I have been reporting to you on Project Hope several times in this site.
A new team consisting of 5 members arrived from US in the afternoon of May 6th (Fri), the last day of the consecutive holidays we have in Japan as “Golden Week’. We started the next day with a briefing. George, who had also participated in the relief activities in Iraq with Fred, his predecessor, took initiative at this briefing.
I decided to join in the party in Saturday evening. All guests were Japanese, but two of them were doctors currently working in Missouri and NYC, and 3 (1 of them was male) were nurses at UCLA. They all have medical license of the US. Dr. Shimabukuro, whom have I introduced to you earlier, advised them to participate in our project. Dr. Kaku of PCAT who was with us last time, and a medical student of Todai who just returned from Iwate were present, too. Dr. Hayashi is working in Iwate now. This time, as was the last time, PCAT is supervising and advising the Japanese side.
This new team plans to be in Japan for 2 weeks to visit several areas in the Iwate Prefecture. There activities are truely encouraging.
These activities, as they expand, will support the recovery of the disaster stricken places, people’s health, and eventually the creation of new Japan.
I firmly believe that such activities in an open, international team will eventually, though slowly, change the mind-set of our youths to be a global citizen.