Four months after the first cohort’s visit to Tohoku, another ten students from Lahaina, Maui headed to Japan for the one-week TOMODACHI Kibou for Maui program. Led by Council Leader Nate Gyotoku (ELP ’13) and chaperones of the Japanese Cultural Center of Hawaii, the students excitedly departed for this trip from the Daniel K. Inouye International Airport on July 21, 2024.
The second cohort visited similar cities and program workshops focused on recovery and restoration, but the clear difference for this cohort was what they learned about preparing for disaster. The first cohort who traveled earlier this year in March focused on healing, with the program taking place earlier in the recovery process. The second cohort, who traveled closer to the one-year anniversary of the disaster, was eager to learn and contribute. Miku Narisawa of Odyssey Nature Japan organized a well-planned program for the second cohort to meet fellow high school students who were in a Disaster Management Club. The students from Lahaina learned the club members’ high school serves as a shelter in the case of a disaster occurs; participants also learned how the club members take the lead to facilitate evacuation on campus. The cohort also visited a warehouse that is prepared to respond to any kind of a disaster. The warehouse students visited was stocked with food, clothing, toiletries, generators and other key essentials for disaster response. Students expressed a strong interest in an identical club at Lahainaluna High School and a similar warehouse system in Maui.
In a much warmer climate compared to the first cohort, the students enjoyed outdoor activities and cultural exchanges with fellow high school students. The trip culminated in the city of Sendai where TOMODACHI alumni talked about their experience and where the cohort gave their final presentation. To see the growth, bonding and transformation in such a short period of time with all the students was truly an amazing experience. We are grateful for the Government of Japan who has made this project possible and gave the students a valuable opportunity to connect with survivors and learn about Tohoku’s recovery and restoration.
Photos and text credit: Yoh Kawanami (Hawaiian Electric, JALD ’24)