News from Genkidama ... The school trip memorial photos.

I have an update from the Genkidama project which we are donating the money we raise from sales of the Longstone "Sakura" CD.  Mayumi Suzuki, who started the project in her home town of Onagawa has kindly sent me these photographs so I can explain how some of the money is used. Mayumi is a photographer ( you can read her story at the Monchicamera links in the side bar ) who lost her parents in the Tsunami , she decided to carry on the work of her father who was a portrait photographer in Onagawa. One of his jobs was taking the children's photographs at the local elementary school for such occasions as graduation etc. Onagawa was very badly damaged in the Tsunami and many families lost everything and simply could not afford to pay for school photos. One of the things Mayumi is able to do with the money donated to her project is provide the children with photos and yearbooks free of charge . This may seem like a small thing but it makes all the children equal again and provides those who may have lost everything  some new happy memories for the future. If anyone doesn't have the CD and would like to help a very limited number can now be bought online here

Click here to purchase Sakura

£15 from each sale will be donated to Genkidama.

 Recently Mayumi accompanied some of the children of Onagawa on a school trip and took memorial photos for them. 

Here are some of those photos with a simple message from Mayumi.

Please tell your friends " Onagawa kids are fine , they enjoyed their school trip "

 These are the memorial photos as presented for the children.

Group photo from Rindou lake and farm 

http://www.rindo.co.jp/

Visit to Nikko Tosho-go Shrine .

http://www.toshogu.jp/

                        They visited an elementary school at Shioya-town ,Ibaraki, which gave relief supplies to Onagawa. 

Remember what may seem like an ordinary or small thing to us is very important for these children . Many of them will have witnessed the terrible effects of the tsunami . They may have lost family members and friends , many will have lost their homes and will be living in temporary housing or evacuation centres . There is also a good chance their parents have no way to earn money at the moment , it will take a long time for life to return to normal . It's wonderful to hear that the children are having some fun and to see some of their smiling faces.