Today, on Mother's Day, we are announcing Fukushima Kids Hawaii Project (FKHP) to invite children in Fukushima to the Big Island of Hawaii during their school breaks inviting your support and participation in the project. There are 3 school breaks (summer, winter and spring) in Japan and we would like to invite 20 kids this summer (4 are children with disabilities).
The more support, the more kids can come.
If you have any Japanese connection (friends), please send this post (in Japanese日本語):
http://kikuchiyumi.blogspot.com/2013/03/aloha_29.html
You may know there are about 260,000 children (under 15 years old, and 2 million people) living in Fukushima prefecture in Japan today, and at least 3 children (12 children as of Jun 1) have already developed thyroid cancer and 35% of children are reported to have some cysts, which may have been caused by the constant exposure to radiation.
The speed of children developing health problems in/around Fukushima is faster and more serious than the case of Chernobyl accident in 1986 in Ukraine as far as I see it.
We are very concerned about the wellbeing of children in Fukushima who have not been able to play outside since the nuclear accidents after March 11, 2011 East Japan Great Earthquake (and tsunami). Four broken reactors of Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plants are still critical conditions and no one really knows how to stop the radiation from leaking into the environment.
All they can do is to keep cooling the melted nuclear fuel to prevent recriticality accident. I am sorry for those workers at Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plants daily exposing themselves to radiation to save all of us.
I work with Marian Moriguchi (Assist One) in Fukushima, for recruiting children
Vicky Nelson www.loveneverfailsjapan.com, in East side of Hawaii
Gen Morita www.moritagen.blogspot.com in West side of Hawaii
and Annu for music program, others on this effort of bringing Fukushima kids to Hawaii.
This effort is one of many such efforts by civilian sectors as Japanese government has made radiation standard 20 times higher after 311 incident, and saying it is "safe"(means within the allowance standard) to live in Fukushima and those who had been evacuated should go back to Fukushima.
I do not agree with Japanese government as the levels of radiation in some parts of Fukushima is too dangerous for children to live a long healthy life. Check the following prominent doctors and specialists opinion (those who I trust knowing them for years) who would refute Japanese government claim (click the name to see where they stand):
Helen Caldecott
Yuri Bandazhevsky
Arnie Gundersen
FKHP aims to host children from Fukushima starting from this summer (July 20-August 20) 2013 in the Big Island, half time in Kona, half time in Hilo and a few days in Honolulu until such an effort becomes unnecessary.
We would like the kids to play freely in the nature of Hawaii, and cultivate good relationship with people and nature of Hawaii.
This summer (August 2013) is our first such effort and we would like to host 20 or so children for 1 month in Hawaii, from July 20 to Aug 20. Details are yet to decide, but about 12 days in Kona, about 13 days in Hilo, and about 5 days in Honolulu.
We are seeking 10~20 host families each in Kona and Hilo, and financial, transportation, recreational and material support from the community in Hawaii and from around the world who care and who can.
Easiest support is send a donation. Whatever you can contribute with joy is appreciated.
Please let us know by e-mail that you want to support Fukushima kids.
e-mail: rawinfo@harmonicslife.net
In the USA, we can receive donations by personal and bank checks, too.
Your check should be made out to:
Harmonics Life Center Hawaii
and it can be sent to:
Harmonics Life Center c/o Morita
75-286 Hoene St., Kailua Kona, HI96740
In Japan, you can make a donation by Yubin-Furikae at any post office to:
Harmonics Life Center : 00110-1-144224
write: Fukushima Kids in the comment space.
And make sure to let me know by e-mail:
rawinfo@harmonicslife.net
Support can be in many levels.
Simply you can spread this project. Forward this blog to your contacts.
Japanese link is here.
Spreading words may be the most essential of all.
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If you want to know more about what you can do, please read below:
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Do you have fun with kids? Then you can play with them.
You can teach Hawaiian culture, hula, lei making, Hawaiian traditional cooking, etc.
You can take kids to the beach and swim together.
You can teach English or learn Japanese from Fukushima kids.
You can donate money to help the families who are participating in this program.
You can donate fresh organic food from your garden or local market.
You can be a host family for 1 or 2 kids.
You can take kids to hiking.
You can be a driver. This is important and essential, too.
Whatever you can or you want to do, please let me know by e-mail so that I can coordinate your time, skills and resources into helping kids in Fukushima. Let them spend a wonderful and meaningful time here in Hawaii this summer and many more summers (winters, spring vacations) after.
I estimate the cost of hosting one child from Fukushima for a month in Hawaii can be 3~4,000 USD including airfares (as the summer airfare from Japan to Hawaii is the highest of the year). If we get airfare discounted or donated, it would be much less, may be $1~2000. The cost of transportation, food, lodging and programs can be donated by those who are capable and willing to donate their time, rooms and skills, or if we can raise enough money (and awareness), we would like to compensate those volunteers so that this program can be sustainable for everyone involved.
I am grateful for your care and support for Fukushima (and the world) children.
mahalo nui loa, arigatou gozaimasu
ありがとうございます。
Yumi Kikuchi, Gen Morita, Marian Moriguchi, Kan Yumiko &Vickie Nelson
co-founders, Fukushima Kids Hawaii Project (FKHP)
