The Kumamoto Earthquake Report 12:
Expertise and Humanity:
Key Elements for Humanitarian Assistance

May 25th 2016

The collapsed roofing of the gymnasium in Mashiki-town has been fixed, and now the gymnasium offers a space with cardboard beds, mattress, Tatami (Japanese floor mat), with curtains to ensure privacy. The roof cover, which is meant to ease the fear from falling objects and to make air-con cooling circulation more efficient, was set up by 140 volunteers from Y’s Men’s Club, a supporting organization to YMCA’s work.

‘It’s really refreshing’, Ms. Fukuoka who just finished bathing told us. Her house was completely collapsed, and she shared that she went to see the collapsed house today for the first time. Until now, family members have discouraged her from going there as it is not safe for elderly to visit the site.  Everything, including Buddhist Altar, is still in the rubble, and when she saw her house completely flattened to the ground, she shuddered in a shock. The 25th anniversary of her husband’s death is coming up in August, but she is still not sure whether they can go ahead and hold this. Ms. Fukuoka’s son, who she lives together, is looking for a housing that she can relocate, but still no luck as they have a pet with them.  She shared that it is also very stressful to move to a new place from the place where she just got used to.

Ms. Matsumoto became certified care worker after going through the course at YMCA. Damage to her house was limited, but seeing other houses around her destroyed and seeing the misery of the people in the community, it was ‘heart-breaking’ and she felt ‘desperate to help others’.  When she was searching for her role amid the relief needs, YMCA approached and proposed her to offer her skills to assist others.

Mr. Watanabe also completed the course at YMCA, and decided to come as a volunteer to help the elderly evacuees to bathe. The motivation he says, is ‘wanting to see these people smile once again.’For elderly care, according to another graduate from YMCA course on certified care worker, ‘it is important to show the same faces instead of making them cope with high turnovers of short-term volunteers’. This also implies how much local volunteers play a key role for these elderly as they will accompany throughout the recovery process.

Humanitarian assistance is not just to have professional systems in place, but ‘humanity’ within all those involved a lot. Expertise and humanity, the examples from Kumamoto indicating the best mix of these elements, is prerequisite for effective humanitarian assistance.

You can help the operation on the ground. Please see below:
Emergency appeal of YMCA Japan
Facebook page of Kumamoto YMCA (Japanese only)

Online donation site

Bank Detail Name : The National Council of YMCAs of Japan
Address : 7 Honshio-cho Shinjuku-ku,Tokyo
Beneficiary Bank : THE BANK OF TOKYO-MITSUBISHI UFJ,LTD.
Branch Name : YOTSUYA BRANCH
Bank Address : 3-2-1 YOTSUYA SHINJUKU-KU TOKYO
Swift code : BOTKJPJT
Account Number : 051-0111494

The National Council of YMCAs of Japan and the Church World Service Japan are working together as partner for relief activities in Kumamoto Earthquake.

Interviewer and photo taken by: Ryoji Inaba, YMCA Kumamoto
English translation: Takeshi Komino, CWS Japan

Gymnasium in Mashiki-town accommodates evacuees

Ensure the evacuees’ privacy with curtains in the gymnasium

Ms. Matsumoto, affected by the earthquake, lends her hands for bathing service

Mr. Watanabe takes part in volunteering after his work