The Great East Japan Earthquake was an unprecedented disaster from which it will take the Japanese people decades to fully recover. Among the many victims of this disaster was JET Programme participant Taylor Anderson. Taylor’s tragic death shook the JET community and the lives of the many people she had come to know in Ishinomaki.
However, not wanting to let the bond between Taylor and Ishinomaki fade away, Taylor’s family have taken it upon themselves to directly assist with Ishinomaki’s recovery in a variety of ways, including raising funds for the benefit of the community.
Since beginning this fundraising, Andy Anderson, Taylor’s father, has consistently looked for new, creative ways to make significant differences at the grassroots level. Andy contacted the Miyagi Association of JET (MAJET) to discuss how JET participants could assist in this recovery effort, and how they could be empowered to do so. Through this discussion, MAJET and Andy Anderson have established the “Miyagi-Sendai JET Micro Grant Program”.
Goals
1. To honor the memory of Taylor Anderson.
2. To provide financial support to enhance the projects/activities of Miyagi/Sendai JET program participants.
3. To support foreign language education in the schools in which JET participants are employed as well as the communities in which they live.
4. To support activities aimed at enriching the awareness and understanding of foreign cultures whether these activities occur in the classroom or in JET participants’ communities.
To put it simply, the goal is to provide JETs in the area (as it was worst hit and is starting to enter the recovery period) with minimal financing (2,000-10,000 yen) to “go the extra mile” and do more to fulfill the goals of the JET Program.
Any donation will:
1) Empower JETs to be their best, without having to pay out of pocket.
2) Provide funding to enrich an activity meant for the benefit of people affected by the earthquake/tsunami.
3) If there are funds left over, everything will be directly contributed to the prefectural earthquake relief fund. To allow donators to directly see the results of their donation, every project undertaken will be listed on the website, along with photos.
For information on how to donate, please email Eunice at secretary@jetaatoronto.ca