Are you ready if disaster strikes?

Find out what you need to do by watching this program...

BOSAI: Be Prepared.

The topic this time is "Volunteer support for disasters."

Whenever natural disasters occur, volunteers play an indispensable role in the recovery process.

Many foreign nationals also participate.

"Please keep your own cup."

Disaster relief volunteers responding to the needs of disaster victims with light footwork

prove to be a great asset when working in tandem with national and local government support.

Hello.

My name is Minh Chau. I'm from Vietnam.

Have you ever wanted to volunteer in the disaster-struck areas but don't know how to start?

Let's find out what we could do and what we should be careful of as a volunteer in the areas.

Minh Chau pays a visit to...

- Hello.
- Hello. Nice to meet you.

Kakinuki Norihiko is an expert on disaster relief activities.

He regularly offers lectures and workshops for prospective disaster relief volunteers,

and strives to develop human resources.

Have you ever done volunteer work in a disaster area?

In Vietnam, there are many disasters, including floods and typhoons.

But I've never done any volunteer work there.

What should I do if I want to participate?

In Japan, a "Disaster Relief Volunteer Center" is generally set up when needed,

so the most common way is to register with such a center in order to participate in activities.

Disaster Relief Volunteer Centers are set up by local governments and NPOs.

Some are permanent.

The center is responsible for gathering information on the affected areas

and matching volunteer work with the local needs.

The center provides support to volunteers as the situation requires,

such as arranging transportation to and from the work site.

As part of its disaster relief coordination,

Kakinuki's organization also accepts volunteers and dispatches them to affected areas.

What is this place used for？

This is where we store the items required for our various support activities.

So what kinds of things are stored here?

Wow, some huge pots!

Yes.

We use those when volunteers cook meals for many people, like running a soup kitchen.

Can I hold one?

Is it heavy?

It's a bit heavy.

Not so heavy!

This equipment over here is used for photo cleaning.

Volunteer activities cover a lot of ground, including the collection and cleaning of photographs,

which are precious memories.

This is for standing up the cleaned photos to dry.

Many people have them at home in albums.

There are also volunteer activities like that, to clean them up and restore them so that they can be preserved.

There is one basic principle in the activities of disaster relief volunteers.

That is, "to prepare everything you need by yourself."

I often use the term "self-sufficiency" as a kind of watchword for volunteer activities.

What it means is that volunteer activities should be carried out

with as little burden on the affected areas as possible.

So what specific preparations are required?

The items I've prepared here are all to be worn when doing heavy work.

For example, we sometimes prepare multiple types of gloves.

Do you know why?

I guess these make it easier to hold things and these are waterproof?

That's right.

The sediment we handle after disasters can be very unhygienic, coming up from sewage systems,

so we try to use gloves which avoid any direct contact with the skin.

The next items look like insoles...

They're very hard.

Yes.

They have a steel plate inside.

There have been many cases in which someone has stepped on a nail

they hadn't noticed sticking out of a piece of wood and injured their foot.

To avoid incidents like that,

these insoles were designed to prevent nails from penetrating.

In a disaster area, there is danger all around.

Helmets, work clothes that cover the skin, and other basic equipment to protect yourself are essential.

When staying in a disaster-stricken area,

the items you need to prepare will differ depending on the situation

and the time that has passed since the disaster occurred,

so please check with the local Disaster Relief Volunteer Center beforehand.

What should foreigners do if they want to participate?

It depends on the prefecture or municipality.

But centers specializing in language support can be established,

so it would be a good idea to register in advance,

receive some training, and then work there if something occurs.

I would advise people to contact such centers and participate in them.

Some of the people affected by a disaster may be foreign nationals.

If there are volunteers who can work as a bridge to help with communication, then the burden on them may be reduced,

so I'm sure the demand for such volunteers will increase.

Now it's time for Minh Chau to experience some volunteer work herself.

From now, we're going to construct a cardboard bed.

In the past, evacuation shelters sometimes laid cardboard and futons directly on the floor.

Recently, cardboard beds have begun to be introduced

and they're expected to improve both hygiene and privacy levels.

A bed can be made simply by assembling the cardboard parts.

Oh, finished?

Yes, mission completed!

Yes, I could sleep here right now!

It's very stable.

I'm sure everyone would feel safer if an evacuation shelter had these.

Disaster relief volunteer work includes...

the sorting of relief supplies,

hair-cutting,

and recreation activities.

Each participant should find a job that fits their physical strength and skills.

That is the point.

Up to now, I thought that volunteer work was all about hard labor.

Today I realized I can make these beds and I can cook.

There are many things I can do.

As for people who can't make it to a disaster area to help,

is there anything to keep in mind when sending relief supplies?

Well, for example, a good way to do it is to send one type of item in one box.

This can save a lot of time and effort in sorting,

which can decrease the burden on the affected area a lot.

I'd like to do my best to do some volunteer work and support affected areas.

One thing I would like you to keep in mind is that it's important not to work too hard.

I think it's vital to participate within your capacity

so that many people can continuously be involved.