Action Plan under Recovery Assistance Project in 2013

In Fukushima prefecture, ADRA Japan is supporting efforts to revitalize agriculture, because massive swathes of farmland in eastern Japan were destroyed by the earthquake and tsunami of March 2011. It has also launched a human resource development program for young people, because youth will play a key role in regional reconstruction in the future.

（1）

Youth-Focused Human Resource Development
ADRA Japan is providing opportunities for young people to develop work-related skills, particularly for youth facing difficult challenges.
The organization has already had a positive impact on the lives of 262 young people through a range of initiatives, including a summer junior high school program in Tokyo, two corporate internship programs and a leadership training seminar for high school students. These programs have provided students with numerous opportunities to meet people and think about their plans for the future.

（2）

Agricultural Revitalization (Bridging Producers and Concerned Mothers)
We want to show consumers what specialist organizations and organic farmers are achieving in Fukushima. We are promoting mutual understanding by creating opportunities for the prefecture's agricultural producers to interact with consumers, who are concerned about issues such as food safety.
In 2013, we mainly built relationships with public radiation monitoring stations and held exchange programs for people interested in such issues. There were only 15 participants, but everyone was able to deepen their understanding and build relationships of trust, so it was possible to continue to expand the program.

Episodes

（1）

Students from Futaba-Shoyo High School in Fukushima offered hot footbaths and steaming bowls of suiton dumpling soup to cheer up people living in temporary housing in their home town of Okuma. The students gathered after class and started from scratch to plan the project. The event was well-received by participating residents. "This warmed my feet and my heart," one person said. "I'd like to do something with the students again." The students also reacted positively. "It was fun talking with people from the community," said one young person. "I'd like to do this again." It looks like this activity will continue to expand throughout the region as a way of promoting community interaction.

（2）

A group in the city of Hachioji, Tokyo, held an exchange event for young people from the city of Nihonmatsu, Fukushima, who are involved in a new green tourism venture (January 2014).
Young agriculture producers from Fukushima prefecture are trying to reduce the risk of product contamination by publicly sharing such information, They held a face-to-face meeting with urban consumers. It was a great opportunity for both producers and consumers to get to know each other.

Future Plans

(1) Support for human resource development for young people in Fukushima

-

Through a range of meetings and experiences, the students will acquire beneficial skills and link their schools with the outside community (colleges, companies, organizations, etc.) to broaden their interests and expand their potential.

-

Students will build connections with the community to help plan local events and activities.

-

Teachers and members of the community will take part in the aforementioned activities to acquire new information and skills.

(2) Support for agriculture restoration (Connecting Producers and Concerned Mothers)

-

Create and distribute a promotional booklet, "Measure, Know, Live," on radiation in daily life.

-

Empower young mothers in Fukushima by holding educational workshops and measuring air-borne radiation levels in communities.

-

Conduct on-the-spot inspections of marine radiation levels, introduce radiation countermeasures and share the results (Project Fish).

-

Create and run a website to relay clear, accurate information on radiation levels.

-

Conduct exchange programs with agricultural producers in Fukushima prefecture.

Determination

（1）

We are building connections between people throughout Japan, including Fukushima prefecture. We're providing young people with opportunities to meet lots of people and gain a wide range of experiences by supporting activities that will encourage them to participate in regional recovery efforts.

（2）

We plan to provide comprehensive support to producers and residents of Fukushima prefecture. We'll report on radiation countermeasures in the fishing and agricultural industries, while empowering residents through counseling and community-based radiation monitoring.

Other

First-year students from Fukushima Prefectural Futaba High School have independently come up with ways to ensure that the community loves the UNIQLO Onahama store. From March 17 to 19, 2014, the students will work at the store as interns. They'll implement their own ideas and create a store that will be loved by all. We look forward to seeing what they will develop.