O.G.A for Aid projects for disaster recovery are “Comprehensive Approach” - We believe that the areas of Education, Economy, and Community need revitalization after a disaster or crisis strikes. All three are essential to long term, sustainable progress. We put a great deal of focus on anticipating the transition points, as it is these points that determine the scalability of the project.
Through “Grandma’s Gift Box” which is a part of the Place to Grow program, O.G.A. for Aid is supporting the activities of “Nukumori-kobo”, that produces traditional processed food of Minami-sanrikucho, and trough the donation that we raised, we are holding workshops and outdoor events for the kids in the town.
For more details, Please visit COMMUNITY GIFT BOX Website : www.placetogrow-ngo.org/gift
To fulfill our mission of bringing new energy and connection to the survivors of Tohoku, we are launching the “Inspire 3.11” awareness campaign, with a goal of collecting 31,100 card and online messages between October 2015 and December 2016.
For more details, Please visit Inspire 3.11 Campaign Website : www.inspire311.org
VISION - A world where survivors are inspired and connected at all stages of the recovery process.
MISSION - To improve the lives of disaster survivors and bring awareness to the challenges and issues they face.
Draw Attention to the challenges survivors face in “Recovery” using digital storytelling and video to tell Survivors Stories.
Generate a social media buzz through the pay-it-forward stratagem - tagging friends to participate in sending online messages of hope and inspiration.
Santa Soul Train is one of the three major community events that O.G.A. for Aid implements in Tohoku. The 5th annual event took place Dec. 13-15, 2015 in 7 locations for 400 children throughout Tohoku.
The aim was to connect people from all over Japan with the children and communities of Tohoku to remind them that they are not forgotten and also give them the opportunity to connect with the children who are survivors of the Nepal earthquake (via Christmas cards).
For a more detailed look at the event (including pictures and a video), please click here.
For children this “Place” provides an emotionally safe learning environment. It also provides local role models for children by introducing them to the older generations skills in agriculture. For parents it provides a livelihood. For the community it provides a platform where the two generations connect and knowledge is passed on to the younger.
After the disaster families are torn apart and spend the first few weeks searching for each other. Many are never reunited but the ones that do find each other are placed in crowded shelters with no privacy or space to grieve. The emotion stress is heightened and strained. This project can relieve them of some of the stress and panic that comes when a parent looks at his/her child and wonders “What now?”
While the world and governments focus on the necessary clean up of rubble and debris, this fund will allow mothers, fathers and grandparents to reconnect and begin the personal rebuilding that comes from enjoying moments together as a family. For example having a summer field trip, flowers bouquets for their children at graduation, special school events, summer sports camps, language lessons, computer lessons and even babysitting care.
Green Farmers Miyagi is a recently established for-profit company that was previously a branch/project of O.G.A and played a big role in distributing donations and its own grown vegetables to people in need, especially those in temporary housing.
Now, the business is committed to creating a sustainable long-term future for the Minamisanriku community. It does this in several ways, such as by providing jobs with a decent wage to local people who need/want work, and through its attempts to revitalise and improve the local agricultural industry.
Temahima program serves international, public and private schools, international and national corporations and associations.
Temahima field trip - A program for schools and corporates to visit survivors as students of the recovery and engage in hands-on volunteer work.
Our intern helps prepare students for integration with foreigners on personal, business and political levels through a series of English language lessons, seminars and casual cultural discussions.