*Ongaeshi means “return” in Japanese
I was living in Iwaki, Fukushima from October to November in 2018 for another project called Iwaki 300 years Message.
I have met Students from Yotsukura high school who was trying to raise money for disable people in Vientiane, Laos.
As you might know, Fukushima was damaged by the earthquake and the tsunami in 2011. At that time, we were helped by many people from all over the world, so the students decided to do this as a return to help people back.
The students spent every evening and weekends to create products with organic cotton from the local farm.
I made two video clips for the people in XonPhao center and the students from Yotsukura High Sschool. As they don’t know each other, it would be even better if they are actually connected. That’s what I thought, so I traveled to Vientiane to visit the centre to express the message through my photography and the video to them.
Many people who has disability in Laos are having hard time to find a job, that means that they stay home all day long doing nothing. It is obvious that they can not have confidence.
Jar – who invented this center in 2016 has also disability. She had became not to be able to walk when she was two years old. However, she didn’t give on walking, so she tried and tried…now she is able to walk and she can even drive a car. She studied hard to be able to speak English to get a better job, to have a better life. Then after many years, she decided to do something to help people who is in the same situation as she was before.
I was very lucky to be in the both places, Iwaki and Vientiane to connect those people along through my photography.
Video clip Students to Xon Phao→https://youtu.be/PuL8Umwaia4
VIdeo Clip Xon Phao to Students→https://youtu.be/ejHPzkUyA-g
ーPeople who was involvedー *some of the links are available in Japanese only
Xon Phao Center: https://www.facebook.com/Xonpao/?epa=SEARCH_BOX
Yotsukura High School: https://yotsukura-h.fcs.ed.jp
Support for woman’s happiness: https://www.support-women.net
Fukushima Organic cotton project: http://www.iwaki-otentosun.jp/cotton/
ーSupporting them by buying the productsー
cloth sanitary napkin “agatis”：https://agatis.thebase.in
Franmuan：https://www.franmuan.com
Karen-Temari：https://karentemari.theshop.jp