New Photos!

New photos of the completed 2 homes on the main grounds!

the new homes are two stories high, whereas the old homes were flats

the dining and kitchen areas; both act as important communal space

children's room to be shared by two kids --- much more spacious than their old rooms

It is extremely exciting to see rebuilding and recovery, in contrast to the bleak stories that often fill news broadcasts. We're hoping to send over some good news of our own to the Homes after our Udon fundraiser on March 17th!

Reconstruction Plans 改築計画

Main Grounds Reconstruction Plan 本園建築計画

ホワイトホーム White Home

The building will be left as is, with only modifications to the interior.

The building will be used to accommodate short stays by alumni, and to train children who are about to graduate from the homes to live on their own.

センターホール Central Hall

Will be used as a dormitory-type hall for our own and outside trainee staff.

Between the hall and entryway will be a large kitchen.

The exterior will be made to look like the old hall built in the 1940s, with a stained-glass window.

家庭支援棟 Family Support Home

Purpose will be to allow families visiting their children to spend unhurried, quality time with them, and to stay overnight if necessary.

There are 2DK units on each of the two floors.

本園ホーム（４棟）Main Grounds Homes (4)

Houses where the children and staff live together 24/7.

They are each 7LDK homes built of wood, featuring open airspace, a large dining room area and a bright sun room.

Main Grounds Homes Floor Plan 本園ホームフロアプラン

玄関 entryway

リビングダイニング living/dining room

キッチン kitchen

食品庫兼納戸 pantry/storage room

浴室 bathroom

洗面脱衣室 sink/changing room

トイレ toilet

家事室 utility room

和室 tatami-mat room

職員居室 staff personal room

リフレッシュルーム “refresh room” 

サンルーム sun room

スタッフルーム staff room

外部収納 external storage space

子ども部屋 children’s rooms

ウォークインクローゼットwalk-in closet

ベランダ veranda

Takano Home Reconstruction Plan 高野ホーム建築計画

高野ホーム（地域小規模児童養護施設） Takano Home (local small-scale children’s/group home)

A home built of wood, much like the homes on the main grounds.

Goal is to allow children and staff to live closely with their neighbors and the local neighborhood.

An additional smaller entryway is attached to allow a staff member and their family to live in the home as well.

Takano Home Floor Plan 高野ホームフロアプラン

On Horikawa Aiseien 堀川愛生園について

(this information has been taken from Aiseien's Facilities Reconstruction Project Fundraiser Prospectus)

Horikawa Aiseien 堀川愛生園

        Horikawa Aiseien was established in October 1945, initially to care for children orphaned by the war. It is now a Children’s Home with a maximum of 40 occupants, in accordance to Article 41 of the child welfare laws.

We are a facility that allows children without parents, children with parents who cannot care for them, and children who have been victims of abuse to live in a family-like setting. We are located in Tanagura City, Higashi-Shirakawa County of the Fukushima Prefecture.

Here, children between the ages of 2 and 18 lead their lives, while going to preschools, elementary, middle, and high schools within Tanagura-City.

堀川愛生園は、1945 年 10 月に戦災孤児の救護のために開 設した、児童福祉法第 41 条による定員 40 名の児童養護施設 です。 親がいない子ども、親がいても一緒に暮らせない子どもや虐 待を受けた子どもたちが家庭にかわって生活をするところで、 東白川郡棚倉町にあります。
2歳から 18 歳までの子どもたちが生活をし、棚倉町内の幼稚 園、小・中学校、高校に通っています。

Life at the Homes ホームでの生活は

Our aim is to allow the children to realize and value the sense that each and every one of them is their ‘own home,’ so they will be able to create their own livelihoods, consider what is good for one another, communicate with one another, understand one another, and to help one another as they grow. The children perform simple chores with the staff, such as helping to cook and clean.

子どもたち一人ひとりが「自分の家」であるということを大切に し、自らが生活を作り上げ、お互いを認め合い、よく話し合い、 理解し合い、助け合って成長ができる生活を目指していきま す。食事作りやお掃除などの簡単な手伝いも、職員とともに行います。

Our Staff 職員について

Our staff become the ‘adults’ and ‘mothers and fathers’ in the children’s lives by living with them. Two staff, who are caretakers and guidance counselors, live with the children in each home.

職員は、子どもとの生活を共にすることにより、『子どもと共 に 暮らす 大 人』、「父 親、母 親」の 代 わりとして、保育士、児童指導員2名が住み込みます。

Our Goal  私たちの願い

Every child’s life is irreplaceable, with an infinite amount of potential to be unlocked.

As adults, it is our responsibility to draw out the potential of every child, and make sure they grow healthy, all-around.

Our goal is to bring up each child soundly, so they may eventually leave the nest as fully-fledged members of society.

子どもたちの生命は、何ものにもかえられない尊いものです。 たくさんの可能性を秘めています。 大人である私たちには、子どもたち、一人ひとりの可能性を ひきだし、健全に育てていく責任があるのです。 私たちは、子どもたちがより確かに成長し、社会の一員として 巣立っていけるように養育しています。 

園長からの手紙 (日本語)

福島の子どもたちの未来に向けて

はじめに

　　この度、わたくしども児童養護施設堀川愛生園は本園4ホームならびに食堂兼台所、高野ホー ム(地域小規模児童養護施設・グループホーム)の改築をすることにいたしました。 

　　歴史的に見れば創設以来67年目を数えようとしているなかで、本園は1969年に園舎の改築をし ています。以来43年ぶりの大改築となります。ここに至りました経過と現状をあわせてご報告とお願 いを申し上げます。

　　当園は、2011年は5歳児から高校3年生まで総勢40名の子どもたちと21名の職員が、地域のグ ループホーム2軒を含めて6軒の小舎で生活しておりました。 

　　昨年3月11日ならびに4月11日の2度にわたる大きな地震を経験いたしましたが、幸い子どもたち が生活している小舎には生活を続けるのが困難になるほどのダメージは受けずにすみました。た だし、1969年に建てられた小舎ですので、耐震強度で言えば奇跡的に倒壊せずに済んだといって も過言ではありません。さらに高野ホームにおいては旧駐在所、旧診療所を棚倉町から払い下げ ていただき、2軒を棟続きに手を入れた程度でしたので、築年数で言えば本園ホームと同じかそれ 以上といえます。

　　 この地震を期にこれまで再三計画をしてまいりました本園4ホームと高野ホームあわせて5軒の 建て替えが急務となりました。しかし、資金的にも公的補助を受けないと、小さな法人ではできない ところではありました。震災以降、多くの方々からお見舞いやお励ましのご厚志はいただいてまいり ました。福島県より2011年秋に「耐震化補助事業」として園舎改築事業に補助金を交付してくださ ることとなり、2012年度に園舎改築事業を行うことを理事会にて決定しました。そして、3ヶ月間とい う短い期間ではありましたが、子どもたち、職員一同が熱心に「新しいおうち」のために知恵を出し 合い、意見を交わしてきました。 

　　半年前には予想もしていなかったところの、愛生園の「夢」が形になることとなりましたことは、施 設で生活することを余儀なくされている子どもたちにとっても、大きな希望の光となっております。事 業が完了する予定の2013年3月までに無事に「新しいおうち」ができてくれることを日々祈っており ます。 

福島の今

　　福島原子力発電所事故の被害も同県に生活する者にとっては深刻な問題です。当園は原発よ り半径80キロメートル弱に位置しています。最近は毎日平均して、0.2マイクロシーベルトという放射 線量の数字が計測されています(2012年7月現在)。今年に入って、厚生労働省が福島県内の児童対象の施設に対して定点放射線量測定器を設置いたしました。さかのぼれば昨年4月半ばより 再開した小・中学校では当初、登校時にマスク・帽子の着用を義務付けました。当園がある地域は 外出制限等まではいきませんでしたが、運動会は短縮、夏のプール学習は中止になるなど、子ども たちの生活にも多大な影響を及ぼしました。 

　　当園でもこの問題は今もなお継続しており、子どもの背後にある家庭にも影響が出ているところ では、問題の深刻化は避けられない所だと思っています。 

　　また、震災後1年以上経過していく中で、震災で直接的に被災した子どもよりも、震災後、原発の 影響などで家庭が不安定な状況となり、事態の先行きが見えない中で、子どもが犠牲になる危険 が高くなることも予想されます。そうなれば福島県内の施設の子どもの数が増えていくことにも繋がります。


おわりに

　　家庭的に恵まれず、施設での生活をしなければならない子どもたちにとって、たくさんの方々に温 かく見守られ、ご支援をいただいていることは、日々の生活の励みにもなり、笑顔で生活する元気の 源ともなります。 

　　今後とも、小さな歩みではありますがお祈りの内に覚えていただければ幸いです。


堀川愛生園 園長
伊 藤 信 彦 

A Letter from the Director (English)

"For the Future of the Children of Fukushima"

Introduction

At this time, it has been decided that four homes on the main grounds, the dining hall/kitchen, and the Takano Home (a local small-scale children’s/group home) of the Horikawa Aiseien Children’s Home will undergo reconstruction.

Our Children’s Home was established 67 years ago, and our main grounds have undergone reconstruction once in 1969. This will be our largest reconstruction effort in 43 years. I would like to introduce to you the recent developments at and current condition of Horikawa Aiseien.

As of 2011, there were 40 children, ranging from the age of five to teen in their third year of high school, and 21 staff members who share our facilities of six small homes, including two satellite group homes.

Though we experienced two large earthquakes, one on March 11th, 2011 and another on April 11th, we were blessed enough that our facilities did not sustain any immediate damage which would prevent the children from continuing to live in these homes. However, due to their construction in 1969, it is no exaggeration to say that it was a miracle these small homes withstood quakes of such immense magnitudes. In addition, because the Takano Home is a former police substation and clinic that was sold to us by the city, they are probably just as old, or older than our homes on the main grounds.

Thus, though the idea had existed before, due to the earthquake it became of upmost importance that the four homes on the main grounds and the Takano Home be rebuilt as soon as possible, for the safety of the children. However, it was clear that such a project could not be financially feasible out by a small organization like ours, without public assistance. Since the Tohoku Earthquake, we have received many kind words and gestures, relaying concern and encouragement. In Fall 2011, it was announced that we would receive a grant from the Fukushima Prefecture for our reconstruction-efforts, as a part of their “Seismic Retrofitting Project Support” program. In 2012, our Board of Directors officially decided that our facilities would undergo a Reconstruction Project. Thus, during a short period of three months, all the children and the staff eagerly shared their wisdom and exchanged ideas for the sake of their ‘new home’.

For these children who, due to reasons outside of their control, have no choice but to live in a Children’s Home, seeing the ‘dream’ of Aiseien take shape in a way that couldn’t have possibly been imagined half a year ago has become a bright ray of hope. I pray that by March 2013, our projected completion date, we will have our ‘new home’ successfully built.



Fukushima Now

In addition to the aftermath of the earthquake, the effects of the Fukushima Nuclear Disaster is also a continuing issue for the people of this Prefecture. Horikawa Aiseien is located within a 80 km (~50 miles) radius of the Fukushima Nuclear Power Plant. Recently, we have recorded a daily average of 0.2 micro-sieverts of radiation in the area (as of July 2012). When 2012 began, the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare mandated the placement of radiation measuring instruments on the grounds of all facilities relating to children within the Fukushima Prefecture. Going further back to mid-April of 2011, when schools had finally reopened, it was initially mandated that all elementary and middle school students should wear masks and hats as they attend school. Though the area around our homes never went so far as to order restrictions on the amount of time spent outside, the children’s lives here have been impacted in various ways, such as having their outdoor sports activity shortened, and their outdoor pool instruction during the Summer canceled.

At Horikawa Aiseien, these problems continue to loom overhead, as we can see the added stress creating further riffs in the families that our children have left behind.

In addition, as more than a year has passed since the Tohoku Disaster, we foresee that in addition to the children that were directly affected, there is the danger that children will become victims within households, as they are put under immense stress due to the instability and uncertainty for the future that has come with the Nuclear and Tohoku Disasters. If this happens, it will likely lead to a higher number of children within Fukushima who will be forced to seek facilities like ours.

In Closing

For the children who have come to live at our facilities due to not having the privilege of loving homes, knowing that there are many people out there who warmly watch over and support them has become a great source of encouragement in their daily lives --- it allows them to live with smiles on their faces.

Though this is a small step in our overall development, I would greatly appreciate if you could keep us in your prayers.

Director, Horikawa Aiseien
Nobuhiko Ito 伊藤信彦