Harvard Workshop @ ASIJ: Remembering 3/11

At the time of the earthquake, I was ten years old. I remember watching trying to contact my father right after the initial earthquake but not being able to get the call to go through because none of the phone lines were working. CNN was playing on the television, and there was live footage of cars driving away from a massive wave swallowing everything in its path. Now, seven years later, I am lucky to be able to work with a group of wonderful kids whose families were unfortunately displaced following the nuclear meltdown. Through English lessons and activities, I have been able to develop a strong relationship with the kids as well as their parents. With the Olympic Games coming up in 2020, where Japan will be hosting, the government is ending many of the subsidies for the families from Fukushima who relocated to Tokyo. I hope the government can find a way to continue to support these families.