“I wonder if I can go to the same junior high school with my old friends” wrote Shiori, a 12 year old girl in primary school.

“I wonder how I can live and rebuild my family’s house. I am worried that a tsunami like this one might come again” wrote Hikaru, a 9 year old boy.
 
“I am concerned about my family members who are still missing, such as my grandparents and my aunt” wrote Narumi, an 11 year old girl.    

These are just some of the concerns expressed by the children from Minami Sanriku, Miyagi prefecture, one of the hardest-hit towns during the quake and tsunami. Most of the children, ranging from primary school to high school age, lost their homes in the tsunami and are now living in an evacuation centre in Tome City where World Vision started its first Child Friendly Space today.

World Vision Japan staff met with the children to discuss what they wanted to do, starting by introducing World Vision to the children through story telling with picture cards. In response, the children drew their favourite picture and introduced themselves by explaining their drawing.
 
The children wrote what they wanted to do and then shared their opinions with each other.

“I want to play cards with other friends” said RIe, a 12 year old girl.
“I want to play baseball with everyone” said Takahiro, a 12 year old boy.
 
The children come from a number of different schools in Minami Sanriku. Most of these schools were completely destroyed by the tsunami.
 
When asked what the child friendly space should be called, the children suggested the name “Zenin syugo (Everyone gathering together)”. They have decided how often they want to meet and what they want to do.
 
At the end of the discussion, the children were asked about their experience in the Child Friendly Space.
 
“I felt relieved when I wrote my concern. It was good because I didn’t have a chance to write down my concerns like today” wrote Misato, an 11 year old girl.

Some of the children have not been able to make contact with family members. Others were reunited with family members a number of days after the tsunami. Sadly, many had family or friends among the 10,000 known to have died.  

World Vision has distributed relief items to more than 10,000 people in Miyagi and Sendai areas of northeast Japan. World Vision hopes to assist more than 30,000 people in the coming weeks and months to help rehabilitate people's lives and communities devastated by the quake and tsunami.