Local residents mutual-aid welfare associationSASAEAI YAMAMOTO

(“Sasaeai” means “Support each other”. “AI” means “Love”)

We undertake six independent projects which include operating a day care center, providing transport services, and helping residents with household duties.
The office and residential area of our day care center were completely destroyed in the earthquake. The first floor of our day service center – Mini Aikoukan Home – was severely damaged. But most tragically, 6 of our staff and local residents were killed during the disaster.
Reiko Nakamura, Sasaeai Yamamoto’s representative, lost both her parents and husband in the earthquake. But despite the difficult circumstance, she realized “it would still be necessary to operate the day service center, because of such unexpected and terrible disaster.” Nakamura is committed to start over with Sasaeai Yamamoto again.
Please join us with your support for Yamamoto town!

“Day care” means facilities mainly used for rehabilitation purposes.
“Day service” means facilities used for daily activities (such as bathing, eating, etc.).


2011.12.26 Challenges for next year

Thanks to the warm support from many people, SASAEAI YAMAMOTO has resumed a day service after they finished repairing their facility and also have been donated a car which they had lost by the TSUNAMI.
The number of staff became to 13 people now and users are gradually increasing, but it is still less than half compared to before the earthquake. The income has also dropped by half so they can not make a plan to reopen the other facility.
However, many people are waiting to reopen the day service and will be delighted to have it again.
We are very important for the region, and people have came back to the community since we reopened our first day service.

For next year, the aim is to promote the skills of all the staff, including new members, for organization reinforcement, and also rebuild another facility which was fully destroyed by the disaster.
They will train and improve the skills of the staff and try to expand a business.
To rebuild another facility, they need to secure the land and money which means they still need more support.
To show the appreciation to the supporters, we will keep visiting the temporary housing to aid for care prevention.
We also continue arrangements for visitors from outside the prefecture and share our own experience with many people.
SASAEAI YAMAMOTO still needs your help in the future.
And, our appreciation of being supported leads to support of local residents in return for their future.


2011.11.17 New young staff joined and we got lively!

We reopened in October and took on new young staff. It developed a vibrant atmosphere for our future operation. We managed to reopen one facility, however we have no subsidies for the other one which was destroyed by the Tsunami.

The Disaster Restoration Support Project for welfare facilities of the elderly was announced by Miyagi District Administration. According to the project, it subsidizes a quarter of the repair costs, this is a great start but not enough to cover the total cost at all.
However, we will cooperate with the local district and keep our operation going for the local community.


2011.09.21 Re-open!

We will re-open October 1st!
One of our organizations that provided day-services for the elderly washed away on March 11ths tsunami while our other facility also had been hit with major damages. Since September 20th we have been continually working on repairing our organization and can happily say we will be opened on October 1st.


*Staff and users are delighted by reopening

Along with the reopening of our homes are our other facilities which are still being housed in temporary dwellings.
Representative Ms. Reiko Nakamura said, ‘’I realize that the number of people who are in need of care is increasing.’’
Ms. Nakamura has also talked of providing a congregation for people who have lost their jobs or farms and are living at temporary dwellings. Ms. Nakamura is very understanding of the needs of others; during the Tsunami she lost both her husband and her home.
Although our facility is now being reopened, repairs on the 2nd floor are still far from finished and approval for reconstruction of our other organization looks slim.
We are still facing many obstacles.
‘’The warmth and support from so many people have given us strength.’’ Ms. Nakamura said.
It has been six months since the earthquake occurred and although morals are high, our staff is feeling exhausted.
We will continue to support each other even more then ever.
We will be re-opening October 1st!


2011.07.25 Parasol Café at temporary lodging.

The repair of the facility for day-service is going well. Laying the floor is finished, only hanging up wallpaper and equipment work is left.
Staff and users are looking forward to continue with the institution.
We opened the Parasol Café regularly at a temporary building on the town ground of Yamamoto-town and Watari-town central industry.

And also, we joined the supporting activities with students from Miss Paris Beauty School and started an on-site beauty salon. Now we have moved on to restoration.


◎2011.07.06 The rrepairing starts!

We are giving up repairing the eastern facility because the local government has not decided yet if it would be appropriate to build on the property.
We are looking for a place to start operations for elderly people, but we have not been able to find the right place yet.
We have already started to repair AIKOUKAN where had been a slight damage and we aim to resume the day-service and the office as soon as possible.
Representative Ms. Nakamura said, “We are going to combine the office with day service into one facility and are trying our best for restoration. Everyday I wish the disaster was only a bad dream. However, I feel relieved when I see the smiles on users’ faces.”
There still remains a lot of work such as the construction of a new facility, employment, courtesy cars and so on, for actual resumption of the project.