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Japan October 2011 -- FBF Trauma Team Returns to Japan |  | | | William Spear addresses the first group of volunteers at a training for the Kizuna Project in Tokyo. |
Seven months after the devastating events of March 11th sent Japan into a never before seen ecological crisis, much environmental degradation can now be measured in the outer landscape of the affected areas. We might have previously thought the word "hotspot" referred to a place we might pick up a strong Wi-Fi signal, but in today's Japan the word more often warns of radioactivity in city gutters, schoolyards and even town squares. The government continues to focus only on damage control rather than real solutions, with the impact of this disaster growing increasingly more widespread than once thought possible.
Our return to this resilient island nation (promised after the successful work we did during two weeks in May) was a challenging ordeal. Originally, the groups we worked with on our first visit indicated an eagerness to learn more of the skills of working with children who were traumatized by the earthquake, tsunami and ongoing threat of radiation. In the month prior to our arrival, one group was concerned about not being able to accommodate the hundreds of volunteers ready to enroll in our trainings. We organized the team and set the effort in motion, confirming discounted hotel accommodations, translators, flights and other ingredients needed to use our time efficiently and have the greatest impact.
The first training on this visit took place at the Kizuna Project meeting space where we had worked previously. Although fewer volunteers than we had expected signed up for the Saturday afternoon session, the participants got far more than a run-through of the playgroup exercises and trauma manual we had focused on before. William Spear, who developed the exercises after the 2004 tsunami struck Indonesia, opened the three-hour event with an exploration of how trauma impacts children and what volunteers can do to help mitigate these factors to prevent PTSD. Translator, Sadao Miyamoto, again accompanied the group, paralleling the English outline on the board with the Japanese kanji as most of those present spoke little or no English.
After a short break, the team removed desks and chairs from the space and Jonah Spear took the group through the ten exercises, stopping occasionally to detail more specifics about how they worked to release tension, develop flexibility and externalize repressed emotions in a safe, non-threatening atmosphere of play.
The session closed as participants and facilitators sat in a circle and shared their experience. Comments and feedback confirmed that this training, like those planned over the next 10 days, will not only help relieve the volunteers of their own discomfort and inhibitions around facing trauma, but more significantly prepare them to better handle future events should they arise.
Committed to teaching men to fish, rather than just buying them dinner, means that this group of volunteers will surely utilize what they learned that afternoon both now and in the future. The remaining posts are in reverse order, from the most recent to the oldest, and you can read through the journals of our entire visit by scrolling to the end of this page and reading upwards.
If you are coming here again, the most recent post is below this one.
Click HERE to see more images from the workshops
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The Kizuna Volunteers Return for More - Our Final Workshop in Japan in October, 2011 |  | | | Jonah leads the Kizuna volunteers through an improvisational release of pent up energy as a spontaneous dance breaks out. |
Kizuna was a great host and we are grateful for all they did to support our work. Thanks especially to Hideo Nagano for his long hours of hard work prior to our visit.
Before our portion of the workshop with the Kizuna project began, Nagano-san spoke to the group and introduced some of his volunteers. From them, we learned about some of the other ongoing efforts to relieve stress and offer assistance to the families directly affected by the radiation problems around the Fukushima plant. Families without the resources needed to relocate on their own are now taking their children on trips outside the zone so that they can play outside because the ground around their houses is irradiated. How horrible! These volunteers are constantly reminded of the invisible threats of radiation and the ever present reality of a changed paradigm about their physical safety. Needless to say, they were ready to do some work to express their own feelings and release weeks of pent up energy in a dance Jonah created on the spot.
As some of the volunteers present had previously experienced earlier versions of our work, we were able to move to a new level. One volunteer who recently spent some time with kids at a summer camp outside the evacuation area reported that when she was playing games, many of the children said they wanted to destroy Fukushima. In fact, Fukushima has become an object of hatred and anger for many children - they blame the plant for all their problems. In many ways, they're right. It is normal to see the mindset of parents reflected in their children and while it's tragic that we cannot change the circumstances anytime soon, it is at least good to hear they are expressing rather than repressing their experiences.
William continues to refine his presentation according to the changing needs of the audience and to relate this work to today's events - earthquakes in Peru, flooding in Thailand, growing anger and distress in Japan. Indeed, while the world seems to be getting more erratic, perhaps the term "disaster" can most easily be averted by increasing people's preparedness to respond to earth's way of maintaining balance.
After the didactic portion was complete, Jonah began another interactive, experiential session like nothing we'd seen before. The group was surprisingly responsive and Jonah invented a few hilarious new ways to move through the exercises focusing, as we're more inclined to do, and proceeded without the use of a translator. The work lasted about 40 minutes - all without words - and culminated in a very lively feedback session.
Results of the surveys and a collection of feedback comments will be shared in the next post.
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Denial as a Form of Coping: What We Really Learned on this Visit |  | | | Japan is a microcosm of a world living in denial |
The momentous earthquake and tsunami that struck Japan more than eight months ago is little more than a blip in most people's memory here in Sendai. Despite the fact that almost 25,000 people are now listed as dead from this disaster and those living in the Fukushima region remain under the constant threat of continued, massive radiation contamination, most of those we met these days were more interested to move on and forget the past than to examine their own repressed emotions, impotent anger and deep despair at what is happening here.
Once while attending a training session with Elisabeth Kubler Ross in the mid 1980's, I was working with a man who was forced to watch his wife and parents be put to death in a German concentration camp. His overwhelming rage and grief had brought him to seek help at one of the public sessions that served as our training ground for the process work for which Elisabeth and her foundation became well known. As a part of the training process, Elisabeth would sit behind the trainees and quietly coach them as needed in the next move each of us attempting to learn what to do to facilitate the release of distorted emotions.
After working through a considerable share of his pent up rage and deeply held anguish, this seventy year old, grey haired gentleman seemed to come to a plateau and sat in a thick, eerie silence. "Is there anything more?" I said to him, ready to help him work through another layer. After a few seconds of thought, he shook his head indicating he was finished working something his body language seemed markedly at odds with. As I leaned slightly forward from my pillow placed next to where he sat on a mat, I felt Elisabeth's hand clamp down on my shoulder as she whispered in my ear, "You have no right to take someone out of denial."
In the decades since, working with victims of incest, rape, satanic rituals, torture, genocide and every conceivable form of loss, betrayal, terror, rage, loss and hopelessness, I can think of no more valuable teaching when working with survivors of disasters. If only I could recognize every instance when being a sacred witness to suffering was in fact more powerful than pulling back the protective veil people use to survive such unthinkable memories I might be of greater value to those we've met here in Sendai.
And thus in Japan at the moment it is the heart-wrenching denial we find so evident in the people we met on this visit. For the good, shifting our work from an attempt to benefit those already suffering to one of "preparedness" for future possibilities gave us little choice but to follow their lead and adjust our workshops to review the past in a more comprehensive (rather than specific) way. This resulted in the creation of what has become a successful module of three hours, the first one of which was a didactic overview of how PTSD develops and can be prevented. The second hour, almost purely experiential and without commentary, takes participants through the entire set of exercises and movements we created for children in "playshops". The final hour repeats and reviews the exercises in more specific detail, explaining how and why they were developed and how each one fits into the prevention model we ultimately deliver.
While the cost:benefit ratio of this visit may not be as evident as our first trip, we still have had a significant impact on those with whom we did work; more importantly, the result of our experiences here this time has given us this new concise framework to present as a training for preparedness.
More from Jonah on the last workshop we did in Tokyo in our next post.
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FBF Team Returns to the Coastal City of Sendai -- North of Fukushima |  | | | Volunteers assemble for a workshop on trauma preparedness held at a community center in Sendai |
We returned to Sendai, the city that made international headlines when their airport was closed after flooding from the tsunami. Still bustling, the downtown area is back to normal but many residents seemed numb and disconnected as a result of the shock of March 11th. We conducted a workshop at a new community center, an important neighborhood resource that still functions as a hub for volunteers who come to the area to help in the aftermath. Many volunteers sleep in the center. This workshop was organized by Mr. Morita, one of the school administrators with whom we worked when we visited Sendai in May.
As the group began to assemble, we decided to reduce the presentation (teaching) time and increase the time spent going through the playgroup exercises.
We received excellent feedback from our survey with nearly all the participants giving us high marks for an afternoon they will remember when working with many families and children still suffering from this tragedy. While it's easy to be disappointed at the low turnout, we were reassured that those we taught will pass on these skills to others dealing with their displaced friends as well as being better prepared to help children in the future.
We still need financial support for this trip. Please click on the link to visit our new portal, FBFGlobal and learn how your donation can help cover our expenses. The US Dollar has never been lower against the Yen. At one cafe we visited, a cup of coffee was $12! |
Driving Through Fukushima Prefecture |  | | | We drove North from Tokyo outside and to the West of the evacuation zone. |
Many of our friends (and family members) were understandably concerned about our exposure to radiation during our return visit to Japan. Naturally, we followed a strong macrobiotic diet which included miso soup and seaweed prior to our departure and were very careful to reduce or eliminate the intake of sugar and fruits. We also purchased top-of-the-line radiation detection equipment before we came in May and have had these with us every step of the way this time.
We all recalled the eerie feeling when we first drove through the affected area in May, sensing the release of radiation that spiked our detectors a bit as we drove north from Tokyo and passed West of the Daiichi Power Plant. On this visit, while we drove essentially the same route, we had less of a feeling of exposure; in fact, the cumulative dose we've received thus far equals about two dental XRays (something I haven't done in 5 years, so maybe that evens things out!). The dosimeter barely exceeded .07 m/h for those of you that follow these numbers. Places in Tokyo and suburban areas have recorded levels of .79 m/h which added to our overall exposure.
Bottom line: we're safe, having miso soup daily, eating well, lots of seaweed and melt-in-your-mouth nori and ever mindful of the 90,000 people who were made to move from their homes into temporary housing because of the continual radiation still being released from the nuclear power plant.
Our workshop in Sendai at the Hachihonmatsu Community Center will be our next blog. For images of this training, click on Global Outreach on the menu bar to the left and then find the Images link at the top right. |
Below are our reflections on Japan's immense disaster before we departed at the end of our visit in May 2011. That first trip took us to the areas devastated by the tsunami and earthquake where we worked with children, teachers and volunteers to help in the recovery process. To read our entire journal, please scroll to the bottom of this page and work upwards as you read. |  | | | Japan's Emperor Akihiro and Empress Michiko bow before ruins caused by the earthquake and tsunami that struck the Northeast region of Japan. They continue to meet regularly with survivors of this disaster by traveling to the evacuation centers and hospitals. Their humility and compassion is profoundly inspiring to local volunteers and caregivers working in the affected area. |
After nearly two weeks in this beautiful land, we departed with a mix of deep sadness and renewed hope. What we witnessed during our time here was unimaginable. We surveyed destruction far more vast and widespread than any previous country we've visited; more importantly, we heard stories from dozens of individuals who recalled the terrifying earthquake and the subsequent tsunami. While their homes and businesses may have disappeared, their fears and grief remain. Of course all this is compounded by the ever-present danger of no less than three nuclear reactors that are still leaking untold levels of radioactive isotopes into the surrounding environment.
The consequences of this triple hit of "earthquake, tsunami and nuclear calamity" demand more of a response from the international community than is presently the case. News of what is transpiring in Japan every day is no longer present in the mainstream media despite the fact that the death toll and property damage is nearly 100 times worse than that recorded by the recent devastating tornadoes in the USA.
In the world of disaster relief, it is unfair to compare one disaster to another. A particular region's pain and loss is as great as any other regardless of the statistics that accompany the event. Having said that, I am still awed by the minimal attention span of international audiences to major catastrophes when a new incident displaces the focus on a population in need. People addicted to the never-ending news cycle often beg for immediate gratification and juicy gossip, so when a politician admits an affair or a new candidate utters an inane comment, all eyes seem to turn away from the dire needs of those left behind in the wake of a tsunami or the crumbled ruins of an earthquake and the thousands left homeless. How quickly we have moved past the hurricane in New Orleans, the earthquake in Haiti and now this disaster in Japan. How sad it is, indeed -- but at the moment, our team will not move away. We are honored to continue the work we came to start, and we reaffirm that commitment.
When we undertook this effort, we had little advance contact in Japan. Having been formally rebuffed by many official government agencies, we felt certain our work would benefit those affected so we forged ahead. It was only in the week before we arrived that we began to make contacts that led to our first workshops.
Once we arrived in Tokyo, not only did many people welcome us but also it was through their individual efforts that we were able to be even more effective. We therefore owe a tremendous debt of gratitude to all of those friends who supported our efforts on the ground. The management and staff of the ANA and Intercontinental Hotel Group, Clarence Tan, Colin Mccandless and Ben Johnson, immediately provided important logistical support and accommodations. We are very grateful for all they did to make our stay so comfortable and efficient. We soon met and worked with our angel volunteer, Tsukiko Takahara, and our translator and coordinator, Sadao Miyamoto. Without their advance work and continued support throughout our entire stay in Japan, we could not have come to nor been effective in Japan. Our deepest thanks for your tireless efforts and extraordinary work.
During our visit, we made countless new friends and important relationships that will result in an ongoing joint effort to prevent more serious mental and physical health issues; however, this depends on the support we are able to secure on both sides of the globe. In Kofu just two hours west of Tokyo, our developing alliance with the nurses association and their wise elder, Ms. Hiroko Mochizuki promises huge opportunities to train and work with health care professionals throughout the region. In Sendai, our work with the Shokei Gakuin High School left both students and faculty asking for more. Hitoshi Morita, the curriculum coordinator there, has extended a warm offer of continuing cooperation to take us into other schools and PTAs and their partners throughout the affected areas and we intend to accept this offer on our return. In Ishinomaki as well as other areas in the Miyagi Prefecture, our work with volunteers from the Miyagi Network and their tireless coordinator Abe Hiroyuki promises to provide innumerable openings for many more workshops with children in the evacuation centers. And in Tokyo, our good friend Hideki Nagano and his wonderful volunteer effort The Kizuna Project continues to make himself available to host additional trauma care trainings with his group of hundreds of followers.
At our workshops and trainings, we had the pleasure to meet gifted singer, Sonoko Iwasaki, journalist, Tsukika Haneda, famed Santoor player Setsuo Miyashita, and his beautiful partner and activist Mie, performance artist, Natsuko Nakatani, complementary health counselor, Yuriko Fujiike, firefighter, Ka Ryu, filmmaker, Stu Levy, chef extraordinaire, Mayumi Niimi, children's book author, Nana Mirai, and many others too numerous to mention. To every one of these wonderful, new friends we offer our deepest thanks and heartfelt appreciation for your support and kindness.
With help from these and others in Japan who are working behind the scenes to secure new opportunities for our return, we in the US and at Fortunate Blessings are already developing ways to strengthen the work, include additional volunteers to create multiple teams and ultimately build a credible, effective base of local caregivers throughout Japan to foster a greater understanding of and response to mental health issues as they relate to this disaster. To that end, we welcome contact from volunteers and professionals in the wider community who wish to keep their focus on the mental health needs of the Japanese people -- especially children -- who have suffered terribly since March 11th. It is out of our shared deep concern for their well being, and for the greater good to relieve suffering, that we will continue. We do need ongoing financial support in order to continue and so we humbly ask all who have taken the time to follow our efforts to renew their support and donate to this important cause. We are moved to "bear one another's burdens" as is taught in all the world's great religious practices and hope you will join our efforts.
From the Fortunate Blessings Japan Trauma Team, we thank you for all you have done to help us make this first trip to Japan a great success.
William Spear, Rony Berger, Jonah Spear and the staff of the Fortunate Blessings Foundation in the USA.
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The Kizuna Project Volunteer Training, May 19th |  | | | Volunteers of the Kizuna Project in Tokyo stretch, laugh, make noise and join in. -- http://kizuna-project.jp/ -- |
The culmination of our workshop schedule brought us back to Ebisu, an area of Tokyo where the Kizuna Project volunteers hosted an event led by our friend and constant companion of the past ten days, Hideki Nagano. Nagano-san created the Kizuna (Japanese for "bond") Project to support children in the affected areas. Working tirelessly since March 11, he has amassed over 10,000 followers on Twitter and continues to organize and promote activities throughout the area in an effort to be of service to those in need. We were given less than an hour to present to the group after other volunteers who'd been to Ishinomaki, Kesennuma and Fukushima reported on their own unique experiences. Many volunteers had been doing very interesting work including Natsuko Nakatani's "story boards" that engaged children in a fascinating way. We hope she will join us on future visits.
Jonah, Roni and William agreed that the group was growing weary of sitting, so rather than begin with a teaching, we launched right into stretching, exercises and general expressive processes that engaged the 50+ members in attendance. Most were volunteers who shared a desire to help kids in any way possible, ready to move rubble, read stories, play games or baby-sit as a way to give parents a break and lend a hand. Many of these volunteers were untrained (a few were musicians, therapists, artists and social workers) but all were very willing to learn our methodologies and dove right into the work.
The participants in the room produced more vocal expression in this workshops than at any other training we conducted. Despite having a sense that there were many "proper" Japanese men and women who might otherwise be inclined to push their emotions down, we were more than pleasantly surprised to go far beyond the average "limit" of output in our work. Jonah, sensing this, created a new "dinosaur egg hatching" exercise that had everyone in hysterics. Each newly born Tyrannosaurus Rex emerged more fierce than its neighbor and the crowded conference room soon filled terrifying roars and a show of glistening canines. We have a video as evidence of this phenomena which we hope to post soon. Even Tsukiko-san's son Haru (correct spelling?) joined the fun from onstage -- needing no translation at all to play the game.
It was all great fun and hard work, brought to a fitting close by Jonah's very effective heartbeat process. Rony then spoke briefly, urging people to bring meaning to the work and reflect on the process beyond the "games." This is done to integrate their feelings with the work and take away a sense of liberation from tension and stagnation. We asked for feedback and again were pleased that so many shared both their personal feelings and an overall appreciation for the workshop.
Nagano-san then reiterated his commitment to work with us in the future (as did other volunteers) and we promised to return for additional trainings in the coming months. It was a great day, followed by an appreciation "party" for all the volunteers at a nearby cafe. There were comments by Nagano-san and others, and we finally had a chance to meet and talk with many special new friends.
The next post will be our last, summarizing the work we've done and outlining our plans for future visits.
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A Day With the Wise Women in Nursing, May 18th |  | | | The Japan Trauma Team (L to R): Rony Berger, Jonah Spear, Nurses Association Elder Mochizuki Sensei, William Spear; our friend Nana-san who brought us to Kofu |
Today we took a 2-hour train ride out to Kofu with Nana-San to visit a nurses' association where 50+ nurses, midwives and other healthcare professionals were gathered to meet with us for over 3 hours. We were greeted at the door by an amazing woman who, in Nana-San's words, was the King-Maker. Her name was Mochizuki Sensei and although we were assured she was 90 years old, she did not look a day over 70. Utterly delightful, she ushered us into her office where food and tea were waiting. The salads and sandwiches featured fresh peas, cucumbers, lettuce and small tomatoes from her very own garden. William remarked he'd never had a pea this good! We can only hope his comment was translated appropriately.
Upstairs, with the group gathered in a beautiful conference theater, Roni presented a compelling overview of the phenomenology of trauma, complete with slides and images of drawings he'd gathered from experiences with children around the world. Midway, we took the group through a surprisingly animated exercise session, bodies gyrating, the normally demure women sometimes screaming and imitating dinosaurs. We ended the thirty-minute participation aspect with slow breathing, a return to the heart and some very natural palm healing exercises that these wise women loved. As nurses, midwives and other healing professionals, they embraced every aspect of our work.
As we solicited their feedback in conclusion, Sadao commented that he was stunned that a room full of normally sedate, "proper" Japanese women had just let loose and screamed, played goofy games and allowed themselves to be vulnerable. He was truly amazed. Then we were asked if we'd consider returning. To our surprise, Mochizuki Sensei reached out to us, suggesting a collaboration of sorts, and encouraging us to return. They would help us to arrange similar trainings with other nurse associations in different prefectures and act as our sponsor. We later learned that, as one of the most respected elders in Japan in the nursing world, her influence will be of enormous value.
On our return by train to Tokyo, we were treated to a view of the one thing every visitor to Japan should try to see. Mount Fuji is an amazing sight to behold from anywhere - even in photos, it's breathtaking, and seeing it brings Fortunate Blessings. This was a very special day and leaves us with our final workshop at the Kizuna Project tomorrow.
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A School Full of Giggling Girls, May 16th and 17th |  | | | High School Seniors in Sendai with Jonah Spear |
On Monday and Tuesday, the team visited the Shokei Gakuin High School, a small private school that houses many students from the affected areas who lost friends and family members in the tsunami. The first session included 25 seniors, all girls, who eagerly awaited our entrance and greeted us with giggles, squeals and wide smiles. We began the session with a "talking stick" rope game in which we all formed a circle and recited our names when the single knot slid between our hands. The team tried, usually in vain, to repeat each student's name, resulting in hysterical laughter at our clumsy and often embarrassing mispronunciation.
Roni introduced us and then talked briefly about the nature of trauma and our work in particular. Attentive eyes and nods of agreement affirmed his narrative while their body language revealed much tension and stagnation. Just bringing up the subject of these tragedies created a noticeable shift in their demeanor. Asked to reflect on their feelings for a few moments, their eyes turned downward with discomfort. By now, we understood very well that Japanese school children (and many adults) do not express feelings easily -- if at all -- and rather than push or confront, we allowed them to simply be present with their experience before moving to our process and standing to begin the exercises.
With both groups, Jonah began with rhythmic clapping, soliciting the groups echoed response and unifying the group as a cohesive organism. All eyes were on Jonah as his clapping slowly became more complex, soon including stomping, finger snapping and eventually inhaling and exhaling in rhythm. Twenty minutes into the exercises on the first day, one girl found in Roni a father figure of sorts, pairing with him as they exchanged laughter and hugs. When we returned the second day to work with a different group, this girl saw us in the corridor and ran to Roni to embrace him, holding him as she repeated, "Papa, Papa, Papa!" William then asked her how she enjoyed the session on the previous day. "It was very nice. Last night I slept so well -- before this I have not been able to sleep so much, but after the session, I could really feel so much better." We were delighted to hear this report reflecting what we assumed many others in the group also experienced.
Each day, and in particular on the second day with more than thirty senior girls, faculty members also joined in at our insistence. At first somewhat resistant, they eventually opened up and threw themselves into the fun. At one point, surprising himself and the team, Jonah invented and facilitated a "throw-the-roar-around-the-circle" game, first demonstrating with an equally spontaneous William in the center. Each participant then "roared" to the girl (or teacher) next to her in succession until the chain reaction became infectious laughter and intense expression with noise, movement and release. Jonah later described this as one of his proudest moments thus far especially because here, participants "did the work" rather than watched, and Jonah became an even more effective facilitator.
Both sessions ended with heart-centered breathing, a new experience for nearly everyone in the room save the members of the team. Participants were able to tell us that they felt more comfortable in their bodies, more relaxed, lighter and at ease. The customary group photograph concluded the ninety minutes, many girls clamoring to have their picture taken with Jonah, Roni or William -- yes, in order of popularity! When we wrote our website address on the blackboard, Jonah also wrote the site www.wearethehartmans.com to link them to his movie. As we revealed his work in the US as an actor, we thought for a moment that we might need bodyguards to escape; his admirers had become screaming fans of a new celebrity, gasping at the realization that they'd just interacted with a movie star. Incidentally, the character, Baxter Brown, that Jonah plays in the movie "We Are The Hartmans" is a teenage heart-throb --- with a Japanese girlfriend! In a moment of shameless self promotion, the authors of this post are obliged to confess that they are Jonah and William themselves and hope you will visit the film's website as well.
As we left on the second day, one faculty member stopped to thank us on the pathway outside the classroom building. Through our translator, she thanked us deeply as tears welled up in her eyes. She told us that her mother was among those "lost and unaccounted for." Her mother's body was never found. She went on to say that she had not let go since the day of the tsunami, and this was the first time she felt she was beginning to feel her energy move again and could cry and grieve openly. This powerful feedback makes a day's work and a long journey all the more rewarding.
Finally, on our way out at the end of the second day, we were met by students as we got into our cars. They brought us gifts of beautifully complex and colorful origami tops. We drove off amidst waves and screams like rock stars escaping from backstage. The next day, the school curriculum director (like a college dean) wrote us this e-mail, reviewing the three visits we made to the Shokei Gakuin High School in Sendai:
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Dear Japan Trauma Team from Fortunate Blessings:
Thank you so much for three days of workshop.
Some 120 students that participated became lively and had refreshed expressions on their faces. For the first time in a long time, we also saw smiles on the faces of faculty who lost their family members.
Many students came to me asking when the next workshop is scheduled after the team left. I believe it was an invaluable experience for them.
If the team can return to Sendai, I am prepared to offer full cooperation on all fronts by talking not only to schools but to PTAs and our partners.
I am grateful to the FBF staff for their work in relieving the minds of disaster victims including those at our school.
Thank you.
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This is precisely the outcome we had hoped for in order to return, train others and eventually leave behind teams of facilitators already based in Japan who are equipped to respond to such disasters. To that end, we will need to organize these trainings both here in Japan and in the US in the coming months. One such training is being scheduled in Los Angeles in mid-September.
We then drove five hours (or rather Sadao and Nagano-san did) through the Fukushima Prefecture about 50 miles West of the disabled nuclear power plant. For about thirty minutes, our radiation monitors spiked higher here than at any other time during our visit. We returned to Tokyo and after a late dinner, were off to bed at midnight to rest up for our training Wednesday with health care professionals in Kofu, a two-hour train ride from Tokyo.
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Fortunate Blessings for the Children of Ishinomaki, May 15th |  | | | Three smiling girls in Ishinomaki after our workshop; the girl on the right lost her mother in the tsunami. |
We arrived at the site of the workshop to find a small campus of nearly completed row homes that looked like a modern military outpost. Older buildings housed classrooms and a commercial kitchen where school lunches were prepared for the surrounding areas. A small playground and gymnasium had been opened to us by the head of the local PTA -- a violation of policy that would have required a long process of permits and approval were it not for the efforts of our local host. Overall, the facility felt like an abandoned boarding school just a few miles from the Japanese coast that was devastated by the tsunami.
For the first fifteen minutes after our arrival, the site was eerily empty except for volunteers unloading boxes of toys that would be distributed at the end of the day. Ten minutes before we were scheduled to begin, cars full of kids (mostly 7 to 12-year olds) began to arrive and the gymnasium quickly filled with the sounds of bouncing balls and screaming children. When 50-60 rambunctious kids had arrived, we began by rhythmic clapping and formed a big circle. Jonah took his place in the center as eyes all focused quickly on his direction. Clapping and stomping ensued. While most kids and adults in previous workshops had easily joined the fun, we noticed the difference right away. Many in the group were withdrawn; the blank stares and sadness on their faces were impossible to hide.
We slowed the pace down to make it easier for everyone to participate without having to move too far from their personal comfort zone. Then as the group loosened a bit more, we began to incorporate more flexibility and silliness, allowing smiles to replace vacant stares. Five-year olds giggled, eight-year olds engaged while some teens remained apprehensive and skeptical. Eventually, most children joined the fun, making sounds and stretching their bodies in new and often hilarious ways. One six-year old engaged Jonah in a spontaneous lion-roaring contest that could have lasted all day.
Many volunteers seemed conflicted about participating until the team insisted. Before long, even the group's stoic leader, Abe, exchanged ferocious growls with William delighting the volunteer body. Roni skillfully filled the gaps as he moved within the circle and drew some of the participants further out of their shells. After thirty minutes of infectious laughter, expressive movement and childish fun, we slowly brought the group back to simple breathing, our hands over our beating hearts and breathing bellies. Cacophony turned into harmony, chaos became rhythm and disassociation slowly receded. Hands clasped, each participant stood in the circle joined as one.
For the next couple of hours, adults led the children through a series of "game stations" where jump rope, hoop throw, bouncy balls and frisbee toss added points to each child's scorecard redeemable for an age appropriate toy. Meanwhile, games of dodgeball and "spin-the-kid-around-by-his-hands" kept everyone busy. At one point, a new craze appeared: "Jump-On-Jonah". The interesting thing about this game is that it appears the work we do has some bizarre time-release mechanism whereby it takes ten or fifteen minutes for kids to realize that members of the team are all "safe" to play with. When this occurs, they maul us, jumping on our backs, kicking and clawing to get closer. They even return to the primal sounds they'd been given permission to make earlier in the circle! Near the end, the kids' growled, grunted and roared mixed with giggles and hysterical laughter as they piled on an equally elated Jonah.
In a short, closing ceremony of sorts, the team thanked the children and adults for playing, reminding them that there are others all over the world who care about them and send their love through us. Even the pilot of the Singapore Airlines flight William took collected a bag full of toys he made us promise to distribute. Astonishingly, there were exactly the right number of toys from the airline grab bag so that each child got one.
Finally, it was time for the kids to depart, and as they left the gym each was given a cupcake by the Network Miyagi team volunteers. The Fortunate Blessings Foundation team in turn left the volunteers with a three-page handout (in Japanese, of course) of the playgroup exercises we employed giving them the tools to continue to work in this way. It was our hope not just to play once but to leave behind adults who understood how to repeat what they witnessed and lead groups on their own. To that end, we spent some time after the kids left discussing how to manage strong outbursts of anger, withdrawal and other natural emotions. Roni reminded the local team what we all knew to be true: kids need time to heal. Natural coping mechanisms may not be immediately evident, but consistent attention over time would more than likely be all that is necessary to help most children recover.
Before we climbed in the van for the return home, Jonah took a moment to acknowledge the long "behind-the-scenes" work that Abe endured, encouraging him to take care of himself. Abe's stated goal for the day -- "make kids smile" -- had been accomplished. In our last exchange, Jonah told Abe something that might have been the most valuable gift we left behind.
"You're in a position to influence an enormous group of people, to lead your team to bring smiles to children and help heal your country. This will take a lot of hard work, probably for a long time. Please try to take care of yourself and your staff with as much attention as you give the children. If you are not healthy and happy, it will be difficult to deliver health and happiness to others. A smile on your face lights up the room as much as anything, and it is something all these kids can relate to. As the leader of this effort, please have fun, too! And thank you for all you do." |
Driving Through Hell, May 15th |  | | | Sendai, north of Tokyo and just west of the epicenter or the largest earthquake (later raised to 9.2) Japan has witnessed in a century. |
The group set out this morning from Sendai to meet volunteers from Network Miyagi at a rest stop outside the city of Ishinomaki. We'd been told the journey in our rented van could take as long as four hours depending on traffic, as it was Sunday and hundreds of people flock to the area to lend a hand clearing debris when they have free time. Our group would drive all the way to the tip of this peninsula to work with volunteers and children in a three hour afternoon workshop.
Ishinomaki has a special distinction in this disaster: its location on the crescent-shaped peninsula directly east of Sendai places it closer to the epicenter of the quake than any other populated city. We drove from Sendai to the end of the road along this coastline and although the traffic was heavy, cars flowed at a steady pace until we crossed the first bridge into the actual city limits. Once over the bridge, we began to see the flood damage, piles of debris already moved to the side to clear the roads. Two months had passed, and much had already been done in the recovery effort long before we arrived but a massive amount of wreckage remains.
If you've ever seen beautiful photographs of the Grand Canyon, no doubt you were impressed with the images. But it is not until you first stand on the edge of an overlook and look into the distance that you realize how the reality of scale can never be captured by any artist, journalist or cameraman. This is the feeling we had as we drove for a full thirty minutes along the coastline toward the tip of the peninsula. Imagine twenty blocks in your local city or town, leveled -- completely flattened with nothing spared. Then imagine it repeating -- another twenty blocks, thirty, forty, fifty full blocks of destruction where nothing was left standing. And now try this: eighty blocks flattened, an area the size of Manhattan island, the city of New York, wiped away. Now double that and you are getting close to the size of this disaster in this single city.
For thirty minutes, we witnessed mountains of rubble where there once were buildings, shops, restaurants, homes, car dealers, hardware stores, schools, public parks, shrines, convenience stores, gas stations and countless commercial and private properties. Hundreds of wrecked cars, thousands of mangled chairs and crushed desks piled high where offices once were filled with this city's residents. Household appliances like washing machines and refrigerators, pianos, motorcycles and electric generators were pushed around like toys, their weight no match for the force of the tsunami. Thousands of homes, their contents scattered everywhere, eviscerated. Small motorboats and immense fishing vessels of 50-70 feet had been upended, giant steel barges impaled concrete walls, buoys wrapped around electric poles, endless mounds of waste.
The smell of dead fish filled the air, choked us with a nauseating stench. People with plastic gloves, their faces covered with masks to protect them from the sickening debris, combed through the wreckage -- still now, more than 60 days after the tsunami obliterated this thriving fishing port. And we were still more than seven miles away from our destination at the end of the road.
As our van began an uphill climb toward the parks at the end of the peninsula, the hillside wrapped us in beauty, an eerie sense that nature will prevail above all else. Forests of majestic pines filled the landscape; wildflowers bloomed. Deer crossing signs appeared, ravines with waterfalls and ground cover emerged at every turn as we wound up and down the road. Each time we returned to sea level, another site of devastation jarred us from our serene respite, the remains of a smaller village running along the coast for a quarter mile before we climbed again above the ruins. This experience repeated at least six times before we finally reached the site of our workshop. |
Volunteer Training in Sendai, May 15th |  | | | Working with volunteers at the Takasaga Civic Center in Sendai which was converted to an evacuation center following the earthquake and tsunami. |
This morning we went to Takasaga Civic Center where about a dozen volunteers from Network Miyagi were waiting for our arrival. This community center became one of the largest evacuation centers in all of Sendai, due to the efforts of its executive director. While the government delayed services to those in need, creating endless bureaucratic hurdles, this extraordinary man took it upon himself to open the doors of his center to accept more than 1,000 people in need. At one point, the center was so overpopulated that every square foot was occupied. Each step of the one story staircase became a bed for a single body.
Weeks after opening, the Pakistani ambassador came to visit the nine Pakistani evacuees and commented that they were being treated on a completely equal basis as their Japanese counterparts. So the environment in which we found ourselves this morning was a special one, its inhabitants blessed by the heroic efforts of one man acting on his own without support of the government whose red tape would have made his work impossible.
After we arrived, 12-15 volunteers from Network Miyagi joined in the hour-long workshop. The group included some residents, mainly older women, who had suffered from an inability to release much pent up anger, fear and grief. We took them through the usual series of exercises, surprised at the level of their involvement. Virtually no one held back -- each participant expressed more than we'd expected as the group's enthusiasm grew. In the end, Jonah's gentle guidance brought all of us to a peaceful reflection. Much personal sharing from participants confirmed the success of the session. One woman expressed a surprising relief from chronic back pain, while another affirmed her joy in being able to make noise she'd held in for months.
After a short break, a barbecue of grilled meat and vegetables (with the customary offering of rice and miso soup) set the stage for games with kids that would follow. Then, Jonah, Roni and I got to play Santa Claus; in a reward system for children who participated in the physical recreational programs, they could choose from a variety of toys. Soccer balls, board games, jump ropes and a surprising resurgence of a game Jonah recognized as "Skip It!" kept the group busy well into the afternoon.
Network Miyagi's dedicated leader, Abe, brought the day to a close by acknowledging the volunteers, including a special thank-you to our team for leading the workshop for them. And in true Japanese fashion, a single, sharp clap called Itch -jime concluded the group effort. We cleaned the space, sweeping the pathways cleaner than they were when we arrived, and then we returned to the hotel.
Although this was a small group, we were pleased that the session included volunteers who will take our methods into other areas as the effort continues. Tonight we enjoyed our first taste of local sushi and sake, fully aware of the daunting task ahead tomorrow in Ishinomaki.
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Reference Info and Press Coverage Prior to Our Departure from the US |  | | | Destruction from the tsunami was far more widespread than anything we have ever witnessed. Thousands of homes and businesses were totally destroyed, 10,000 lives were lost and more than 17,000 people are still reported as missing. |
NEWSPAPER ARTICLES about
William Spear leading trauma relief team to Japan
Aid for the Traumatized in Japan
May 6, 2011, The Litchfield County Times
Area Man Leads Mental Health Team to Japan
May 5, 2001, The Republican-American
LINKS TO POSTS BY WILLIAM SPEAR
Trauma Team Overview (in English)
Trauma Team Overview (in Japanese)
Helping Kids in Japan: A Trauma Guide for Caregivers Working With Children (in English)
Read past the title and the first paragraph to find the Trauma Guide which is incorporated in the article or click above for English and below for the Japanese version.
A Trauma Guide for Caregivers Working With Children (in Japanese)
Radiation Emergency Measures You Can Take Now
The World Is Full of Ground Zeroes
EMERGENCY MEASURES TO PROTECT AGAINST RADIATION
BACKGROUND
Long before the disasters at Chernobyl or Three Mile Island, nutritional scientists, environmental groups and public health educators sat down to discuss what actions one should take in the event of a nuclear attack or accident. It has long been known that certain foods and dietary approaches can actually be radio-protective, meaning that regular consumption and specific uses act to prevent radioactive pollutants and related contaminants from entering the body.
THE EARTHQUAKE AND TSUNAMI
On the afternoon of March 11, 2011, the 9.0 magnitude earthquake and subsequent tsunami it generated resulted in numerous environmental catastrophes. While the release of radiation from the meltdown of core rods in nuclear plants on Japan's East coast captures the public's attention, many other issues equally as devastating and harmful to human health are occurring. Radioactive pollutants are a grave concern but other issues are present as well.
Japanese communities are notoriously cautious about environmental waste, taking great care to separate contaminants into appropriate waste containers for storage and proper disposal; however, when the tsunami struck, virtually all such efforts proved to be futile as massive waves of water churned every square inch of homes, plants, factories and businesses into an horrific toxic soup. Battery acid from thousands of automobiles, gasoline, kerosene, mercury, arsenic, selenium, cadmium, hydrocarbons, lead, anionic detergents, fluorides, nitrates, sulphur, ammonia, diesel oil and other petroliferous agents have now been widely distributed through hundreds of square miles of farmland and urban areas. Even without the release of even more damaging radioactive isotopes, anyone in the area would be wise to learn about these protective measures people can take.
SEA VEGETABLES
There is compelling evidence of the efficacy of seaweeds as a part of a daily diet. Following the atomic bombing of Nagasaki in 1945, a group of medical doctors led by Tatsuichiro Akizuki, M.D. used a traditional diet consisting of roasted brown rice, miso soup, Hokkaido pumpkin, sea salt and wakame and other sea vegetables to help save many lives. Since that time, much research has confirmed that sea vegetables contain a polysaccharide substance that selectively binds radioactive strontium and other elements that eliminates them naturally from the body.
Many types of marine algae present a significant protection from the absorption of radioactive particles that may be released. Kombu (common kelp) can be used when cooking beans or vegetables and more familiar seaweeds like nori (commonly used to make sushi rolls) can also be eaten. A few tablespoons daily of a sea vegetable like kombu, hiziki, wakame, arame or mekabu is all that is needed; however, "more" is not better -- these foods are concentrated minerals and there is a point of diminishing returns. Nearly all natural foods stores carry these products and most are also available mail order from US sea vegetable grower Larch Hanson through his site, www.theseaweedman.com. Sea vegetables should be a part of everyone's daily diet no matter what the circumstances.
MISO
Dr. Akizuki and others have also verified the remarkable healing quality of traditionally aged miso paste used as a bouillon in soup broth. Preparing these soups using root vegetables (like carrots, onions, turnips and radishes) helps not only to stimulate good digestive enzymes but also eliminates harmful pollutants from the bloodstream. Miso soup is typically made with wakame, a leafy sea vegetable that is widely available.
Drs. Lidia Yamchuk and Hanif Sharimardanov in the Russian city of Chelyabinsk (which I visited immediately after the fall of communism) demonstrated their use of miso soup broth when served to patients suffering from various forms of leukemia. The patients' improvement was markedly better than in patients who followed more modern diets. Short term, quick miso pastes have little efficacy in this regard, so it is best to use long time, fermented miso pastes. Like seaweeds, they are commonly available at many natural food stores. Some of exceptional quality are available through traditional miso-maker Christian Elwell through his site, www.southrivermiso.com. Beware of lesser quality misos that use chemicals, sugar or genetically modified soybeans. The ideal types are misos made from all soybeans (called Hatcho) or with barley added (called Mugi). Note: Barley miso contains gluten, so for those who are sensitive, please use Hatcho which is gluten-free.
BROWN RICE
Perhaps no single grain is more important in cleansing the body and maintaining health than short grain, organically grown brown rice. Now widely available and accepted as a principal food, brown rice should be lightly roasted when used in this radio-protective application allowing the rice to be eaten "raw" if necessary (when one cannot find cooking facilities), Doing so also adds a slightly nutty flavor. All whole grains like brown rice must be chewed extremely well to be effective, releasing the protective elements and making good digestion and absorption possible.
Small red beans called aduki (grown in the midwest US) are also powerful foods that stimulate and improve kidney function -- necessary to remove toxins. Aduki beans can be cooked with pumpkins, squash and carrots to make a delicious dish and can also be used as a part of soups and stews; however, they take a long time to cook and may be soaked first.
OTHER FOODS AND STAPLES
A good quality sea salt is important, using it regularly in the cooking process rather than at the table. The Japanese plum called umeboshi also helps to maintain the blood's alkalinity as well as adding flavor to many dishes. Additional grains like buckwheat, millet, quinoa and medium grain brown rice as well as various root vegetables and wild edible plants can be consumed to further strengthen the blood and create lasting vitality.
FOODS TO AVOID
For protection against the release of radioactive isotopes into the environment, iIt is important to avoid all simple sugars, fruits and their juices and most acidic, tropical vegetables like tomatoes, potatoes and eggplant. Not only do these vegetables contain high amounts of oxalic acid, they also add to the acidic burden of the bloodstream during stressful periods. Coffee, sodas and dairy products are also best avoided when trying to eliminate pollutants from the body -- they add more of a burden and provide little benefit when compared to many other rich sources of nutrients. For example, sea vegetables provide more than the daily recommended amounts of calcium -- and soybeans, aduki beans and other legumes provide superior proteins without the saturated fats found in animal products.
ADAPTATION
Finally, it is worth noting that Charles Darwin did not say "only the strong survive." What he suggested, and made very clear, was that we must find ways to adapt to survive, and modifying our diet in times of crises is among the most important action we can take. Now is clearly such a time.
The Fortunate Blessings Foundation, together with friends throughout the world who are familiar with these dietary and way of life recommendations, will continue to offer our experience and expertise as our heartfelt concern goes out to all those in Japan and elsewhere who suffer.
In the coming weeks, we will consider organizing a team of mental health care experts in the same manner we did following tsunami and earthquake disasters in Indonesia, Samoa and elsewhere in order to support children and families who are facing massive traumas. For those interested in learning more, other articles I've posted here remain available as well at the top of this page. Your comments and contributions are most welcome. |
Smaller Playshops in Sendai, May 13th |  | | | Jonah's interaction with kids after our workshop has us all rolling in laughter. |
Directly from Kessennuma, we returned to the outskirts of Sendai to the Shokei Gakuin Middle School, a pleasant urban facility where we'd conduct two ninety-minute "playshops" with 12-15 older students. These took place in the music studio of the school. We were first treated to a short performance of chime bells, a carefully synchronized piece performed flawlessly. After we sat and talked a bit about what has occurred when the quake struck, we circled up and went through a slightly different routine, using ropes as a prop for introductions and forming two lines, pairing the children to move through fear and anger exercises. These kids were amazingly present with every new process we presented, and by the end, Jonah took them into their hearts with a sweet sense of unity. Sadao (our translator, driver and all around major domo) made sure to tell us what he'd overheard as we walked away: the giggling girls had fallen for Jonah. No news to any of us. Oh, to be a rock star...
Next was an hour meeting across town with the organizers of Network Miyagi, a small but effective NGO led by Abe Hiroyuki. They had planned our next two days of events -- the first scheduled for tomorrow at the Takasaga Civic Center where we are to meet with and train as many as 100 adult volunteers. Finally, at 7 pm, we returned to the hotel for a much needed meal of noodles and shellfish. By the time our heads hit the pillows, we'd been on the go for fifteen hours, so the work ahead required a good night sleep to keep this pace. |
The Children of Kesennuma, May 13th |  | | | First graders from Kesennuma, a city in Japan devastated by the tsunami, flash the peace sign following a workshop with the Fortunate Blessings Foundation Japan Trauma Team. |
Up at 5:30 am and on the road an hour later. A quick trip to YouTube the night before gave us an opportunity to watch videos of the tsunami washing away most of Kesennuma where we were headed, a coastal village northeast of Sendai and a three-hour drive from our base in the big city that had famously watched its airport submerge only two months before. Roads cracked and broken on the long drive led to our first view of the destruction: miles of debris covering what was once a thriving fishing village. One out of every four homes here were either damaged so badly as to be unlivable or they were completely washed away. Among the few safe places that remained was the Tsuya Elementary School we visited today, thanks to to efforts of our new local friend Nana Mirai who'd attended our first training in Tokyo. The modern school building sat high on a hillside overlooking the now devastated town below.
School Principal Osada Katsuichi, a jolly, robust man who commands attention with his strong, square jaw, met us at the entry and led us to his spacious office. He explained how on March 11th, most of his 237 students were cleaning up their classrooms when the massive 9.1 earthquake struck, jarring everything in sight for an unprecedented full three minutes. Students had all been drilled repeatedly to prepare for such an event and so were ready to take their place under school desks. But the ground shook so violently that afternoon that no desk remained in place as terrified children ran into the open school yard. Parents arrived in cars soon afterwards, and Osada-Sensai -- together with his Vice Principal Ryo Asano -- had little choice but to allow families to remain in the school yard in their cars, engines running for the warmth they provided in the -2 degree cold night air.Electricity in the town would not return for many days. The tsunami that followed miraculously spared every student at the school. We did arrive though was a new reality of daily fear of more tremors. Months of aftershocks, some as high as 6.4, continued as recently as a few hours ago.
At 9:30 am, we were led to the gymnasium where the entire student body and a dozen teachers had formed perfect lines waiting eagerly for our much anticipated arrival. We had one hour to rock their world, and if that's not what happened, then I must be dreaming. We proceeded to form the largest circle our team has ever assembled, Jonah beginning with thundering rhythm exercises reminiscent of his days in the ensemble of Stomp. The wooden floor shook as smiles emerged on every face. Stretching, laughing, spinning, and screaming pushed the crowd to the edge, teachers watching in amazement as we wove our spell. The room was electric, giggles from the forty six-year olds merged with shy withdrawals from the same number of pre-pubescent girls. Cameras captured the fun, hearts opened, and as our time together came to a close, Osada-Sensai took the microphone once more to bring his flock back to order.
The Principal's opening words to the group ironically summed it up for all of us: "These new friends have come to make our hearts happy today." For Day One in Tohoku (the Northeast), we couldn't have imagined a better start. |
Volunteer Workshop in Tokyo, May 11th |  | | | FBF President William Spear leads the first workshop participants in a game of contagious laughter. These unsuspecting volunteers get a taste of why we are here. |
In a full-capacity conference room, with not an inch more room to place another chair, we've just completed our first workshop in Tokyo with great success. Our focus was working with school children in the affected areas. The participants, mostly women caregivers, teachers, therapists, mental health professionals, nurses, singers and mothers spent the first half of the 3-hour session engrossed in the clear, didactic presentation led by Roni, our wonderful traumatologist and friend who gave the group the background on trauma, how to best help children and what is necessary to prevent PTSD.
Jonah then led the group through a short exercise -- a silly game of wiggling and dancing -- as a hint of what would come after the break. In the second half, I spent nearly an hour demonstrating the 10 playgroup exercises we developed. We followed the exercises with a guided imagery session, couple sharing and open feedback, ending the day with showing a short video which documented our team's work in Sri Lanka. Seeing images of the tsunami that occurred there in 2004 reminded us of how similar this disaster is and what might lie ahead for our work here. That said, one participant who has come and gone to the area four times to work with kids in Fukushima reported to the group that the psychological impact is far worse than anyone is reporting, and much more difficult than people anticipate as they prepare to enter the area.
A local newspaper journalist pecked away at her laptop computer throughout the afternoon, promising afterwards to write about our work in depth. She assured us that she will spread the good word. Among the few men was a father of three who was also a local firefighter, a psychologist (with his Japanese wife) from Australia, a staff member and division director of a hospital who has established a new program of support -- and our new friend, Hideki Nagano whose tweets (he has 10,000 followers) brought most people to the workshop.
We gave everyone handouts, promising more sessions in the future, and stayed to talk with many participants who were inspired to return to their areas and use the methods they learned today. All in all, the first workshop was definitely a success. Sadao Miyamoto stood the entire time, translating every word; our hope is that he makes it through the week without collapsing!
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First Team Report from Japan, May 10th |  | | | The Torii Gate entrance to the Meji Shrine in Tokyo |
We have all safely arrived in Japan and have begun the time change shift. Dr. Roni Berger from Israel, William and Jonah Spear from the US join Sadao Miyamoto of Nagano and Tsukiko Takahara of Tokyo to conduct workshops, playshops and various activities throughout the challenging days ahead. In hot, humid weather, we first made a humbling visit to the Meji Shrine and walked around the neighborhood to help us adjust to the reality of being on the other side of the world. Will post more soon -- there are already many workshops planned, including one tomorrow with local volunteers. |
Team Members Depart for Japan, May 7th and 8th |  | | | These are some of the kids we've come to see. Our mission is to leave them "with a happy heart" and to train as many others in the work we do so that when we depart there will be more skilled volunteers, nurses, teachers and caregivers who can continue to help prevent cases of PTSD among the victims of this disaster. |
William Spear and our first Trauma Relief Team left for Japan. The mission begins on May 9 in Tokyo. Many workshops, trainings and "playshops" in Tokyo, Sendai and Ishinomaki through May 20 are already planned and more will be organized as the team moves about the country. Sendai is in the north away from the area affected by radiation contamination. It is in Sendai that the team has school workshops set for children of all different age groups. Then, for four or five days, the team goes to the vicinity of Ishinomaki to conduct more trainings. This city was THE hardest hit along the coast -- totally wiped out. Upon returning to Tokyo, there will be at least one major training for 200 plus caregivers of children and possibly more workshops.
William says that he was always confident that the team would be put to good use and not needed in the worst "radiation exposed" areas. Sendai and Ishinomaki were hit very hard by the tsunami and are struggling to recover. The team expects to feel some aftershocks there -- not far from the quake site -- but the nuclear danger and exposure is well to the south of where they will be. |
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