Visited Fukushina Kids -Report-

Maki went to Japan and visited Fukushima Kids who joined our refresh camps before.

Since 11/03/2011, we have thought a lot of potential opportunities to support Japan from Cairns in the way such as the events of Japan Day of Hope etc.  Through many of the chances and the connections, we started Smile with Kids with a concept that the Kids who are restricted to play outside in Fukushima can have a great time in the nature in Cairns.

After 7 years from the March 11, there are a lot of different thoughts and situations in Fukushima nowadays.  Also in Smile with Kids, we are placing important on sharing the real voices and real situations of Fukushima with the kids and Cairns people.  Now, what is the most important thing to do in our activities?  What do they want us to do?  We never know that only thinking here in Cairns.

KIDS KNOW THE BEST WHAT THE MOST IMPORTANT THING FOR THE PEACE IS.

Here is the report from hearing of Fukushima Kids who came to Cairns before and also who are going to join the next project.

Photo: 3 new children who are going to join the next year project.  Thank you for sharing your feelings right now.  They are cute!

They were restricted to go outside and had to watch the fireworks from inside the rooms.

It was hard to find the programs which older kids such as over Year 7 could join, that's why they were so glad to find this Cairns Project.

Next:

The kids who already joined the project before shared their experiences.

Their mums shared their voices as well.

All the kids who joined 2018 March project told their parents that

Everything has various aspects.
You have to see things from the different points of view and learn then think yourself.
You have to tell your own opinions.
Even after we came back home from Cairns, we have been thinking this is very important.

After the 2 hour talk session, we had a little chatting time over the Australian sweets.

Everyone who joined the Refresh Camp is doing their best now keeping what they learnt in Cairns in their mind.  They encourage us!

2016 Refresh Camp students; Maho, Kokoro, Tomomi (mum) & Minako (mum) 

Kokoro is studying hard and playing tennis hard.  She is displaying the awards from Smile with Kids together with her other awards.  Thank you!

Maho was selected as a member of the Hiroshima Nagasaki Peace Messengers and had a speech at the UN in Geneva, Switzerland!  She encouraged us as well sharing her experiences and her opinion about the nuclear.

Kids power is unlimited!

Thank you for organising, Kodama san, Deniz (came from Germany for volunteer works of Earth Walkers) and everyone who joined this meeting.

Actually 1 week before this meeting, I had another chance to visit Aizu-Wakamatsu City to meet other 3 boys and parents. Koki, Heaun & Riku!

Even after 2 years, they still remember about their experiences in Cairns it warms up their hearts, they shared.

Thank you everyone!

-From the voices of the parents-

After the disaster, we could not let them touch the nature and we were getting down seriously.

However, we did not want to make our little kids worry.  We wanted to give them a normal life.

That is why we naturally avoided talking about the disaster and the radiation.

It was a very good chance for us to discuss it with our children through the preparation of speech

in the Cairns Project.

After the project, boys are really enjoying their lives.

Also we learned that there are a lot of people in a distance who are thinking about Fukushima and supporting Fukushima.

We are encouraged by that and appreciating all the supporters.



Thank you for sharing!

                                                                                                                          

There are a lot of different situations and ideas.

None of them are wrong.

We want to keep the stage where people can share their real voices

and hope love & peace will be spread from there.

If the Cairns Refresh Camp could be the stage for it, it would be great.

Never forget the March 11.
We will do whatever we can do from Cairns.

Even though it is little by little, we will continue it as much as possible.


Maho reminded us with the words she got though the Peace Messenger activities,
We might not have so big power but we are not powerless.

This phrase empowered me and I realised that we were learning a lot from the kids.
Maho's Message can be checked from this page.
There are some other people voices as well that we would like to share.
Please check it out.


https://www.facebook.com/smilewithkids/videos/2140191469536211/



Thank you very much!

Voices from the Volunteer staff & Volunteer host families

Hello everyone, this is Smile with Kids!

We are going to hold a Refresh Camp for Fukushima Kids in July 2019.
Toward that, we are planning some fund raising events and holding stalls in festivals.

If you are interested in those volunteer works or the volunteer host families, please do not hesitate to contact us!

Here are some voices from the current volunteer working staff & volunteer host families.

R.G.

“After getting involved in Smile with Kids, I began to get more interested in charity volunteering. It made me feel like I want to be of help when there are other charity opportunities. For example, when there was a flood in Fukuoka, there was a charity event organised by people mainly from Kyushu. I remember taking time off work to help out at stalls. Before, I did not think about taking part in charity event to the point of taking time off work to do it. …At first, I just enjoyed meeting new people by participating. Gradually, it became something deeper. There was a change of awareness within me and I started to think more about the meaning of supporting those in need. I started to reflect on what I do what I do, and there was a shift of thinking in me.”

Caroline Diamond
“I’ve been participating in the program as a host family. … For me, this program is about experiencing Australian life. The essence of it is the ability to experience nature without concerns. It’s about being able to sit out in our backyard overlooking the rainforests. I remember taking one of the boys from a couple of years ago to Copperlode Dam, where we get our drinking water from. We would go out, see wildlife, have a cup of tea, walk along the water and see the little turtles in the water. It’s also about cultural exchange, and getting to know each other.”


Cairns Jun
“I run a Japanese community radio station in Cairns. … For the first time, I participated in talk event with children from Fukushima. The image of “Fukushima” has been represented in so many ways through different media. Until I met them in person, I had my own views of what Fukushima was like. However, when I met them in person, talked to them and spent time with them, I realised some of the preconceived ideas have been challenged. I realised the importance of actually meeting and talking to people and building understanding through that.”


Yasuyo Mackenzie
“I’ve helped out with creating slide shows that were used at the annual charity event to introduce what Smile with Kids is about. I’ve also participated as a host family. … Through helping out with producing the slide shows, I understood better what the program aims to do. … I believe that there are some things that can only be told through the eyes of children of Fukushima. For example, stories about how families had to live apart from each other, how friends kept leaving one by one, how each of their lives dramatically changed after the nuclear accident… It’s their real stories, and I hope these stories continue to be told and heard.”


Miki san
“I work as a school teacher here. …I got involved by making donations when I went to shops, shopping at stalls in Japan Day of Hope charity event, and my son participated in kendo demonstration at the event, too. … I also had the opportunity to be a host family, and it was a very precious experience. I felt that the post-disaster reconstruction process is still going on, and people are still making a lot of effort. … Until now, I would only hear about what is happening in Fukushima through mainstream media. However, being a host family and having gone to the talk session. I was able to hear what’s happening from the people that actually live there, and that was really helpful. In this day and age of internet, there is abundance of information. I thought it’s important to be more mindful of what information I get. Also, through this program, I became more involved with the Japanese community in Cairns, and I also learnt that it’s important to have an approach of doing something consistently over long term, even if it’s something small.”


Emi Kamataki
“I have been donating funds I raised through my sumie artwork and classes. I have also been participating as a translator. … I felt that children’s words are powerful. What you hear about Fukushima through media or adults involves information such as the level of radiation. However, I came across a comment by one of the children participating in the program; ‘I started to no longer enjoy the television game I loved so much’. With that one sentence, I felt that I could understand what was happening there…”


S.S: “I had heard about this program before, but I got to know it better when a donation box for this program was placed at the gift shop I used to work for. I’ve been participating in this program in various ways. For example, I’ve been volunteering at the annual fundraiser event, Japan Day of Hope. I’ve helped run stalls as part of a traditional Japanese tea ceremony club or as part of a gift shop I used to work for. In the most recent fundraiser event, I helped out at the reception. There were opportunities to explain about the event to people who came. I’ve especially found it meaningful to explain it to local Australian people. They gained some understanding about the 2011 disaster and took interest in donating and watching the slide show about the program during the event. My family migrated to Australia largely due to the consequences of the Fukushima nuclear power plant accident. Therefore, there was a lot that I could share, and I felt that I wanted to continue serving in this role again. I have also been helping out with translating blogs to English. I work full-time, so I get involved with what I can, when I can.”


Y.S.: “I don’t have a specified role. I see myself as a supporter who encourages and cheers the team on. During the refreshment camp, I take the initiative to talk to the children and ask some questions that might help expand their horizons. In so doing, I also help create an atmosphere that make them feel like they can speak up. I feel that the children who come to Cairns have the ability to take in and learn new things at the point they choose to go overseas. Being in their early teenage years when they are receptive to many things, I would love for them to listen to various views, and equip themselves with the ability to think and look up things for themselves.”

Yuka Nakamura
“I’ve been involved in various ways. In the past, I have helped raise funds by running several activities, such as teaching children how to do origami, busking, and organising collaboration workshop of origami and pastel art for special occasions like Mothers’ Day and Christmas. When I worked at a local school as a teacher, I organised fundraiser event and also invited children from Fukushima to visit the school. During refreshment camp, I participated mainly as a translator. That said, since I used to study about Australian animals, I remember talking about Australian animals and wildlife to children. … One year, there was a girl who showed interest in many things. I remember pointing to termite mounds while driving to a farm and explaining that many white ants build them over many years. After that, she kept asking about names of birds and names of star constellations at night time. We still keep in touch. After returning to Japan, she told me she learnt the importance of taking steps towards your goal. She wanted to get into a particular high school, so she studied very hard, and she became top in her class. I felt that the impact of the refreshment camp on her was very significant. Also, I remember when the children did their speeches in front of the entire school on their final day. They were so confident and I was amazed how much they can change in such a short period of time. I also felt a change of awareness in children at local school, and it was really great for them to learn about what is happening in Fukushima. There are so many memorable moments.

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If you could help any stalls of events in the future as a volunteer, please let us know.

Here are some pictures of the Japan Day of Hope 2018.  Please check them out!

https://www.facebook.com/pg/japandayofhope.kizuna/photos/?tab=album&album_id=1775432005811364

Of course any other volunteers such as host families for the Fukushima Kids are more than welcome.

smilewithkids8@gmail.com

0403-112-116

Maki

Thank you very much!!

Carnival on Collins & Cairns Bon Dance Festival 2018!

Smile with Kids attended Carnival on Collins and Cairns Bon Dance Festival on Sunday, 2 September 2018.

We had a stall in both of events for a fund raising.

Photos from Carnival on Collins

Thank you for your great effort and cooperation, Masayo, Jun, Ryoko, Yuki, Akiko, Sayoko, Yoshimi, Henry, Yumiko and Yui.

Bon Dance Festival stall has been helped by Sanae, Yuki and Ryoko.

(OMG, thanks heaps Yuki & Ryoko dedicating whole day for Smile with Kids!)

Thanking for everyone, we were able to join both of the events this year as well.

And we really appreciate the people who will newly join the host families.

Here are the photos from Bon Dance Festival.

Mr. & Mrs. Tomizawa were visiting Cairns from Fukushima, bringing the beautiful Japanese fans and the aromatic potpourris of lavender.

Ms. Nishimura who makes and donates the cute eco-friendly handmade acrylic dishwashers.

Thank you very much!

The OKIAGARI-KOBOSHI, self-righting dolls which are the Japanese traditional toys were brought by Koki (one of the students from Fukushima who joined the last refresh camp)'s mum.  Everyone liked them!

He liked the Hina-dolls as well!

They got a pair of neck charm made by T together and wore them.  A beautiful work makes great smiles.

Thank you!

This is a hand-made bag made by Japanese 84yrs lady.  It made the guests so happy as well!

We really appreciate!

Next stall was Noriko-san.  She donated some pieces of beautiful charm.

Thank you for your warm-hearted donation!  

Thank you for your day, everyone!

Every time in the charity stalls, we feel the warm hearts of donated products and everyone involved in.

Stage performances were also brilliant!

Thank you for organising the great event, Japanese Society of Cairns!

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If you could help any stalls at this kind of events in the future as a volunteer, please let us know.
Of course any other volunteers such as host families for the Fukushima Kids are more than welcome.

smilewithkids8@gmail.com

0403-112-116

Maki

Thank you very much!!

Next Fukushima Kids Refresh Camp will be held in July-August 2019!

We have started to accept the applications for the next FUKUSHIMA KIDS SUPPORT PROJECT.

This refresh camp will be held on 20 July - 1 Aug 2019. (Arriving in Cairns on 21 July, Departing Cairns on 31 July.)

We have been holding this Cairns Refresh Camp in March every year, which is the same month of when the Japan Day of Hope event takes place.

However, it is a little bit of a tight schedule having those 2 big events in the same month.

Also, the weather in July is more stable than in March.

The camp dates in March was too close to the end of term in Cairns and had a bit of a struggle organising the school visits.  

With those reasons, we have changed the dates from March to July.

Using the summer holiday in Japan, we are able to make it a few days longer.

The JAPAN DAY OF HOPE will be held in March as usual.

Here are some photos from the project last time in March.

We've got a lot of messages from students who participated the project before.

A student who joined 2 years ago, selected a member of the Hiroshima Nagasaki Peace Messengers, is going to Switzerland for a speech this August. 

A student who joined last year is studying hard for her challenge to go to a University in Germany.

Those students & parents messages encourage us to continue this project!

Thank you very much again for all the volunteer host families and people who are supporting us.

We would like to continue and expand this project more and more with the people network in Cairns.

For any inquiries, please do not hesitate to contact our website: www.smilewithkids.com.au  or Face Book: https://www.facebook.com/smilewithkids/

Many thanks

Smile with Kids