Naomi Ichikawa, editor of Patchwork Quilt Tsushin Magazine is asking for comfort quilts to be sent to Japan. She says:
It is still bad situation now in Japan.
We are still nervous about shaking and radiation,but no way to escape.
I start to announce to the quilters to send us comfort quilts for the
people who are suffered.I would like to do it to the world quilters.
We will deliver the comfort quilts to the people who are very difficult
situation.Could you please help to announce it to the quilters in your country?
We accept any size of quilts(baby to adult).new or unused.
The deadline would be the end of May or later.
★Send the quilts to:
（after the end of April）
Naomi Ichikawa
Patchwork Tsushin Co.,Ltd
2-21-2,Yushima,Bunkyo-ku,Tokyo,Japan zip:113-0034
I will appreciate if you help me.
Naomi
Right now we are hearing a lot of news reports about difficulties getting the basics to people in the affected areas, never mind handing out quilts. I also read this, posted on Facebook by June O. Underwood (I am sure she won't mind me posting it here) -
Francoise on the SAQA list said that she had just heard from Naomi to hold off unti "after the end of l Apri"l because there was too much confusion at the moment. I don't know Francoise personally but it seems a legit posting.This sounds like a good idea to me. From the TV reports we are seeing here in Australia, with whole communities sheltering in school gyms, unable to wash properly for lack of water etc., flooding the offices of Quilts Tsushin with quilts that they are unable to send on for the moment is probably not a good idea.
If quilters want to help more immediately, perhaps having a quickly organised table sale at your group meeting and sending a donation will be the most effective way to help right now.
****
From the quilters in Yuza-machi, Yamagata-prefecture (the west of Yamagata prefecture has not been so badly affected by the quake as Sendai and the east coast) - two messages (from e mails). Reiko and Chie came to the UK in September.
From Reiko Domon, leader of Peaceful Heart Quilt Group -
Dear Susan
I am all right
YUZA-MACHI is all right, too
But it was a terrible earthquake.
It was hard only that electricity stopped.
It becomes hard when I think of a suffering person.
I worry about future in the future in Japan.
From Chie Ikeda, my sashiko teacher -
Thank you for being afraid of the earthquake and tsunami.
It was very much surprised at the earthquake on 11 by the shake of the place that it has never been experienced until now.
......There is still little damage in Shonai, and I am safe, too.
There was a blackout.
When the image of the stricken area on television is seen, it can't think of this under the very cruel conditions as for the actual thing.
There was a news report on the BBC a few days ago which included a piece by the current JET English teacher in Sagae-shi, Yamagata Prefecture (much closer to Sendai than Yuza-machi). Having been a JET teacher, I can empathise when she says 'My problem would be that if we were advised to leave I've got no way of getting to Tokyo or to the airport to leave as I don't have access to a car or petrol.'
1 comment:
I was truly impressed with the young teacher interviewed on the BBC who said that although he had been advised to leave Japan how could he return to England leaving behind his Japanese students who over two years had become friends as well as pupils?
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