with viruses through herbs,” “On clean rinsing of injuries at hospitals, herbs are stuck to injuries and become difficult to remove.” Although initially fazed by our remarks, the VHV’s listened and learned to treat injuries properly. Doctors in district hospitals reported in appreciation of our activities that the practice of using herbs to stop bleeding after AAR Japan’s training had ended, resulting in the decrease of complicated treatments at their hospitals.

Seryang, Xieng Khuang Office staff teaches how to stop bleeding of injuries when arms are amputated by UXO explosion. We apply gauze or clean cloth to a bleeding part and press it firmly against the injury. (September 24th, 2013)

Preparing for accidents through training

People in Laos were generally unwilling to practice CPR in our trainings. Similar to Japanese people, Laotians are shy and rarely take initiative in doing something in the presence of others. When they began to tackle the practice conquering their shyness, those in the last group resisted saying that they could manage after they had seen the action performed repeatedly. In response, local staff responded, urging them to realize that “just observing the action won’t enable you to carry it out on the spot during accidents and it is the VHVs’ duty to help villagers. Let’s practice to respond to accidents efficiently.” After practicing heart massage, the participants found it tough and exhausting and that it needed more power than expected. We told them that was why we needed as many helping hands as possible and they should take turns. We were able to share the importance of good teamwork in addition to improved knowledge.

We urge villagers, who are shy, to take turns at hands-on practices. On the left is Mai KAIZAWA, a staff member of the Xieng Khuang Office. (November 28th, 2013)

An unforgettable accident

At 7:00 a.m. on the last day of AAR Japan’s activities, there was a call to our office. A VHV from an adjacent district was on the line, stating that a “UXO accident has happened. We have performed first-aid treatment but the victim has stopped breathing. We want to transport him to a hospital but don’t have a car available. What should we do? Could you lend us a car?” It was approximately 60 km from our office to the site of the accident. We would not have make it in time. We asked “Isn’t there a health center or a hospital nearby?” but she repeatedly said, “We can’t go.” We remembered there was a hospital in the adjacent district with an ambulance and gave her their telephone number. However, the hospital didn’t answer her call, probably because of the early hours of the morning, and she called us again. We gave her telephone numbers of doctors at the hospital but there was no connection. 10 minutes later, she called me, saying, “He was dead.” I didn’t know what to say.
When I told this story to a local staff member coming to work that morning, he said, “The village is located on the opposite side of the river, which doesn’t have any bridges. They can’t go to a hospital without a car to cross the river.” Many villages in Laos still remain devoid of fully developed infrastructure such as roads and bridges. First-aid treatment is only a temporary means before transporting the injured to a hospital. It was an event which made us fully realize roads and cars for transportation to hospitals must be especially established too.

User-friendly learning materials―being comprehensible and helpful to villagers including children

In addition to providing hands-on training on first-aid techniques, we made posters and a song as learning materials for UXO risk education. The posters, song and notebooks were made with collaboration from the Xieng Khuang Branch Office of UXO-Lao, our local partner organization. The materials are being offered by its UXO risk education team as learning materials for UXO risk education. These materials have garnered a good reputation from villagers and staff members in charge of training on the spot, who said, “The song is excellent. It is written not only in Lao but also in local languages such as Hmong and Khmu. It can be sung by anyone and is easy to memorize,” “The pictures on the posters give us very clear massages. We use them when educating children.” In the training, we had VHVs sing and memorize the song while playing it on radio stations as well.

To UXO-Lao, our local partner organization, we provided posters to teach how to prevent UXO-related accidents. We had the education team review the poster and talked together about how to use it in the villages. (June 27th, 2014)

Notebooks are distributed to children after training contain points for users to pay attention to. They urge users to look out for dangerous behaviors in daily life and show how to change behaviors to prevent UXO-related accidents. (June 27th, 2014)

What we have in mind on the completion of our mission

Laotians always take their time and are inclined to think that problems will eventually be resolved. Since Laotians are often able to resolve their issues, we also tend to let them have their own way. Although some cases are better resolved with such attitudes on both sides, other cases don’t. The charm of Laos, Xieng Khuang in particular, is its beautiful green environment, moderate temperature in high altitudes, and comfortable and casual way of life despite daily inconveniences and unmet demands. We also appreciate their warm personalities which reminds us of the good old days in Japan.
In Xieng Khuang, more than 40 years have passed since the war, but the scars remain, threatening people’s lives. It is important to try to prevent further UXO-related accidents. People need to keep in mind what UXOs look like, where they exist and how they should be treated to prevent future accidents and put this knowledge into practice. Nothing is more significant than education to realize this goal. AAR Japan believes it has accomplished its mission in Laos and sincerely hopes that the song, posters and notebooks that were made will continue to assist the communities also into the future.

During training for VHVs, some villagers asked questions to Noriko ANDO. (November 14th, 2012)

【Reporter】 Noriko ANDO, AAR Japan Japan Xieng Khuang Office
After working as a university hospital as a nurse for 10 years, ANDO joined Japan Overseas Cooperation Volunteers (JOCV) to work in Laos for two years. After coming back to Japan, ANDO continued to work as a nurse for a while before joining AAR Japan Japan in February 2012. Working at Tokyo Headquarters, ANDO assisted activities in Xieng Khuang from October 2012 to June 2014. She is originally from Gifu Prefecture.

Japanese-English translation by Motoko Komai
English editing by Khan Kikkawa

The article on this page has been translated by volunteers as part of the AAR Volunteer Programme. Their generous contributions allow us to spread our activities and ideas globally, through an ever-growing selection of our reports from the field.

Pakistan accepts approximately 1.6 million refugees from its neighboring country, Afghanistan. The country has the largest number of Afghanistan refugees in the world. The north-west refugee camp, which hosts most of the refugees, and its surrounding areas do not have the infrastructure to provide them with access to safe water. In addition, a lack of toilets in this area is forcing the refugees to defecate outside. Children suffer from diarrhea and infectious diseases as a result of drinking unsanitary well-water contaminated with Ecoli and from not washing their hands regularly. Since 2011, AAR Japan has performed maintenance on wells and toilets in 54 elementary schools in Nowshera, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. In these schools, AAR also carries out hygiene education for the prevention of infectious diseases.

"I was able to help protect my mother from sickness"

Zahib (10), a fourth grader of Ghulam Rasoor Korona Elementary School is one of the students who participated in AAR’s hygiene education program. Zahib is the youngest of five siblings. Through AAR’s hygiene education program, he has developed a habit of washing hands and brushing teeth, and has been telling his family about the importance of maintaining good sanitation. He said, "the AAR staff from the hygiene education asked me to tell my family what I learned at school." As soon as Zahib got home, he told his mother to brush teeth every morning and wash hands before preparing meals and after excretion. The family even made a new rule that the family does not eat until his mother washes her hands. Before AAR’s hygiene education program, Zahib did not know the benefit of washing hands with soap nor that drinking unsafe water could be a cause of illness. Zahib gratefully told us, "I was able to share these things with my mother, so that she will not get sick. I think I am being helpful to her".

Zahib teaches his mother (right) how to wash her hands (Nowshera, August 8th, 2014)　　　　

Contests increase children's motivation

In a contest at school, Zahib and other students who participated in AAR’s hygiene education program demonstrated what they hadlearned. These students, known as "Hygiene Kids Leaders", pass on their knowledge to junior students. Competing in a contest also increases the students’ motivation. Zahib now shares his knowledge of hygienic practices not only with his siblings and cousins, but also with visitors from other villages. Zahib’s older brother commented that Zahib’s explanation about the hygienic practices was very easy to understand. Zahib’s father looked at him proudly and said, “I have also made the habit of clipping my fingernails regularly".

Zahib (right), who has become one of the Hygiene Kids Leaders, and Ihsan from AAR Pakistan office (left) (Nowshera, January 1st, 2014)

Zahib, his siblings, and cousins washing their hands with soap (Nowshera, August 21st, 2014)

"Our children do not suffer from diarrhea as much as they used to."

Zahib's father told us that he started cleaning the drainage ditch along the road every week based on what he has learned from his son. Zahib also encourages his mother to maintain good sanitation in the kitchen. "I think our children get diarrhea a lot less than they used to." says his mother. In the past, Zahib lived with more than 20 other people including his relatives in a residence that had only three toilets. Recently, three more toilets have been installed, allowing everyone to use toilets easily. They said, "We must thank the people from Japan. What you have done for us changed us and our lives. We are very grateful." It is evident that what the AAR staff has taught the children in school is spreading to their families and further to more people in the surrounding areas. AAR will continue providing support, so that hygiene education will take root in this country.

We have received a message from Zahib's family saying, "Thank you to all of you from Japan." (Nowshera, July 15th, 2014)

*This program was supported by a grant from Japan Platform (JPF) in addition to your donations.

Tamayo HARAGUCHI from AAR Pakistan office
After working as a nurse in Japan, Haraguchi became a Japan Overseas Cooperation Volunteer and provided medical assistance in the Marshall Islands. Haraguchi then worked for a number of NGOs, including AAR, where she engaged in various activities such as providing medical and maternal-child health assistance in Asia, Africa and former Yugoslavia. Haraguchi has been working in her current position with AAR since February 2012. Originally from Kagoshima Prefecture. (profile as the date of the article)

Japanese-English translation by Ms. Satoko Koyama

English editing by Mr Peter Bungate

The article on this page has been translated by volunteers as part of the AAR Volunteer Program. Their generous contributions allow us to spread our activities and ideas globally, through an ever-growing selection of our reports from the field.

Starting a small scale business in back yards

It is generally and universally challenging for persons with disabilities (PWDs) to have a job, earn his/her own income, and be able to live independently. Laos is no exception. In order to change such a condition, AAR Japan, in cooperation with Laos Disabled People’s Association (LDPA), is supporting PWDs in starting their own small businesses. Since July of 2014, we started a project to support PWDs with limited opportunities in getting a job, especially those in rural areas. The project provides assistance in starting small-scale business such as mushroom growing, sewing, and catfish culture that PWDs can engage at home or nearby. This report is on the catfish culture.

Why catfish?

In Laos, catfish is a very common food. Its market is less competitive in comparison to rice and meat, and the fish can be sold directly to the neighbors. It involves less labor, and is relatively easy for PWDs to start on. However, it is crucial that each participant has a strong motivation and commitment in order to succeed. Therefore, we asked each participant to bear a part of the start-up cost (equivalent of 2,000 Japanese yen) in the project, so that they have a strong motivation to continue their businesses.

Catfish fry, which was 8 cm, has grown more than double the length to 18 cm after a month (Above photo taken on September 4th, 2014. The below was taken on October 2nd, 2014)

The number of participants of catfish culture so far is 37, with participants spanning ages from twenties to fifties. The first step of the project was to teach the participants how to build the cement pond in their back yards. The pond is relatively small in size, 2d x 3w x 0.8h meters, which makes the work easier for the participants despite their disabilities. After giving lectures on the management of catfish, such as feeding, AAR Japan staff visited participants’ houses, providing 400 fingerlings to each participant. It is planned that when catfish reaches approximately 30 cm in size, participants would start selling them.

Constructing a pond in back yard. The participants helped each other to complete them. (August 7th, 2014)

Releasing the fingerlings. AAR continues to monitor the progress, making sure that catfish is not being overfed. (September 3rd, 2014)

The sales would help participants’ household income

One of the participants, Mr. Keo (42) lives in Vientiane Province and was born with a limb disability, which allows him to walk for only 100 meters at most. He lives with his elderly mother, and makes his living by making baskets out of bamboo and wicker and selling them. His family’s financial situation is dire; they often receive charity given by the Buddhist temples when sales of those baskets are not enough to buy food. When monitoring his pond, Mr. Keo’s expression is nothing but seriousness. “If the catfish grow well enough for sale, it would be a great help for the household income,” he says.

Mr. Keo had wanted to become an engineer, but now he devotes himself to catfish culture (September 3rd, 2014)

“I want to buy clothes with my own money”

Ms. Unheuang (40) has an intellectual disability and has difficulty with her memory, but keeps track of feeding her catfish every day. “When I sell my catfish and make my own money for the first time in my life, I want to buy some clothes for myself”. Ms. Unheuang, of whom we were told to be a quiet person, beamed with delight as she told us her dream.

Ms. Unheuang is excited over being able to earn money by herself (October 2nd, 2014)

Catfish grown close to 30 cm in the pond of the participant (November 13th, 2014)

AAR plans to provide catfish farming training for 120 participants during two and a half year period in Capital Vientiane and Vientiane Province as well as Xayaboury Province in the Project. We would like to continue our efforts toward the day in which PWDs who had secluded themselves from outside would be able to live their own lives as a member of the society just like any others.

Noriyasu OKAYAMA, AAR Vientiane Office
OKAYAMA has worked in AAR Laos Office since June, 2004. After graduating from university, he spent two years working in Bangladesh as a Japan Overseas Cooperation Volunteer. In prior to joining AAR, he also worked for an affiliated organization of the Fisheries Agency, and later stationed in Nepal as a representative of an NGO working for the rural development. (profile as the date of the article)

Japanese-English translation by Ms. Hanano Sasaki

English editing by Ms Lindsey Black

Creating common learning places, without isolating children with disabilities

In Tajikistan, generally speaking, children with disabilities either study away from their families, at boarding schools established specifically for them, or they simply stay home without going to school. When children with disabilities are isolated in such a way, however, they lose contact with society, and society continues to show prejudice against them. In order to try to change this situation, AAR Japan has been engaged in activities to enable children with and without disabilities to study together in same schools. These activities have been undertaken in cooperation with local organizations for persons with disabilities, Rushdi Incluziya and IRODA, at School No. 28 and School No. 72 in the capital city of Dushanbe since January 2014.

School No. 28 actually started accepting children with disabilities nine years ago, as a result of direct negotiations with principals and requests from parents. However, the physical environments of the school had been far from “barrier free.” AAR, in response, installed wheelchair ramps and renovated toilets in the above two schools to make it more accessible for children with mobility difficulties. In addition, with a view to facilitating acceptance of children with disabilities by school teachers, staff, parents and schoolchildren, we have held various events aimed at deepening understanding of children with disabilities and conducted trainings for teachers and other school staff members.

School No. 28 is now equipped with a wheelchair ramp. (July 30th, 2014)

The toilets without any partition were renovated into private toilets that can accommodate wheelchairs. (School No. 28, May 13th, 2014)

Schoolchildren naturally accepting children with disabilities

Sabrina (age 11, grade 4) is paralyzed on the right side of her body due to polio and cerebral paralysis, but has been attending School No. 28 in wheelchair for five years, with the help of her mother and brother. Today, thanks to the ramps installed by AAR, the wheelchair does not need to be lifted when entering the school building, and she can go to the toilet by herself. “I play with balls and read tales with my classmates. When I cannot read well, my friends always help me,” said Sabrina. Sabrina, who is always cheerful and good at making friends, naturally attracts schoolmates.

Sabrina (left), who goes to School No. 28 in wheelchair, shows her drawing to KAIZAWA (right), AAR Tajikistan Office staff. (October 2nd, 2014)

Happy school life promotes self-confidence

Evangelina (age 8, grade 2) suffered from a cerebral tumor and, as a result, has weak memory and is often restless. Her mother, Tatiyana, was worried about which school Evangelina should attend. Having heard about School No. 28 through a leaflet produced by a cooperating organization, she decided to send Evangelina to
School No. 28 in September 2013. Tatiyana said, “I was very anxious how other children would act towards Evangelina at first. But having seen many of them quickly becoming good friends with her, I am not anxious any more. By going to school every day and by being loved by other children, Evangelina’s self-confidence has increased. In my community, local people do not yet have adequate understanding toward persons with disabilities, and neighboring children do not play with Evangelina. That is one of the reasons why Evangelina is so happy with her friendly schoolmates here.” Her words eloquently tell how grateful and relieved she felt when she saw her daughter being received in such a friendly manner by the school and starting to enjoy her school life.

Evangelina loves school. On her right is KAIZAWA. (October 2nd, 2014)

Trial and error of teachers

In contrast to School No. 28, School No. 72 only started accepting children with disabilities at the time of the start of the support activities of AAR. One teacher here, Ms. Karimova (teacher for grade 1), is responsible for a boy with intellectual and developmental disabilities. “The boy has difficulties in speaking, and finds it hard to pronounce words that I am teaching in the class, and sometimes it takes him a long time to finish a sentence. Recently, however, he has been able to greet me well every day, and I am happy about it,” said Ms. Karimova. She told us that previously she thought that children with disabilities were better off studying among themselves, separated from other children without disabilities. However, having seen how other children interact with the boy with disabilities, and how the boy himself has developed his abilities, she started thinking that learning together, among children both with and without disabilities, may be a better way.

Ms. Karimova (left), a teacher at School No. 72, has been in charge of children with disabilities for one month. Within this role, “trial and error” is part of her everyday life. (October 2nd, 2014)

Extending inclusive education to other schools

A total of 77 teachers and other staff members, not only from School No.28 and School No. 72, but also from 56 other schools have participated in the training workshops organized by AAR. AAR also provides individual consulting services upon request. We will continue our program, with a view that the positive progress seen in these two schools can be extended to many other schools.

Mai KAIZAWA, AAR Tajikistan Office
KAIZAWA has been working for AAR Japan since December 2012. Having graduated from a graduate school in the United Kingdom, she worked in Cambodia as an NGO staff member, before joining AAR. “It is my pleasure to hear from children how much they enjoy their school life,” says KAIZAWA. She is from Kanagawa Prefecture. (profile as of the date of the article)

In Uganda, located in Central Africa, there is still a massive amount of remaining landmines and unexploded ordnance (UXO) as a result of the 40 year civil war. AAR Japan has assisted landmine victims since 2009 in cooperation with the Uganda Landmine Survivors Association (ULSA). Today, in Yumbe District in North Uganda, where there remains a serious issue of mine pollution, we offer assistance to 25 victims to start high-demand businesses such as general stores and beekeeping. We also provide them with guidance about business management. The following is the report from Margaret Arach ORECH, the Director of ULSA.

Supporting small businesses of landmine and UXO victims

Ms. Amina CHADIRU (age 35) stepped on a landmine and lost her left leg when she went to collect edible termites in July, 1997. After the accident, she was unable to have a stable job and did not have enough income to support herself. However, since she has started selling secondhand clothes with the support from AAR and ULSA , her income has increased. “My store has become well known in this area and now, I am able to send my six kids to school”, she said with delight.

Ms. CHADIRU lost her left leg in a landmine accident. A bicycle and old clothes were provided to her to start a business (May 13th, 2014).

The life of Mr. Amigo KASSIM (age 45) who lost his right hand as a child has also changed significantly with ULSA and AAR’s support. Mr. KASSIM received support to start a general store, and his business has caught on. He is now able to send his children to school. He is also able to contribute some money on ceremonial occasions, and people no longer treat him as an outcast in the community.

ULSA will cooperate with AAR to continuously assist landmine victims trying to become self-reliant by starting a business.

Mr. KASSIM can now afford enough food with the income from his general store, and his family has become healthier (May 13th, 2014).

Margaret Arach ORECH －Uganda Landmine Survivors Association
ORECH is the Director of Uganda Landmine Survivors Association (ULSA), as well as the Ambassador of the International Campaign to Ban Landmines (ICBL). In 1998, she lost her right leg when the bus she was on rolled on an anti-tank mine. She has been appealing the importance to solve landmine problems in international conferences. She is a single mother with five children. (profile as of the date of the article)

Japanese-English translation by Ms Yukari Onda

English editing by Mr Allan Richardz

Encouraging HIV-positive patients to continue medication

HIV/AIDS is generally understood to be a fatal disease. However, nowadays, by taking medication on a daily basis, patients can curb the onset and the development of AIDS, even if they are infected with HIV. Since 2000, AAR Japan has been implementing projects to raise awareness for HIV prevention, and has been carrying out a project supporting the education of children orphaned by AIDS in Zambia. In Zambia (located in Southern Africa), one out of every eight adults is said to be HIV-positive. Since January 2013, AAR has also been improving treatment facilities for HIV-positive patients in local clinics, and has been training local volunteers to support people living with HIV.

AAR has organized “AIDS Action Club” in four schools in Lusaka Province. The project aims to raise awareness of HIV/AIDS among local students. The club members convey information about HIV/AIDS to other students through entertaining activities such as plays and songs. (June 15th, 2014)

Medication can save lives

AIDS is one of the most common causes of death in Zambia. Since most of the victims are of prime working age, the disease has seriously affected the country’s economy and society. In collaboration with local and international NGOs, Zambian government has been making efforts toward HIV prevention and distribution of antiretroviral (ARV) drugs that stop the progression of AIDS. ARV drugs, however, must be taken at a designated time on a daily basis. If a patient forgets to take them, or stops taking them, the HIV in the body becomes resistant to the ARV drugs, and the medication becomes ineffective. As a result, the patient has to try a different kind of ARV drug. The types of ARV drugs available in the country are limited, so not taking the medication could have fatal consequences.

Mount Makulu Clinic staff and Tomomi AWAMURA, a staff member of the AAR Zambia Office, stand in front of a newly constructed treatment center for HIV-positive patients in the clinic. (July 1st, 2014)

Nevertheless, since there is still a deep-rooted stigma toward HIV/AIDS in the country, some people feel too embarrassed to go to a clinic. Consequently, they are unable to get proper medication, so their condition worsens, and some eventually die. Additionally, some people stop taking the medication because they feel better shortly after taking it; they believe they are fine and mistakenly think they do not need it anymore. It is, therefore, proving difficult to encourage the local people to continue taking their medication.

Building specialized medical facilities in clinics

In January 2013, AAR built specialized medical facilities for HIV-positive patients in three clinics throughout Lusaka Province. In these clinics, patients can receive ARV drugs in an environment that protects their privacy. In addition, AAR has reorganized medical records of HIV-positive patients in each clinic, so that clinic staff can easily see when the patient last visited the clinic and when they should come again. AAR has also been working on making an electronic database of all HIV-positive patients in each clinic.

A local staff member and Yuki SAKURAI (left), of theAAR Zambia Office, prepare to make a database of HIV-positive patients registered at Mount Makulu Clinic. (May 30th, 2014)

“I don’t want to lose any more loved ones to AIDS”

AAR has also trained 47 volunteers whose task is to visit the patients who missed their clinic appointment, and counsel them on starting to take their medication again. By the end of July 2014, the volunteers made 1,300 home visits. At one point, these volunteers discovered a patient in critical condition, and were able to save the patient’s life by immediately sending him to a hospital.

Albert MBUNJI (age 42) has been volunteering since February 2013. He said, “I lost my parents and three siblings to AIDS. I became a volunteer because I wanted to do something to help eradicate HIV. Since learning specific counseling techniques from AAR, I have been able to confidently deal with patients. There are some HIV-positive people who, because of the strong stigma, lose hope and their self-esteem, and in their despair they eventually stop taking their medication. Thanks to our actions, when these people decide to continue their medication and are able to live their lives with hope, I honestly feel overjoyed that I’m making a difference.”

Albert MBUNJI is a volunteer who supports HIV-positive patients.

As of now, the volunteers hold a meeting every week, sharing their experiences from home visits and learning about more effective ways of counseling.

AAR started a project to build a library where AIDS orphans can study and develop friendships with other children in the same situation. Your generous support would be greatly appreciated.

Let’s build a library for AIDS orphans! (only in Japanese)

Tomomi AWAMURA, AAR Zambia Office
Tomomi AWAMURA has been working at the AAR Zambia Office since May 2014. After graduating from university, she served an internship at an NGO specializing in supporting farmers in Malawi. She also worked in a private company, after which she joined AAR Tokyo Headquarters in May 2013 as a Program Coordinator in charge of program in Haiti.

Overcoming the conflicts and restoring hope

In Sudan, a peace agreement was reached in 2005, putting an end to the 21-year civil war between the north and the south. In 2006, AAR Japan started mine risk education.

When I visited a village called Shalalob to conduct a survey, I met a woman who was unable to take her child to a hospital due to a lack of money and a lack of access to a car. When she asked why we came to the village, we explained about mine risk education. She responded, “How come you are so eager to save our lives? Tell me where landmines are. I want to step on a landmine to put an end to my miserable life.”

The AAR team was shocked to hear her words. I realized that the lingering civil war had not only left landmines and unexploded ordnances (UXOs) in Sudan, but also left the local people in poverty, despair, and sorrow.

One of our local staff, Amaeim (center), explains what landmines look like and where they are likely to be found by showing a poster.

It is essential that we, AAR staff, help local people restore their hope for the future, in addition to educating them on the measures to protect themselves from landmines and UXOs. We took our time to convince her how precious her life is and how much her very existence means to those around her.

A week later, she came to the mine risk education session, held in Shalalob, and told us that she would support our anti-mine actions. While the protection against the dangers of landmines and UXOs is difficult, “the restoration of hope for the people in despair” is an even more challenging mission. However, the difficulty must not deter us from trying. AAR is determined to continue its activities for the people of Sudan.

One of our local staff, Amaeim, with the winner of a quiz show at the mine risk education session. (Kassala, January 29th, 2014)

Amaeim Mohammed Mohana, AAR Sudan Office
Amaeim has worked at AAR’s Sudan Office since 2007. She is the leader of the mine risk education team.

Japanese-English translation by Ms Yoko Natsume
English editing by Ms Kirsten Griffiths

The article on this page has been translated by volunteers as part of the AAR Volunteer Programme. Their generous contributions allow us to spread our activities and ideas globally, through an ever-growing selection of our reports from the field.

A large number of Syrian refugees have fled their motherland in the midst of the war and have taken shelter in Turkey. Yoshifumi KAWABATA, a photojournalist, reports on the refugee families. His first report is on a family who has arrived in Suruc in Turkey to flee from the threat of the Islamic State.

Bilal’s family, who have fled Syria, stay in a tent on a vacant lot in a suburb of Suruc. (November 2014)

“We have no clothes or food. We don’t even have dead branches to burn for warmth. We have lost everything,” Bilal (age 34) said mournfully. He, together with his wife and five children, fled a village in the suburb of Ayn al-Arab (Kobane in Kurdish) in the north of Syria to Suruc in Turkey.

Bilal said that back in Syria, the sounds of bombing in the distance had gotten louder day by day, and the open fire of automatic rifles could also be heard. He and his family had heard stories of the armed insurgents, the Islamic State. If civilians were found by the armed insurgents, they would be killed ruthlessly. If captured, they would be enslaved. Women would be taken to Iraq and be sold. These whispers caused their terror and fear to intensify. After a house four doors down from theirs was bombed, they talked with their neighbors and decided to leave their village.

Bilal (center) with his wife and five children.

They walked to Suruc, carrying their little kids in their arms for a whole day, but they had nowhere to take shelter in the town. At a loss, they asked advice from a Turk, who took the family to a middle of a field away from the town. However, there was no shelter prepared for them to protect against the rain or wind. There were only a few tents, where other Kurdish refugees, having fled Kobane just like them, were staying. They spent the night of their arrival on an abandoned large tarpaulin spread on the ground, but it was so intensely cold that they had to huddle together for warmth until the next morning.

The makeshift tent of Bilal’s family, made with a flimsy framework covered with a plastic sheet.

They now spend their nights in an insubstantial makeshift tent, made of a wooden framework and a blue tarpaulin that they bought from a Turkish dealer for 100 Turkish lira (about 5,000 yen), from the little money they had. Since they don’t have any carpets to lay on the ground and rain flows into their tent on rainy days, it is absolutely impossible for them to relax there.

“We have been unable to sleep due to the cold for days. Look at this. My daughter doesn’t even have shoes. She keeps shivering during nights,” said Bilal’s wife, Dima (age 32). Around this time of year, the temperature sometimes plummets to below zero at nights. There is too little wood for them to make fire for warmth or to cook. There is little food available and there are no kitchen utensils for cooking, so it is impossible for them to eat hot food.

Bilal is anything but a wealthy man, with no steady job. He used to earn a living doing occasional carpentry. Head lowered, he said he wanted to buy warm clothing for his children, but found it difficult to afford it.

Women doing the laundry with a limited supply of water.

“We have no hope ahead of us, but we have to survive,” said Bilal, whose words touched us deeply.

A Syrian family who are making a framework for a tent in a bleak empty lot.

※ Considering the political situation the refugees are in, the characters in this report are given pseudonyms so as to prevent them from suffering any disadvantages.

Interpretative Article: The Threat of the Islamic State

By Yoshifumi KAGEHIRA of AAR Tokyo Office, in charge of relief assistance for Syrian refugees

The Islamic State, a belligerent armed group, has been extending its power. The Islamic State originally called itself The Islamic State of Iraq and Syria, and commits itself to Islamic fundamentalism. Taking advantage of the chaotic conditions in Iraq and Syria, it has been expanding its domination. On June 2014, it declared the establishment of the Islamic State, which caused a great impact on the international community. Initially, most world media, including Japanese media, estimated that its expansion would be contained before long. However, it has been steadily extending its influence ever since. As of now, the domain of the Islamic State covers as far as northeastern Syria and northwestern Iraq. (See Figure 1)

Figure 1: The domain of the Islamic State

In various districts in Syria and Iraq, the Islamic State has been carrying out the persecution and suppression of local people. In particular, when it pressed forward with an attack on the north of Iraq in August 2014, it compelled Yazidis, who are native to the area, to change their religion. Its persecution is especially fierce towards people who are faithful to their own religious beliefs and reject conversion to Islamism. The Islamic State is said to have engaged in human trafficking and making their victims slaves. These kinds of attitudes and behaviors of the Islamic State have been creating enormous terror for people in Syria and Iraq.

Kobane in the north of Syria, where Bilal lived, and its vicinities (see Figure 2) became a target of attacks and an invasion by the Islamic State in mid-September 2014. The area’s military forces were unable to resist the attacks, and most of it fell into the hands of the Islamic State within a couple of days. In late September, the whole area was driven to the verge of total surrender.

The fact that the Islamic State has been persecuting local people in various places was known to the people living in Kobane and its vicinities. Their acute anxiety that they could be also persecuted if put under its domination was growing. To escape the domination of the Islamic State, they had no choice but to give up their houses and flee to Turkey. As many as 200,000 people, including Bilal’s family, were obliged to make the harsh choice of abandoning their own homes.

The battle in Kobane and its vicinities has reached a deadlock. Even if the Islamic State is repelled, it will not lead to the refugees’ immediate return to their hometowns, which have been seriously affected by fierce battles. For the time being, it seems that the day when these people are able to return home is far off yet.

Figure 2: Location of Kobane.

[Reporter] Yoshifumi KAWABATA
KAWABATA is a photo journalist. Travelling worldwide, he contributes photos and documents to magazines and other publications. In 2014, a set of five of his photos, “Refugee children from Syria”, won a gold prize at a contest sponsored by Japan Photographers’ Society (JPS). He has also published a book, “The world a photographer has seen - creeping on the ground is my job”, under Shinhyoron Publisher (Profile as of the date of the article).

Japanese-English translation by Ms. Motoko Komai
English editing by Ms. Fiona Chan

The article on this page has been translated by volunteers as part of the AAR Volunteer Programme. Their generous contributions allow us to spread our activities and ideas globally, through an ever-growing selection of our reports from the field.

On November 8th, 2013, a super typhoon (in Filipino, Typhoon Yolanda), the 30th named storm of the 2013 Pacific typhoon season, made landfall in the central region of the Philippines. Immediately after the typhoon struck, AAR Japan sent support by distributing relief goods and repairing homes in the most devastated areas of Northern Cebu, and in Tacloban City and Palo Town on the island of Leyte. While carrying out our emergency relief activities, we gave particular attention to assisting persons with disabilities (PWDs) - in which we have accumulated extensive experience in other countries. AAR continued providing aid until the end of October, 2014.

Pursuing the kind of aid only AAR could give

After the typhoon struck, there was no survey carried out to confirm the safety or conditions of PWDs in the above target areas. At that point, AAR stepped in, going door-to-door and documenting where PWDs lived and what kind of disabilities they had to ensure that nobody was left out from receiving emergency relief. In total, we collected information from 5,687 PWDs, and submitted the compiled data to local government units. In addition, AAR provided food and other relief goods to households with PWDs. During the goods distribution and door-to-door survey, we discovered that many PWDs in the target areas had lost their wheelchairs - their only means of transportation - due to the typhoon and tsunami. Moreover, governmental support for PWDs is still insufficient in the Philippines, and discrimination is a very real issue. As a result, PWDs are more likely to seclude themselves in their homes.

Providing tailored “legs”

In response to the plight that PWDs faced in the Philippines after the typhoon, AAR provided 40 wheelchairs and 27 walkers to PWDs with mobility difficulties in Tacloban and Palo, Leyte. To the PWDs, these wheelchairs and walkers are their “legs”. Therefore, it was essential to ensure that the type and size fitted each individual. Together with a Filipino wheelchair specialist organization, AAR had a “measuring session” to measure the length of each individual’s legs and assess their balance and posture. A “fitting session” followed, in which we adjusted the wheelchairs and had PWDs practice using them. Once we ensured the adjustments and correct usage, the wheelchairs were distributed. Afterwards, AAR continued to provide comprehensive support by conducting “follow-ups” to check if any of PWDs were having difficulties using their wheelchairs.

At the “measuring session”. In order to provide wheelchairs that fit each individual perfectly, we measured the legs of the PWDs one by one. (May 24th, 2014, Palo)

At the “fitting session”. The PWDs and their families practiced going up and down stairs in wheelchairs. (July 21st, 2014, Tacloban)

Going to the beach, drawing pictures . . . wheelchairs enabling dreams

Due to cerebral palsy, Yuu (19 years old) has difficulties walking. “Thanks to the wheelchair, I'm glad to say that I can use the restroom by myself now,” she said. She smiled and continued, “My mother takes me outside in my wheelchair twice a day. Sometimes, she takes me to the beach and I draw pictures there. I hope to improve my drawing skills.”

Yuu's (left) range of activities has widened, and her dreams have expanded. Next to her is AAR's Kazuya OMURO (right). (October 28th, 2014, Tacloban)

Crystal (11 years old), who has balance issues, had difficulty in sitting down on her own, and she was only able to eat if supported on her mother's lap. However, because of the wheelchair she received from AAR, she is now able to sit on her own for long periods of time. Her mother spoke of Crystal’s mental and physical improvements, and also mentioned that, “It feels like Crystal is now able to communicate better as well.”

Crystal used to spend a lot of time lying down. Now, thanks to her customized wheelchair, she is able to sit up (December 2nd, 2014, Palo).

In December 2014, another large typhoon struck the Philippines. In order to swiftly provide aid, AAR sent staff to the area beforehand. However, because the typhoon weakened during its course, and because people were now more conscious about preparing for disasters, the scope of the typhoon's damage was limited. As such, we deemed emergency assistance as unnecessary.

In the event of any future disasters, we hope that the PWD data AAR compiled last year will help in ensuring adequate assistance to PWDs, as well as the prompt evacuation of those in wheelchairs.

Our Philippines operation came to a close in December, 2014. We sincerely appreciate your kind support.

Kazuya OMURO, Tokyo Office
Between April and December, 2014, OMURO led the wheelchair operation in the Philippines, using his skills as a physical therapist. He says, “I know that PWDs are usually the most vulnerable in disasters, so it makes me happy to know if I have helped them become more prepared.” He is originally from Kyoto.

Japanese-English translation by Ms. Mariah Gomes

English editing by Ms Aline Thalong

The article on this page has been translated by volunteers as part of the AAR Volunteer Programme. Their generous contributions allow us to spread our activities and ideas globally, through an ever-growing selection of our reports from the field.

Women working in mine action all over the world

Fifteen years have elapsed since “the Mine Ban Treaty” (the Convention on the Prohibition of the Use, Stockpiling, Production and Transfer of Anti-Personnel Mines and on their Destruction) came into effect in 1999. AAR Japan, a member organization of the International Campaign to Ban Landmines (ICBL), contributed to the formulation of the treaty; it held a photo exhibition between December 17th and 19th, 2014 at the Kensei Kinenkan in Tokyo, showing the current situation of mine action in countries like Afghanistan and Sudan, which are contaminated with landmines, as well as efforts to deal with mine issues by Japan and other international communities.

One of the photo panels provided by AAR: Afghan girls watching a movie about mine/UXO (unexploded ordnances) issues and support for mine victims (Kabul, Afghanistan, March 2013)

The theme of the exhibition was “Women in Mine Action”, which was also the theme of the International Day for Mine Awareness and Assistance in Mine Action 2014 (April 4th). The exhibition focused on women in anti-mine actions. Around 40 photos were exhibited, including those exhibited at the United Nations Office in Geneva in the spring of 2014 that gained a great deal of popularity, as well as those taken at AAR operation sites. The following items were also exhibited: records of the Japanese government’s efforts to formulate the treaty, deactivated landmines, teaching materials used in mine risk education, and protective suits necessary for mine clearance.

The exhibition was held for only a three-day session, but as many as 200 people visited. (December 18th, 2014)

Many elementary school students also visited the exhibition. (December 19th, 2014)

Previous and current mine issues

On December 18th, the Ceremony of Photo Exhibition was held with guests from the following bodies in attendance: the Japanese Diet Member’s League for a Total Ban on Anti-Personnel Landmines, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan (MOFA), embassies, United Nations Information Centre, Japan, as well as concerned public and private donors.

Opening remarks by AAR President, Yukie OSA, who was involved in the formulation and negotiations for universalization of the treaty as a member of ICBL coordination committee, described the purpose of the event. Mr. Kenji KOSAKA, President of the Diet Member’s League for a Total Ban on Anti-Personnel Landmines, followed with his speech. This league, consisting of all-party Diet members, has been contributing to mine action as a political group since its establishment in 1997. Looking back on his experience at Asahikasei Factory in Shin Asahi-cho (present Takashima City), Shiga Prefecture, Mr. KOSAKA mentioned that in 2000 he pressed the switch to detonate the first of the one million landmines held by Japan with then Prime Minister Keizou OBUCHI and AAR Chairperson Fusako YANASE (Secretary General at that time), and that he detonated the last one three years later. He stated that he would like to continue making efforts to resolve mine issues in cooperation with those present at the event.

Mr. Kenji KOSAKA making a speech as a representative of the Diet Members' League for a Total Ban on Anti-Personnel Landmines (December 18th, 2014)

Mr. Shinsuke SUGIYAMA, Deputy Minister for Foreign Affairs, took the rostrum next. In Japan, with the 1998 ratification and subsequent conclusion of the Mine Ban Treaty, the government removed all stockpiled landmines except those used for research and training exercises, and has provided a large amount of financial and technical support through various projects to resolve the issues in other countries. He delivered a congratulatory address that touched on the history of formulating the treaty, the current state of mine issues in the world, the Japanese government’s efforts to deal with mine issues, and the significance of the exhibition held on the 15th anniversary of the treaty.

After the guests had looked around the photo exhibition, Chiaki FURUKAWA, who is in charge of mine action at the AAR Tokyo Office, reported on AAR’s previous and current efforts against landmines.

Approximately 200 people visited the exhibition over the three days. We would like to continue to tackle mine issues in various parts of the world and to promote educational activities at home and abroad, with the support from you.

The ceremony was attended by the ambassadors Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary to Japan of the following countries: Bahrain, Bosnia and Herzegovina, El Salvador, Estonia, Honduras, Nicaragua, South Africa, Venezuela, Zambia, and Zimbabwe, as well as other embassy representatives from Angola, Australia, Cambodia, Canada, Colombia, Germany, Greece, India, Kenya, Thailand, and the European Union. Ribbon cutting ceremony by the ambassadors and executive officers of the League: President Kenji KOSAKA, Vice President Katsuya OKADA, and Adviser Natsuo YAMAGUCHI (December 18th, 2014)

Several staff members of Salesforce.com Co., Ltd who have helped us arrange the exhibition hall (December 17th, 2014)

※ This photo exhibition was made possible through the support of the Diet Members' League for a Total Ban on Anti-Personnel Landmines and MOFA, as well as with the assistance of UN Information Centre, Japan, and Salesforce.com Foundation. Several staff members of Salesforce.com Co., Ltd were also involved in volunteer activities to prepare the display at the venue. We are extremely grateful for their support and assistance.

Natsuki MATSUMOTO, AAR Tokyo Office
Since April 2012, MATSUMOTO has been in charge of the public information and public awareness activities at AAR Tokyo Office. MATSUMOTO worked in the UN human rights agency as an intern while she was at graduate school, and has been with AAR Japan since graduation. (Profile as of the date of the article)

Japanese-English translation by Ms. Yuko Kawano

English editing by Ms. Rachael Lea Rhine