An organization meeting for an NPO named "Life Support Project K" (hereinafter Project K) will be held on August 20 in Kesennuma City in Miyagi Prefecture where SHARE is providing healthcare support. The purpose of this NPO is to support the health and life of disaster victims. Project K was established by concerned local people engaged in health and welfare. The main members are care managers, caseworkers, psychiatric social workers, nursing care workers and people from a welfare university.
In Kesennuma City, people moved into 2,248 temporary housing units. Eventually, 3,461 will be constructed. As displaced inhabitants begin moving into these housing units, there are concerns for their mental health and a fear that they will become isolated living separately from their former communities. In June, 16 suicide cases related to the March 11 disaster were reported by government. The drastic change in lifestyle circumstances appears to have been one factor behind them.
Each disaster victim has different problems and care for each problem is required. SHARE is realizing through the health counseling at temporally housings that anxiety for life and job as well as for health is increasing. Now it is necessary to support not only their health and mental health but also their life.
Project K will work to avoid isolation of individuals through consultation on daily problems, including health, and also make efforts to activate communication in the community through the events, such as circle activities, in the Hashikami district. After the organization meeting, on August 28, a movable zoo and health counseling are planned as opening events. We expect visitors, from children to senior citizens, to get to know each other and start communication in the new community.
SHARE will support and cooperate with Project K health counseling and life support for the disaster victims in the Hashikami district. SHARE will respect the primary healthcare approach in the community, for which the local people are the main organizers, and will do side support of Project K, utilizing local resources to settle problems in the community.
August 20, 2011
MIYAGI MEDICAL RELIEF EFFORT! Tohoku Pacific Earthquake