Beneficial summer camp for those affected by the Fukushima disaster

Anthroposophic health care for children and adults in the north-east of Japan

After the worst earthquake in the history of Japan on 11 March 2011 and the Fukushima nuclear disaster, people are still having to struggle to this day with the consequences of the tsunami and the accident at the nuclear power plant. Many are still not able to return to their homes in the contaminated restricted areas. The exposure to nuclear radiation is a hazard to the health of thousands of people. Kenji's School and the "Earthquake Disaster Support Group Light and Wind" in Fukuoka have therefore been offering a twelve-day holiday camp for families since 2012, where the physical and mental health of children, adolescents and adults is promoted.

At the holiday camp, the 40 participants in the project have the opportunity to strengthen their body and mind through eurythmy, painting and singing therapy, as well as joint leisure activities such as crafts, games, swimming or visiting museums. Here they receive the assistance of anthroposophic doctors, therapists and educators, who show the children, adolescents and adults the different healing methods that they experience there, which they can also continue to use themselves at home. During this time the families live in various houses near Kenji's School and meet every day for lunch together. Any jobs that need to be done, such as cooking, shopping, cleaning or gardening, are always performed together with the 20 volunteers of the project.

PROJECT DETAILS

Promotion of the project and outlook

Since there is virtually no culture of donation in Japan, Kenji's School relies on aid from Germany and other countries. The MAHLE FOUNDATION has been supporting the holiday camp since 2013. There is a good deal of interest in the project: it has already been reported on extensively and a few other Japanese cities are planning to organise and execute a similar project based on the Fukuoka model. The holiday camp associated with Kenji's School is to be continued until the summer of 2016. A further aim is to make it possible for participants to stay for a longer period and to accommodate a larger number of participants, as well as to offer more holiday camps and regular courses in the vicinity of the place of residence of the people affected.