How to help Japan by giving locally – #Blog4Japan

Two weeks ago I wrote a post on #Blog4NZ to support the return of tourists to New Zealand. Now it’s time to blog to support victims of the disastrous earthquake and tsunami that hit Japan. But I’m afraid that no one is thinking of tourism dollars as yet.

The news has been almost too painful to watch these past few weeks. The lives lost, the struggle of the survivors and the horrific implications of the damage at the nuclear facilities is overwhelming. Lending our support financially is our only way of helping from a distance.

After the quake in Chile last year, I was fortunate to access the knowledge and wisdom of a Chilean couple to suggest how to send relief dollars closer to the people who need it. This time I offer the recommendations of another blogger, Todd Wassel of Todd’s Wanderings.

Todd and his wife who is from Tokyo are both professional aid and recovery workers with the United Nations. He writes: “We have seen the recovery phase of the 2004 Tsunami up close and we know there is a tremendous need to not only raise donations but to make sure those funds are used responsibly and are in the hands of organizations with not only technical expertise but also local knowledge.”

Todd was in Japan during the quake. You can read about his experiences in his post: My Experience During the Japan Earthquake.

Here I’m offering his suggestions for how you can support survivors through local organizations.

Japanese Organizations Todd Trusts
Please consider donating to one or more of these organizations. All are local Japanese organizations and pages are in Enlgish.

Peace Winds Japan is one of the largest Japanese organizations providing humanitarian relief such as food, clothing, fuel and medical supplies to the affected areas. You can Donate Here.

JEN is a well known NGO dedicated to restoring a self-supporting livelihood both economically and mentally to those who have been stricken with hardship due to conflicts and disasters. They are currently supporting emergency relief items such as food, woman’s hygienic items, clothes and other essentials to the survivors of the Japan Tsunami. You can Donate Here.

Adventist Development and Relief Agency (ADRA) is donating food and essential items to the survivors of the tsunami. They also keep a well maintained English blog of their activities in Japan for the tsunami which you can Follow Here. You can Donate Here.

The Japan Organization for International Cooperation in Family Planning is taking donations for their response to the tsunami that will focus on the reproductive health needs of women and mothers in affected areas. You can Donate Here.

The Association of Medical Doctors of Asia (AMDA Japan) team is delivering essential medical services through mobile clinics and delivering relief goods to the nursing homes and schools (evacuation shelters) in Aoba and Miyagino Wards. You can Donate Here.

OXFAM Japan is working with two partners in Japan on providing support to those on the margins of society who might otherwise have difficulty accessing emergency relief. One group is assisting mothers and babies and the other is providing information to non-Japanese speakers living in Japan. You can Donate Here.

Habitat For Humanity Japan is still assessing the situation but will be involved in the reconstruction of housing once the emergency period ends. This is one of the most vital aspects of recovery and the homeless will need a lot of help to put their lives back together. You can Donate Here.

The Institute for Cultural Affairs Japan (ICA) is still assessing the situation but is accepting donations. You can Donate Here.

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