一般財団法人　連帯　東北・西南　RENTAI　TOHOKU-SEINAN

Reported by Ryu and Tahel, Staff of Rentai Tohoku-Seinan

On the 26th May (Sat), 2012, a sports festival was held at Hirota Primary School in Rikuzentakata, Iwate and we served free Pakistani curry to cheer children and their families. At the event, Mr. Sata, chairperson of our foundation, talked with one student and their friendly talk led us to host a curry lunch party at a nearby temporary housing complex where the boy was living on the day of Star Festival or the 7th July (Sat).

We planned it hoping to give a little change and a moment of fun to those who had been forced to bear the inconvenience at the temporary housing units. Though the meeting room at the housing complex was not spacious enough, we were able to have the event, using both the meeting room and the outside space.

After the event on the 26^th May, Mr. Sata sent several books to a family he became friendly with. Coincidentally, the family used to possess one of them, "Magical Words for Kids to Grow On", before the earthquake. They were delighted to receive the book and wrote to Mr. Sata that it was as if the book lost to tsunami somehow made its way back to them. We were also surprised at the strange affinity and became even more enthusiastic to get ready for the event.

At seven in the morning, we loaded our cars with food ingredients and the cooking gear at Senmaya Minami Communication Centre and set off for Rikuzentakata. On the way there we dropped in a dairy farm and received freshly milked milk. We thanked to the couple at the farm who always warmly welcomed us and gave us milk for free.

Though it had been drizzling since the night before, it was still possible to hold the event as planned. Children who had been looking forward to the party welcomed us at the temporary housing complex. After talking with the head of the resident committee, we set up the tent and cooking equipment helped by residents at the housing complex. We brought in food ingredients that were meant for 200 people, but mothers who came to help us were so skilful and quick to prepare everything in a blink.

We used a pair of huge pots to cook curry. Mr. K and a schoolboy who lived at the temporary housing complex took charge of one of the pots and were happy with their accomplishment. When serving the curry, Mr. K was very proud and boasted to everyone that he made curry himself.

It was even more challenging to make naan bread than curry. However, luckily, a person who acquired all the tips and secrets from one of our staff at the event at Hirota Primary School came from Sendai to help us and displayed a fantastic baking skill which would pass as that of a professional naan baker. Thanks to him, we were able to provide naan with curry with no problem.

The curry was made less spicy and palatable for everyone to be able to enjoy. Though we made a massive amount of curry, all was gone around 30 minutes after we started serving. The supporting volunteers from Fukushima and Nagoya also enjoyed it very much.

This time, the purpose of our event was to cheer up those who were living at the second temporary housing complex in Okubo, Hirota-cho, Rikuzentakata. We believe that it provided an opportunity for many people to get together at the meeting room and spend a good time. As it was the day of Star Festival, Mr. Sata gave children gifts of baseball kits, basketballs and footballs. Kids were so excited and squealed with delight. The head of the resident committee agreed to keep these sports gear at the meeting room but the children ran out into the drizzling rain and started ball playing in the parking lot in front of the meeting room, as soon as they put their hands on them.

Held at the third largest temporary housing complexes in Rikuzentakata, the event was successful with many participants. And those children who ran around chasing balls gave us a little hope for the bright future.