Send Your Hearts To The Children
J-AID Funds for the Japan Earthquake & Tsunami Orphans
1,533 Children Lost Their Father, Mother, or Both
835 in Miyagi prefecture, 538 in Iwate prefecture, and 160 in Fukushima prefecture, are the numbers of orphans caused by the East Japan Earthquake and Pacific Tsunami in three most damaged prefectures.
More Than 30% of Guardians Don't Have a Job
More Than 40% of Single-Female Household Don't Have a Job
Moreover, more than 30% of guardians who take care of orphans don't have a job, and more than 40% of single-female household don't have a job.
Soma County, Fukushima is one of the most damaged areas. Subsidence occurred in a huge area of the Pacific seacoast, and the tsunami washed out the remaining coastal area. Moreover, many areas of Soma County have been designated as evacuation areas due to radiation leakage from the accident at the Fukushima #1 Nuclear Power Plant.
The City of Soma has 48 orphans. The City set up “The Soma City Earthquake Disaster Orphan Scholarship Fund” to distribute $375/month for education and to assist with living expenses. J-AID will support this fund until all the orphans turn 18 years old.
Cities, towns and villages in the Pacific coastal areas met the catastrophic damage and lost many of their functions as governments. As a consequence, about half of the earthquake orphans haven’t received any relief funds yet (October, 2011.) J-AID has been making contact with all the local governments in the Pacific coastal areas of the three stricken prefectures to treat the earthquake orphan relief are as our important mission.
We use 100% of our membership fees, proceeds of events, and donations for our funds; however, there are too many orphans who need help, and this help needs to be long-term because more than half of the orphans are less than 10 years old. We’d like to ask for your generous donations, grants, and sponsorship. Without your help, we wouldn’t have made it this far.
Hidekiyo Tachiya
Mayor Of Soma City, Japan
A Letter From The Mayor
Dear J-AID 2011,
Thank you for the time and courtesy you have extended to us.
It has been five months since the earthquake disaster occurred. Devastated citizens have already settled in their independent houses; although these are temporary housings, they are starting a new life with these new houses. Disposal of debris, restoration of farmland, reconstruction of fishing are just beginning. However, we have strong will to pursue revival and development of Soma City step by step.
August 31, 2011
Hidekiyo Tachiya
Mayor of Soma City
13 Ootesaki Nakamura Soma City
Fukushima-ken, Japan 976-0042
Orphans who lost both parents: 46 (Sep. 7, 2011）
Orphans who lost their father or mother: 214 (Sep. 7, 2011）
Aid for Orphans who lost both parents: $6,250 from prefecture, $625 from city
Aid for Orphans who lost their father or mother: $2,500 from prefecture
The City of Ishinomaki has the largest number of earthquake orphans and the tsunami-damages are more severe here than anywhere else.
Two orphans in our city are teenage-sisters. They became orphans before the earthquake when their mother killed by cancer and their father died shortly after the mother’s death. The sisters moved to mother’s hometown to live with their maternal grandparents, and the grandparents became their foster parents. However, these foster parents were killed by tsunami in March 11th, 2011.
The older sister was 17 years old, and the younger sister was in 1st year of junior high. Their home was completely destroyed by the tsunami. These sisters have lost everything and have become orphans again.
