Since the Great East Japan Earthquake, students who want to do something for the disaster-stricken areas have rapidly increased. Meiji University developed a reconstruction support project in collaboration with the disaster areas in order to respond to those strong emotions.
As part of this project, at the Urayasu Volunteer Work Base, we are engaging in various efforts to develop activities to respond to the needs of the disaster-stricken areas in order to not let the movement for reconstruction support die out.
In order to sustain and develop the economy and employment in the Tohoku region, we are selling local products from each of the disaster areas, mainly Fukushima, Iwate, and Miyagi prefectures, at a supermarket located near the Urayasu Volunteer Work Base. In August 2011, we invited student volunteers from Fukushima University to help out, and we are also engaging in other support activities through inter-university collaboration.
We are surveying the damage situation in Urayasu and conducting various restoration activities based on the needs of the local people. In June 2011, student volunteers were involved in restoration efforts such as fixing sand bags for a local junior high school that sustained damaged due to liquefaction.
At the Urayasu Volunteer Work Base, we hold self-care workshops under the direction of Meiji University faculty and with the cooperation of students, for citizens living in disaster-stricken areas so that they can maintain their physical and mental balance on their own.
