SAN FRANCISCO, March 11, 2013 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Give2Asia, a 501(c)3 social enterprise dedicated to supporting local organizations in 23 countries across Asia, releases a new report on its second year of disaster recovery work in Tohoku, Japan.
"Two years after being devastated by an earthquake, tsunami and resulting nuclear disaster, the affected communities of Tohoku, Japan are beginning to show signs of recovery," according to Sarajean Rossitto, Give2Asia's Field Advisor in Japan.
The introduction to the report published by Give2Asia outlines the ongoing needs in the disaster-affected region:
- Economic revitalization, including: Restoration of trust in food products from Iwate and Miyagi Prefectures; job creation and infrastructure restoration; and, skills training.
- Meeting basic needs of vulnerable populations, including female-headed households and the elderly.
- Restoring access to services, transportation, and information.
- Transitioning management of successful nongovernmental programs and projects to local government and local business groups.
- Community organization and dialogue.
- Disaster preparedness.
During the months after the disaster, help came to Tohoku from 163 countries and included over $700 million in private donations from the United States. The organizations continuing to operate in the region have made strides in critical areas such as job creation, education delivery, and health services, especially for the 305,000 people still living in temporary housing across 1,200 municipalities.
Give2Asia's relief and recovery efforts began on March 12, 2011. In all, Give2Asia has raised $8 million to support immediate relief, economic revitalization, education, health care, disaster preparedness and much more. Give2Asia has invested in over 40 projects with 33 local NPO partners, convened with over 200 more, and will continue to engage in the recovery effort for the foreseeable future.
Give2Asia's Strategy for Japan Disaster Response:
- Innovative ideas that require seed funding
- Projects that effectively empower and enable survivors
- Information sharing and networking initiatives
- Creative solutions that overcome problems of coordination and information gaps
- Services that meet a specific need not currently being addressed
Give2Asia makes a commitment to report back to donors on every project they support. To read about projects supported during the second year of recovery, visit http://give2asia.org/japantsunami-2011.
About Give2Asia
Give2Asia makes international grant making safe, effective, and impactful. Since its founding in 2001, Give2Asia has raised $206 million in gifts and donations from corporate, foundation, and individual donors for community partners in Asia. Give2Asia has demonstrated its effectiveness in serving the needs of international philanthropy with its on-the-ground presence, knowledge of diverse social and economic conditions, and the expert matching of donor interests with innovative and effective grantees. Read more at http://give2asia.org.
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