LifeNets has been approached to facilitate aid to March 11, 2011 earthquake and tsunami victims in Japan. We would like to do this. At this writing, conditions are still very chaotic in the Sendai area of northern Japan. However, it will become clear what needs to be done to help in the humanitarian suffering where thousands have died and property damage is in the multiple billions.

 

We have at least two sources through which we can work to facilitate aid directly to victims.

At this point the major relief agencies are in their initial phase of helping.  Much aid will be needed as the needs of individuals become known to all us.

 

You can at this time make a tax-deductible contribution in which the full amount will be applied towards earthquake victims. You can donate at www.lifenets.org/japan

 

Dr. Yumi Yamamoto sends us a few updates describing the human, particularly the children's reaction to the tragedy. 

 

March 24, 2011 update

In Japan, teenagers are just same with those in other countries. At graduation ceremonies from elementary schools or high schools in March, they are sad with the departure of their school and friends, but happy and full of joy for their new life which starts soon in April. Of course, they will cry, hug, and shake hands with tears and smiles emotionally in the ceremony like as any teenagers do.

  

Dr. Yumi Yamamoto

Even in the area of this series of disasters, the graduation ceremonies have to be done now. Some students are missed, some teachers are missed, and someone's parents are missed, but it is what they have to do. There you may be surprised to see how calm and quiet they are. Their solemn faces are pale with running tears but they do not shout or cry. I could see when one is really in despair, they will bury and shut up all their feelings. Their sorrow is just deep, deep, and deep. But they try to keep themselves.  

 

At a hospital which is used as a temporary shelter there are two brothers. They survived together because they were at the elementary school when the tsunami came to their town. They knew their house and everything had gone. Their parents have not been found yet. They said that the tsunami took even the toy away which their father bought just a few weeks ago. Everyday the brothers are helping to serve foods to other evacuees there. One of the brothers said, 'Because they let us stay here while we are waiting for our parents, we simply help them to thank them, but our parents are really late to come now.'    

 

Two weeks have passed since March 11th.

 

March 22, 2011 update by Yumi -  

 

I appreciate all your kind donations and warm prayers for the disasters of Japan. Here in Japan, spring is time for school new terms. Children and students have their graduation ceremonies in March and new school terms start in the beginning of April at all kindergartens, elementary schools, high schools, colleges and universities. This series of disasters happened when children were almost going to finish their last terms with full of hope for their next school terms after happy spring vacation.  

 

At one school, because all graduates were found to have survived, they had their graduation ceremony in a small classroom because their gym was occupied as a shelter with a lot of evacuees. Survived teachers and parents did their best to decorate the room as bright as their future. The president gave a speech how wonderful friendship and consideration to each other is. Of course, it is not a case for all schools. At some schools, all students including buildings and everything were lost at once by the tsunami. At other schools, they do not want to have any graduation ceremony yet, because they have classmates who were not found yet.  

 

Even though some children who survived lost their schools, at temporary shelters they have started their own schools. They got together at the corners of the shelters and started to study. There older students teach the younger ones. They lost their buildings, desks and chairs, and many teachers were busy with other things, but they have schools and learn something more important than what they can learn in the textbooks.   

 

Yumi

We have been working with and are a part of the "Revival" Centre in Chernihev, Ukraine since April 1996-- before it opened in June of that year. We have traveled there many times and have become dear friends of Dr. Vasyl Pasichnyk and his wife Natalya who are founders and directors of a children's rehabilitation center 30 miles due east of Chernobyl. It has treated thousands of children for various ailments and serious health conditions for the past 15 years. The causes of many disabilities that have been passed onto another generation now, go back  to the fateful day on April 26, 1986 when fateful nuclear accident took place. It awakened and sobered our world to the dangers of nuclear power.  LifeNets continues to help the center on an annual basis.

We appreciate Dr. P's updates and would like to share the following along with his photos.  To see more of the photos, please go to http://www.lifenets.org/chernobyl/3-20-2011.htm.

December 22, 2010 and March 9, 2011

Our dear friends Victor and Beverly,

The year 2010 has ended.  We are pleased, even though we are in a financial crisis, that we were able to care for and rehabilitate as many children at the same level as the last few years-altogether 1320 children.  This was divided in the governmental supported part which included 730 children and 520 in the "Revival" part.  Your $15,000 contribution for 2010 paid for rehabilitation of 70 children.

Children at "Revival" Centre

However, the Center of Rehabilitation cannot care for all the children in province who need rehabilitation. Of the 3,700 disabled children in our province, 2000 need rehabilitation. To solve this problem, the governor promised to allocate money for the construction of a new wing that would accommodate 60 children staying overnight with their mothers who would come from various parts of the province. We are confident that construction will start in the spring of 2011. Our facilities have become popular in Ukraine; that's why we have children come from the Kiev province as well as other parts of the country.

We often have visitors and delegations as our guests. We had the Minister of Labor and Social Matters of Ukraine, Vasyl Nedraga, a delegation of the General Assembly of disabled in Ukraine, a delegation of pedagogues from Holland that help with education in our province. A very interesting visit was with our children of a Special Olympic soccer team from Italy...these were blind football players that played with balls that had bells on them. They had to figure out the location of the ball by the sounds. Photos included.

Once or twice a month we have special occasions with our children in the Music Hall where they dance and sing. They all receive presents that are given by charitable organizations from England. I'm sending a few photos of the last visit. 

With respect and love,

Vasyl and Natalya

From our student, Cephas Chapamba who describes his graduation and future:

Hello! 

The graduation was held at Malawi Adventist university, Lakeview campus, a constituent college of Malawi Adventist University which is affiliated with Ballaton University of East Africa and its headquarters in Kenya. The graduation took place on Sunday 26 September 2010. The graduation saw me getting out of the college corridors with a Diploma in Clinical Medicine. This will benefit me a lot in the sense that my salary with the government will

 

Graduate Cephas Chapamba with his wife Patricia

rise, my responsibility at work will rise, my chance of expanding my business has increased to almost 100%,above all the community I am saving will stop travelling long distances in search of medical services since they have one  right in their community. Is this not wonderful?  There are a lot of benefits that could even feel this whole page, but the issue is that the LifeNets has managed to bring a Clinical officer to the Malawi nation and to UCG. My study period is 18 months intensive class work and 12 months work experience which will end in June 2011. All this with funding from LifeNets.  Oh what a nice organization!
 

If you see properly you will see that almost four faces are dominating the pictures the one in black suit is me (Cephas) and a lady with a purple suit and a white hat is my wife Patricia she accompanied me to the ceremony since we are one body. The other man in yellow shirt is my best friend now at Nkhotakota and the other lady is his wife. (photo below).

You would be surprised to hear that we did not know this family until I went to school but when people see us, take us as brothers, we visit their family and they also do the same, this means that in addition to getting my diploma, the school has helped me add to

the number of family friends. Others are friends and relatives who came to witness the occasion, the notable names to you could be Gift Chikwera and Kennedy Nyalubwe, and do you know that without your camera which was given to Gift just 12 hours before graduation I would have a graduation without photos?      
      

You would also be interested to know that after this diploma I have opened a lot of market for the clinic  I own. I will now be able to start inpatient department, to open a maternity wing, to do some operations like hernia repairs, Caesarean sections, just to mention a few. The government of Malawi has offered me a job which shows that despite being in private sector the Malawi government is still benefiting directly from my services.
 

Its exciting, I could write pages, all this is to show my appreciation to LifeNets, God bless LifeNets!
 

Good day,

Cephas 

 

See more of our scholarship stories at http://www.lifenets.org/scholarships.

LifeNets has worked with Lion's and their eyeglass programs through the years as you can see in our eyeglass section at http://www.lifenets.org/eyeglasses.  
 

Bev Kubik presents Bob Price with 400 pair of eyeglasses

Director Bob Price came by our home on October 6, 2010 and picked up 400 pair of glasses that were all cleaned and each individually put into a Ziploc bag. Bob Price was leaving with others on a mission to Central America in a few days and was taking these glasses with him.  We are happy that the glasses found a home with people who really needed them.  We always ask our donors to please soak the glasses is a mild soapy solution for 20 minutes and put each pair of glasses in a zip lock bag.  That way the glasses are clean and presentable.

At LifeNets our focus is no longer eyeglass distribution. The reason is that we no longer have the connections to give DIRECTLY places to give glasses to such as Thailand, Central Africa and other places. We want to thank all who helped us with eye glass collections. 

Sierra Productions is small enterprise in Colombia created by the Sierra Brothers in association with CABLESAN TV which produces commercials and documentaries for radio and television. It focuses mainly on suburban or small-town population groups-and is now volunteering time to do Spanish voiceovers for Beyond Today television programming.

Recently LifeNets made a grant to upgrade some of the equipment.  Read the entire story at www.lifenets.org/colombia.