March 11th, 2011 at 2:46pm, an earthquake hit as close as 80 miles off the coasts of Japan. Japan suffered through uncountable aftershocks every few minutes, and up to 10 meters tsunami that destroyed the northeastern coasts of Japan. Although Japan is known to be one of the most prepared countries for earthquakes and tsunamis, this natural incident gave the people in Japan between 30 seconds to 30 minutes of warning before the tsunami hit.
This is some of the facts that you can find on the news. But what we are not able to understand is the feeling and the state that the people in Japan are going through today. I could only imagine how it feels like to be homeless in one day, striving to survive each day in snowing weather, searching for homes with running water, and trying to search for missing family members or belongings from what used to be their homes.
My name is Emi and my father’s side of the family lives in a small town in the Iwate prefecture, which is a part of the northeastern Japan. The small town called Yamada consists of roughly 20,000 people and now approximately 5,000 people are homeless. That’s ¼ of the town… Additionally, about 400 people killed and about 800 people still missing. Electricity comes and goes in some areas of the town, water is scarce, and phone lines are mostly out. We have not been able to reach our family directly still to this day. However, we have heard through family members in Tokyo that they are all okay.
Even in these devastating conditions, people in Japan are still supportive and giving to families and neighbors. There are many touching stories from all over Tohoku, Japan. Although Japan may seem better off than other countries, the victims still need the help and support. My family, friends and I are hoping to be a part of assisting those in need and for rebuilding the affected areas back to how it used to be, which will take many months, maybe even years. As for now, while we wait for people in Japan to figure out what assistance they need, we can make donations to reliable charities for immediate support.
A charity called
Soles 4 Souls that distributes donated shoes to people in need,
WE are collecting gently worn shoes (of any sizes) to deliver to earthquake and tsunami victims in Japan. I am asking for your help to look through your shoes to see if any can be donated, and to bring it with you to The Tuesday Blend. It would be greatly appreciated by so many souls. :]
http://www.facebook.com/#!/notes/tuesday-blendproject/emis-project-for-japan-tuesday-blend-project-april-5th/121180834623782
