A nice article on ancient tumulus tombs in Kumamoto (and we appreciate the plug for INJM at the end!). A reminder that this region is not just a disaster zone, and that there are great places to visit here. http://www.japantimes.co.jp/…/travel/landscape-life-death…/…
It's Not Just Mud (INJM)
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- Hello. Thank you for letting me join in Kumamoto with Kanae san and ...Rupert. I'm wondering if you know anyone or organisation who can accept foreigner (English speaker) volunteers in Kumamoto.. See More
5starGreat group of people helping where help is most needed. Highly knowledgable about the surroundin g community and well respected.
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PlacesIshinomaki, MiyagiIt's Not Just Mud (INJM)
INJM friend Kana Yamase has raised 34,500 yen in a second charity dance workshop in Tokyo last month, for INJM's work in Kumamoto. Thankyou again Kana!
やませかなさんは、東京で先月開催された、２度目のチャリティのダンスワークショップで、INMJの熊本支援のための支援金として34500円を募ってくださいました。かなさん、どうもありがとうございました。
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A02r6UK6vo0&feature=youtu.be
2016年4月29日に千駄ヶ谷Dance Studio I-LABで 2016年5月28日にRyozan Park巣鴨にて開催された 熊本・大分のためのチャリティーダンスワークショップの様子です。 ------------------------------------------------- 曲：Sing/ ...
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Jamie will be giving a presentation at Pecha Kucha Night Osaka in (obviously) Osaka this Saturday! If you're in town come and watch. We aren't totally sure what he's going to talk about but it's almost certainly going to be talking about volunteering. Or the sunglasses he's wearing in the picture which were tragically lost at sea. But probably the volunteering.
PechaKucha Night Osaka See More
PKN Osaka vol.13
Speaker’s Introduction 10/10: Jamie El-Banna/ ジェーミ・エルバナ
*日本語訳は英文の後にあります
■presentation title／プレゼンタイトル...
"Unconventional Volunteer(ing)" 型破りなボランティア活動
Jamie is the founder and chairman of It's Not Just Mud (INJM), a registered disaster relief NPO. He is a a typical Englishman in that he is sarcastic, likes cheese and cucumber sandwiches and has crooked teeth. He self identifies as "definitely not a hippie".
www.facebook.com/itsnotjustmud
ジェミーさんは災害復旧のためのNPO団体、It's Not Just Mud (INJM)の創設者兼代表をつとめています。皮肉や、チーズとキュウリのサンドウィッチが好きで、歯並びの悪い、典型的な英国人。自己評価は「間違ってもヒッピーではない」とのこと。
*INJMはもともと、東日本大震災の復旧支援のために設立されたNPO団体。今回、熊本でのボランティア活動についてもお話いただけます。
INJM volunteers Hai and Jessica talk about their volunteering experience and some of the work foreign and Japanese volunteers have been doing in Kumamoto https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2ToLyY-5ep8
We spent Golden Week volunteering in Mashiki, one of the hardest hit areas in the recent Kumamoto earthquakes. Here's a little look at what things are lookin...
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Watch this awesome video made by Danny when he was in Ishinomaki. It's not Tohoku specific, but rather it shows that people volunteer for a multitude of reasons. But to us, the reason and motivation are unimportant. Everyone has their own. All that matters is that you take action!
2012, was the year that I first volunteered ever in my life. There were many reasons why I wanted to volunteer for the Great Eastern Disaster in Japan, but t...
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It's Not Just Mud (INJM) added 3 new photos — with Robert Mangold and 2 others.
Last day of Kumamoto for IDRO and INJM. We finished up making floors underneath the tents to prevent heat and rain for evacuees with their adorable pets. They've been sleeping in the car and deserve better accommodation! However inside the tent gets insanely hot during daytime and rainy season will come soon, then typhoon... there are yet many problems ahead of them.
We were so lucky to have wonderful volunteer friends we met there to help us finish the work. Without them we... couldn't go back home today!
One of the evacuees told me that after he's been watching us working, he began to think some of the donated money for Kumamoto should go to the groups like us so it's clear that it is used for them evacuees. I thought it was a very nice compliment to receive. He brought a big cold bottle of coke for us and it was so refreshing under the strong sun!
Thank you everyone for supporting us in various ways as always!
It's Not Just Mud (INJM) shared a post.
Jamie heading back today. Rob, Joel and Masae staying for one more day to finish a last job and pack up!
Jamie El-Banna added 25 new photos — with Robert Mangold and 13 others. See More
At the airport now heading back to Osaka.
Here are 24 pictures, one for each day, plus one extra.
Huge thanks to all the people who came volunteered, all the ...people we worked with, those who donated (soooo many people), those who fundraised, those who did the admin, the translations, the Facebook sharing and just everyone who supported us in general.
Will be back in Kumamoto soon to reassess situation and see if we will do a summer project here, so the fundraising will continue.
Will probably write something long later on, look forward to it!
Each photo is captioned, please check it out!
It's Not Just Mud (INJM) shared Kana Yamase's event.
INJM supporter Kana Yamase is holding this jazz hip hop dance workshop in Tokyo at the end of May to raise money for INJM's work in Kumamoto. So if you'd like to widen your repertoire of dance moves and donate to a worthy cause, please come along! (Thanks to Kawano Hiroko Kawano for translation) （日本語は英語のあとにあります）
INJMの支援者である、やませかなさんは、東京で、５月末に、このジャズ・ヒップホップ・ダンスのワークショップを開催し、熊本でのINJMの活動基金を募ることになりました。ダンスのレペートリーや、動きを増やしたい人、価値あることに寄付したい人は、ぜひお越し下さい。https://www.facebook.com/events/794948657304653/
MAY28
Sat 7:00 PM in UTC+09Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo, Japan
11 people interested · 13 people going
In Tateno this mornimg clearing debris out of an old house- til rain and an evacuation alert drove us out. Found shelter and a good lunch afterward!
It's Not Just Mud (INJM) shared Hai Huynh's post.
Wonderful picture from our friend Hai from Notes of Nomads!
It's Not Just Mud (INJM) shared Joe Kern's post.
We're sharing veteran INJM volunteer Joe Kern's post on his work in Mashiki here, both because it's a fine statement about gender equality on the tougher side of volunteer work, and also because he shows how we can assess and cope with risks as a volunteer. Disaster relief volunteering, especially in its early response stages does involve risks to personal safety. Exercising common sense, being honest with ourselves about whether we're willing or skilled enough to take those risks yet and listening to the advice of people more experienced than we are makes us more effective as volunteers, and helps maintains safety as well.
Joe Kern See More
Today's job, on the roof. I was smart and waited until after lunch to take the photo. In the morning I was crawling around up there like a terrified slug. By th...e afternoon I was like a mountain lion, able to strike the gallant pose you see here.
This job was clearing the roof of broken tiles, for safety, and so they could lay down the Famous Blue Tarps to keep the rain out.
Roof work is part of the work up here. Most of the tasks volunteers are doing involve salvaging the most prized of the valuables the homeowners request to have saved from the worst hit houses (slated for demolition... eventually), and cleaning out the less damaged but still unlivable places and organizing stuff into save and discard piles.
We struck a blow for feminism in Japan today though. We were four foreign volunteers, two men and two women, working with a professional Japanese team on the roof. At first the foreman was dubious of having women on the roof at all. Then when we got to the site he said men on the 2nd floor women on the 1st. But as soon as I stepped out I knew 2nd floor was a floor too far for me, and I handed it off to the women, who were happy to do it and clearly better at it anyway. So we bait and switched them into putting two women into a man's man's job.
I should say that this is no mark against the foreman. He was an awesome dude. Clear and capable, and he had no trouble adapting anyway.
Kumamoto Update:
Jamie and Rob will be leaving Mashiki on the 13th so they can take care of some prior commitments (like work and a friends wedding!). The plan is to take care of what we need to take care of, and then make another trip down to Kumamoto and assess the situation. If there is a need and enough work for unskilled volunteers, we will look at doing a summer program for a month or so.
Every disaster is different and yesterday's information is outdated today, one or... two weeks away makes what you thought you knew totally irrelevant.
The work we were doing when first arrived is very different to what we are doing now. It's not totally clear what the next stage in recovery will be. If it's something we will be able to help with then we will!
After yesterday's torrential rain and wind today was a very welcome beautiful day! With over thirty volunteers we split up into many teams, once again splitting in half between Mashiki and more rural Tateno.
I (Jamie) feel bad that I am only able to show you the pictures of the work sites I'm at, because I know everyone is working super hard!
Once again I was on rooftops! Along with John, Yannick and Cornelius we had Ban and new arrival Ryan with us. It's nice to see the guys teaching others the skills that were taught to them. Actually I learnt almost all my construction stuff from other people and now teach others, so it's the same!
INJM co-director Shaun's former student Kana Yamase held a small dance workshop as a fundraiser for INJM and IDRO Japan's work in Kumamoto. She would like to do a bigger event next time but renting studio space is a bit expensive...so if anyone knows of any cheap, suitable venue in Tokyo please let us (and her) know.
One of the trickier volunteer jobs- relaying roof tiles disordered by repeated tremors.
Thank you to Satou san and Side by Side International for the vehicle loan to use down here in Kumamoto!
Reposting our call for volunteers here, with some updates. First of all, thank you to all those who are joining us this Golden Week Holiday. Thanks to you, we are now able to expand our activities and reach more local people who need our assistance.
Second, we aren't sure how long we'll be staying in Mashiki City after 15th of May. It all depends on our assessment of local needs, how useful we can continue to be and how much longer we will be allowed to continue camping in a car park that local residents may soon want to use again. So if you'd like to volunteer with us, please take note of these possible time limits: for the time being, we'll only be accepting volunteers between 10th-15th May.
https://www.facebook.com/ItsNotJustMud/posts/1169763156376225:0