Staff and students donate t-shirts for Tsunami victims
York St John University staff and
students have launched an appeal to help Tsunami victims rebuild
their lives by turning t-shirts into sandals.
The seaside village of Takashirahama was
completely destroyed by the Tsunami that hit Japan in March 2011,
with every house except one storehouse being washed away.
After much consideration the community looked at how they could
regain the power to live. They decided to embark on a project
of making sandals out of t-shirts. The Japanese word for
these sandals is “Nunozor” and they are designed to be worn
indoors.
York St John University was made aware of the
project by one of its Japanese alumni, Tomoko Aonuma, who is
supporting the project as a volunteer. Tomoko has been
working hard to promote the project globally; successes include an
appearance on national television in Iceland.
Tomoko said: “I thought and thought about what
I could do for the people affected by that big earthquake and
Tsunami. And I reached the conclusion that I should go and
see the stricken areas to know what I could do. What I saw at
Takashirahama was the whole town reduced to the rubble.
“Now the residents get together in the
assembly hall every day and apply all their energies to the making
of T-shirt sandals - whilst smiling and laughing! It takes
one whole day to finish one pair of the sandals but the makers get
money if their own work is sold.”
York St John University alumni development
manager Brett Arnall, alumni officer Pauline Milner and Japanese
student Yukiko Wada are working together to support the project.
From 1 June 2012 a bright red post box will be in the University’s
main reception in Holgate, enabling staff and students to donate
unwanted (and clean) t-shirts to send to Japan in support of this
project.
Yukiko Wada is one of the York St John
University students that the Lord Mayor of York named as one of the
recipients of his Young Volunteers Award.
The University’s Alumni Development Office is
also working with Tomoko to get a shipment of the slippers
delivered to the University for those who wish to purchase a
pair.
Alumni development manager, Brett Arnall said:
“Tomoko sent some of the handmade sandals to us recently, and you
have to see them to believe how wonderfully they have been made.
We are looking forward to sending out t-shirts to support the
project and we are sure that we will get a lot of support from
University staff and students.”
For further information on the project please
e-mail alumni@yorksj.ac.uk
For further press information please contact Louise
McKenzie, PR & Communications Officer on T: 01904 876466 or
E: l.mckenzie@yorksj.ac.uk
