25
Dec 2018

0

[Flood in Western Japan] Call for International Volunteers: January 2019

We are calling for a team of international volunteers to Kurashiki, Okayama, again! Western Japan was hit by historic rainfall in July 2018, leading to the worst storm-related disaster in the Heisei era. In response to the disaster, Peace Boat Disaster Relief Volunteer Center (PBV) has carried out relief activities in the affected area right after the disaster in July. Since then, PBV has dispatched hundreds of volunteers from all over Japan and also from other countries, to Kurashiki city, Okayama Prefecture where severely damaged by the disaster. People in the damaged area are still facing huge challenges in recovery, and are in a great need of help from volunteers […]

20
Dec 2018

0

Donate Your Unwanted Items and Help the People in Need!

Planning a year-end clean up? What you don’t need may be a treasure to someone else! Did you know that there is a way to clean up your house and make a donation at the same time? Otakara Aid and Value Books offer a service to pick up your unwanted items and donate their cash value to the Peace Boat Disaster Relief Volunteer Center (PBV). If you have any unwanted items in the list below, simply pack them up and send them to the designated addresses. They will be evaluated, and the value of the goods will be donated to the PBV. Your donation will be used to support relief activities conducted by PBV. Items that can […]

13
Dec 2018

0

[Flood in Western Japan] Project Period Extended until March!

More than five months have passed since the historical rainfall and flood hit western Japan in July this year. Peace Boat Disaster Relief Volunteer Center (PBV) has been working closely with the people in flooded areas in Kurashiki, Okayama prefecture, to provide support to the local residents since the disaster. More than 300 volunteers have participated in the PBV’s disaster relief activities since then. The number of the evacuees in official shelters has declined to 21 and many moved to their temporary housings in Kurashiki and neighboring areas now. PBV has carried our relief project in Mabi-cho in the city, which was severely damaged by the disaster, with 5600 houses […]

27
Nov 2018

0

Season of Giving: New Donation Method and Call for Volunteers

We are pleased to announce that Peace Boat Disaster Relief Volunteer Center (PBV) has now been registered to Benevity, an international online platform facilitating employee engagement and corporate donations. If your company is planning to organize fundraising events for charities this holiday season, you may want to utilize the fund to support those affected by disasters in Japan and overseas. PBV is currently working on relief activities in Okayama (severely damaged by flooding and heavy rain in July), Hokkaido (damaged by the earthquake in September) and Sulawesi (damaged by the earthquake and tsunami in September). At PBV, we work closely with the local organizations and community groups based in the […]

06
Nov 2018

0
Family evacuated to a primary school classroom. This lady gave birth to a baby just two days after the eruption (photo by Joel Dardon)

Updates on Support to Communities affected by the Mt. Fuego Volcanic Eruption in Guatemala

On June 3, 2018, the volcano Mt. Fuego in Guatemala erupted and caused catastrophic damage to the surrounding areas, including the loss of lives. Our partner organization in the country, MINNASAN, which works for poverty reduction and provision of learning opportunities for children, contacted us to seek assistance. Shortly after this communication, the Peace Boat Disaster Relief Volunteer Center (PBV) decided to support the people affected by the eruption, and launched a fundraising project to assist the relief efforts conducted by MINNASAN. Here is a summary report from our partner, MINNASAN. The eruption of Mt. Fuego in June of this year affected thousands of people. Thanks to the support we received […]

16
Oct 2018

0

[Flooding in Western Japan] Helping Hands Beyond Borders and Nationalities

During the weekend from 5th to 8th October, four volunteers from Spain, the US, and Canada participated in relief activities led by the house preservation team in Mabicho, Kurashiki city, Okayama prefecture. Despite having never previously visited Okayama, or been involved in disaster relief work in Japan, their urge to help those affected by the disaster guided them to Okayama. As well as members who have lived here for some time, the relief activities were joined by a traveler on a temporary visit, and an exchange student who arrived less than two weeks ago. Their participation really surprised and impressed us! The team and other volunteers engaged in cleaning two […]

09
Oct 2018

0

Emergency Response: 2018 Slawesi Earthquake and Tsunami

On 28th September, 2018 (Friday), an earthquake with a magnitude of 7.5 struck island of Slawesi, Indonesia. According to an announcement by the Indonesian Government, the earthquake and tsunami caused severe destruction, and over 1,500 people are confirmed to have lost their lives (as of 5th October). Number of people who are left homeless has reached to more than 70,000. The full scale of the earthquake and tsunami’s devastation has yet to be confirmed. We have received reports from the local support groups that many residents are left homeless without access to communication and lifeline, facing a great shortage of daily needs. To respond to the emergency situation, Peace Boat […]

25
Sep 2018

2

[Flood in Western Japan] Call for International Volunteers_October

  Western Japan was hit by historic rainfall in July 2018, leading to the deadliest storm-related disaster in the past 36 years. Heavy rains triggered flooding, landslides, and mudslides simultaneously, and claimed lives of over 200 people in the region.  In response to the worst storm-related disaster in the Heisei era, Peace Boat Disaster Relief Volunteer Center (PBV) has launched relief activities in the affected area. Prolonged evacuation at the emergency shelters and cleaning of damaged houses that had been flooded to the second floor have been an enormous physical and emotional burden to the local residents. PBV has been supporting the management of emergency shelters and local disaster volunteer centers, […]

13
Sep 2018

0

Emergency Response: 2018 Hokkaido Eastern Iburi Earthquake

An earthquake measuring 7 (out of 7) on the Japanese seismic intensity scale occurred in the early morning of September 6, 2018, resulting in a large-scale blackout and causing massive damage from landslides and liquefaction. In order to provide support for people and areas affected by the earthquake, Peace Boat Disaster Relief Volunteer Center (PBV) dispatched trained and experienced staff to the affected area on September 8 to carry out an initial disaster assessment, and has been cooperating closely with related groups and relief organizations. Our immediate goal is to be able to quickly provide support for people in the areas affected most by the earthquake—Atsumi, Abira, and Mukawa towns. We […]

21
Aug 2018

0

[Flooding in Western Japan] Call for International Volunteers

  Western Japan was hit by historic rainfall in July 2018, leading to the deadliest storm-related disaster in the past 36 years. Heavy rains triggered flooding, landslides, and mudslides simultaneously, and claimed lives of over 200 people in the region.  In response to the worst storm-related disaster in the Heisei era, Peace Boat Disaster Relief Volunteer Center (PBV) has launched relief activities in the affected area. Prolonged evacuation at the emergency shelters and cleaning of damaged houses that had been flooded to the second floor have been an enormous physical and emotional burden to the local residents. PBV has been supporting the management of emergency shelters and local disaster volunteer centers, […]