Relief Efforts for Yakage Town
Donation protected
During the first week of July, unprecedented torrential rainfalls hit west-central Japan and caused major flooding and landslides throughout the region. The town of Yakage in the Okayama prefecture was greatly affected. The levees in the Odagawa River, which flows throughout the east and west of Yakage, broke in three places due to the torrential rainfalls. As a result of this, roughly 600 homes in Yakage were submerged in water. Some homes and buildings were flooded with nearly 6.5 feet high of water. In addition, roads, shops, community centers and schools were severely damaged from the rainfalls and landslides.
This GoFundMe account has been set up to provide relief efforts to the Yakage town to assist with their rebuilding efforts. The town will use these donations to provide support to the residents affected by the damage, as well as rebuilding efforts for the various buildings that have been damaged throughout the town. This includes the community center, nursery school, and elementary school in the Nakagawa district.
About Me: I am a former Princeton in Asia (PiA) fellow who lived in Yakage from 2012-2014 when I had the pleasure of teaching English at eight different nursery and kindergarten schools throughout Yakage, and worked at the Yakage Town Hall as an international coordinator. I have been fortunate to be surrounded by the Japanese language and culture from a young age, so being able to live and work in Japan was truly a dream come true.
During my two years there, Yakage quickly became my home. The sheer generosity, hospitality, and warmth that I received from the community (from my students, their families, my Japanese co-workers at Town Hall to the locals who lived in the town) was beyond touching. Nearly four years after completing my fellowship, I am so thankful that Yakage is still a part of my life (I visited Yakage in 2016, as pictured below, and am still in contact with members of the community). Yakage holds such a special place in my heart and I hope that this effort can help provide at least some help and relief to a community that is always helping others.
100% of all funds will be given directly to the Yakage Town. I am in direct communication with the relief coordinator in Yakage regarding this donation effort. If you have any questions or need any further information, please do not hesitate to ask me.
Transfer of Funds: As of now, GoFundMe's payment processor cannot send funds directly to Japan. Due to this restriction, I will transfer the funds to the Japanese bank account, which Yakage has set up for this process, through a U.S. bank. I will provide updates regarding the transfer process on this page.
Thank you so much in advance for any donation that you can provide. Please remember that no amount is too small! The rebuilding efforts will undoubtedly be a long, difficult and expensive process. I hope that with your generosity we can provide the community with some assistance in their relief efforts.
Photos of the Damage in Yakage:
This GoFundMe account has been set up to provide relief efforts to the Yakage town to assist with their rebuilding efforts. The town will use these donations to provide support to the residents affected by the damage, as well as rebuilding efforts for the various buildings that have been damaged throughout the town. This includes the community center, nursery school, and elementary school in the Nakagawa district.
About Me: I am a former Princeton in Asia (PiA) fellow who lived in Yakage from 2012-2014 when I had the pleasure of teaching English at eight different nursery and kindergarten schools throughout Yakage, and worked at the Yakage Town Hall as an international coordinator. I have been fortunate to be surrounded by the Japanese language and culture from a young age, so being able to live and work in Japan was truly a dream come true.
During my two years there, Yakage quickly became my home. The sheer generosity, hospitality, and warmth that I received from the community (from my students, their families, my Japanese co-workers at Town Hall to the locals who lived in the town) was beyond touching. Nearly four years after completing my fellowship, I am so thankful that Yakage is still a part of my life (I visited Yakage in 2016, as pictured below, and am still in contact with members of the community). Yakage holds such a special place in my heart and I hope that this effort can help provide at least some help and relief to a community that is always helping others.
100% of all funds will be given directly to the Yakage Town. I am in direct communication with the relief coordinator in Yakage regarding this donation effort. If you have any questions or need any further information, please do not hesitate to ask me.
Transfer of Funds: As of now, GoFundMe's payment processor cannot send funds directly to Japan. Due to this restriction, I will transfer the funds to the Japanese bank account, which Yakage has set up for this process, through a U.S. bank. I will provide updates regarding the transfer process on this page.
Thank you so much in advance for any donation that you can provide. Please remember that no amount is too small! The rebuilding efforts will undoubtedly be a long, difficult and expensive process. I hope that with your generosity we can provide the community with some assistance in their relief efforts.
Photos of the Damage in Yakage:
Organizer
Roya Motazedi
Organizer
Washington D.C., DC
