Hope Following Disaster: Peace Winds built homes and community in Kumamoto and beyond

Peace Winds’ evacuation center.

Japan – Peace Winds has been actively implementing recovery efforts in Japan after the Kumamoto earthquakes in April 2016. The City as well as the whole of Japan lie within the Ring of Fire: an area outlining the Pacific Ocean Basin notorious for frequent earthquakes and volcanic eruptions.  In addition, the region is disaster-prone, susceptible to year-round flash floods, landslides, and typhoons.

Peace Winds continues its work in aiding more than 1,500 families currently living in temporary housing. To date, projects have prioritized providing families with basic necessities including adequate shelter, clean water, and food. Due to the nature of the Kumamoto earthquakes, Peace Winds provided critical medical assistance to residents affected by the disaster as well as established a mobile medical clinic for immediate and consistent care, an evacuation center for future use and provided vehicles to be utilized for future evacuations, and transport of medicines and patients. Counseling and therapeutic services have also been integrated into programming for sustained recovery efforts.

This established infrastructure provided life-saving care, again, during the 2018 floods and typhoons. During the earthquake of 2018 in Hokkaido, Peace Winds also provided similar services including search and rescue teams followed by immediate medical and relief assistance. In this disaster, we continue to assist families who lost their homes in accompanied mudslides.

Peace Winds has implemented programming to boost morale and build community through hosting community-building activities and celebrations during Christmas and New Years holiday season. We have targeted programs that engage senior citizens as these individuals are increasingly vulnerable during disasters. Efforts to strengthen community bonds included scheduled home visits, providing tea and snacks as well as hosting activities like karaoke sessions. Most recently in November, Peace Winds also provided funding for two animal shelters, the Nishihara Cat Village and the JyotofullDog Shelter. During recent disasters, many residents with animals were not able to care for them within their temporary housing, so Peace Winds stepped in to provide services that included supporting two animal shelters, training staff and volunteers, as well as provided food, grooming, and training services. We believe these animals provide crucial emotional support to those affected by the disasters and are critical to long-term recovery efforts.

Staff hand out supplies to community members.

Peace Winds has raised more than $90,000 USD to fund relief efforts having reached and raised our fundraising goals twice due to your generous donations! We appreciate your continued support as we bridge the Pacific to serve the communities of Kumamoto and beyond.

READ MORE about Peace Winds’ programming following the Kumamoto Earthquake.

DONATE HERE to support communities in Japan recovering from disaster.