Canada and Fiji have set up programs to give young victims of the Great East Japan Earthquake the chance to study abroad.
Canada and Fiji have set up programs to give young victims of the Great East Japan Earthquake the chance to study abroad.
The Embassy of Canada in Tokyo's Minato Ward is seeking applicants for the Hope for Youth Project, aimed at young people from quake-affected areas aged between 15 and 30.
One hundred and fifty students will be given one-month of language training at one of the 30 language schools in Canada supporting the program. At 21 of the schools, fees for home stays or dormitory places will be paid.
All of the schools offer English courses, while two also offer French language programs. The extent of an applicant's suffering in the earthquake will be taken into account during the selection process.
The project, initially proposed by the Canadian language schools, is being financed by Japanese and Canadian companies and organizations. It will run through March.
Applications are available through the embassy website. Certification proving that the applicant was a victim of the quake is required.
In July, Fiji selected 20 people affected by the disaster to study at its national university and high schools for one year.
The students' tuition, air fares and accommodation will be paid for by the Fijian government.
Isikeli Mataitoga, Fiji's ambassador to Japan, came up with the idea for the program after seeing a girl crying after her school was washed away by the March 11 tsunami.
"Even though the program will cost a lot, all Fijians will work together to support it," Mataitoga said. "Our country is safe and living expenses are low. I believe the Japanese students will be able to heal their grief there."
Japan has fostered close ties with Fiji through official development assistance. Mataitoga said: "This program will be the first opportunity for Fiji to provide assistance to Japan."
According to the Fijian Embassy in Tokyo, about 20 students from disaster-hit Iwate, Miyagi and Fukushima prefectures applied for the program. They included a student orphaned by the disaster and a student who had been forced to give up university places because of financial problems.
In 2010, more than 1,600 Japanese people took language courses in Fiji, where English is one of the official languages.
(This article was written by Miki Aoki and Ippei Nakata.)