Iitate Volunteer Activity Report

In August, thirty students from Sophia University visited the village of Iitate in Fukushima Prefecture where all residents evacuated to Iinomachi, Fukushima due to the accident of the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant. As well as volunteering to support their studies and after school activities at Iitate Junior High School, the Sofia students visited the temporary housing facilities in IItate Villege. This is the report by one of the volunteers, Daichi Yamaoka.

What surprised me the most during the visit was how cheerful the village residents were contrary to my expectation. In Iitate, decontamination work is still underway. As I gazed around at the abandoned homes and mounds of polluted soil, I felt hopeless for the restoration. And yet the students of Iitate Junior High School and the residents of the temporary housing were all so cheerful and conversely they uplifted my spirit. While interacting with the schoolchildren, I also bonded with other volunteer members. The six days we spent there were truly meaningful.

We tend to view the nuclear accident negatively. However through this activity I realized there is much to be learned from the accident. "We shall not to strive for better and more, but aim to create a durable society. The nuclear accident taught me a lesson." The word of the village mayor left me with a deep impression. Not to forget and to tackle this nuclear accident we should not sympathize only in our emotions but to act. Let us bring ourselves to Tohoku, give a helping hands for the restoration as well as listen to the people in needs. I hope the interaction between Iitate and Sofia University will continue for the time to come.