The Café Team is an indispensable part of our Massage Team’s activities.
We can see the atmosphere become visibly more friendly when we serve tea and snacks.
When we serve tea and spend time with them,
Some residents would finally break the silence and begin to tell us little bits and pieces of where they were, what they were doing at the time of the disaster.
Even though it’s impossible to find adequate words of comfort,
Even though we do not know the best way to conduct ourselves,
We still try our best to listen.
We hope that by talking, it would ease a little of the burden in their hearts.
The Café Team actually serves a very important purpose, that of “listening.”
Many elderly now lives alone after the disaster.
To listen to the words of one who does not have anyone to talk to,
To create an atmosphere where one who may not find it easy to talk with other people can join in on the conversation, that is our mission.
Our Café Team operates with the hopes that by
“Being there” and “Talking with someone”
Residents can lighten a little bit of the heavy load in their hearts
And perhaps through communication with the people around them, gain support for their lives ahead.
On the other hand, The Café Team also serves has playmates.
Playing a game of chess with the elderly man while watching high school baseball on TV
Or a game of Guess-A-Sketch with the kids.
One member who was unable to fold origami on a previous trip, went home and studies hard to become good at origami. On this trip when he showed off his origami skills, it was an instant hit. To shouts of “Teach Me!” an origami class was organized on the spot.
But when he had trouble fulfilling a request from a boy to fold an airplane (he did not study that…
)
Sometimes we are the ones who were taught.
An elderly gentleman standing next to our JILCA member took over and taught us how to fold and fly a paper airplane.
He then took the otedama
that someone had folded and showed off his juggling skills, and taught us s counting song to sing while juggling.
Even if you do not know how to give a massage, even if you think that you are not good at listening, if you like to play with others, why not give our Café Team a try?
Anyone with the desire can join us. That is our Café Team.
*We might change the name of the teams depending on the need.
On this trip, we visited Kesenuma Oshima (3 locations), Kesennuma Motoyoshi, Kesennuma Makisawa/Omose, a total of 6 temporary housing complexes.
What we felt each time is
Even though they are all “Disaster stricken areas”
Even though they are all “Kesennuma City”
Even though they are all “Temporary Housing Complexes”
Each’s situation is complete different.
While some may have received generous support, others have hardly received any at all.
While some residents have formed communities among themselves, others have not done so well.
While there are some places where the plight of the residents have been made known, others are still hidden in the dark.
What we can do on our monthly and semi-monthly visits are very limited.
But even so,
As long as there are people who await our visit,
As long as there are people who becomes acquainted with their neighbors through our activities,
As long as we can be of service, even just a little, we will continue our visits.
It has been a year since the disaster. The conditions for volunteering have become tougher, and there are less and less volunteers these days.
But it does not mean that volunteers are no longer needed.
We humbly ask for your continued support of our efforts.
Special Thanks
- Will Works Systems
- 30days Album
- Salon de Gracia
- Natural Dolphin
- Heal Planning
- And many, many others
Thank you!