For Children with Special Needs in the disaster area・・・Daijoubudayo’
We send ‘Daijoubudayo’ Package to children who have been emotionally affected by the disaster and to some medical facilities and daycare centers which care for children who have special needs. This package includes a picture book made of cloth, which can be used for playing or touching/seeing/reading a book, along with other generally interesting books and toys. For schoolchildren with visually impairments, there are picture books transcribed into Braille, visually expanded books and toys which make sounds. The hand-made cloth picture books are donated by volunteer groups from all over Japan, based on our network established through JBBY’s Barrier-Free Picture Books Exhibition.
Immediately after the disaster, many small children were deeply
frightened and they clung to their parents.
Many children did not have the energy to read books. They just wanted someone to be nearby. So for some time after the disaster, we selected books that can be read together with others, books that can be enjoyed with others.
We are fortunate in Japan to have many fine books that support care in cases of psychological trauma. Books made out of cloth. Cloth books are instrumental in both book therapy and play therapy, and we know that play serves an important role in helping children express and overcome the psychological pain they suffer. Having observed the power of cloth books over the past 10 years through exhibitions of barrier-free picture books, we at JBBY quickly recognized the role they could play in support for victims.
Among the children of the disaster are those who have disabilities, children who needed special care even before the disaster took place. When we think of the children of disaster zones, we should not forget these children as a member of IBBY
For the many children of Fukushima prefecture who were not allowed to play out of doors because of the danger of radiation, we brought books that can be enjoyed while getting some exercise as well as kamishibai that could be enjoyed with others. As this shows, the kinds of books we brought to the disaster zone were different from one place to another. And Family who help and care for them gain great encouragement when they can see smiles on children’s faces.
This post is aloso available in: Japanese
