The Chuo University Volunteer Center volunteers to support various disaster-stricken areas, and in Tohoku, it is still active five years after the Great East Japan Earthquake.Following the Kumamoto earthquake, Mr. Wataru Kimura, a second-year student in the Faculty of Law from Kumamoto Prefecture, consulted with the center.The back was pushed by friends in Kesennuma City, Miyagi Prefecture, who had been supporting until then, and three students formed "Team Kumamoto".

"Team Kumamoto" first volunteered in May.At an evacuation center in Nishihara Village, Aso District, Kumamoto Prefecture, we volunteered footbaths for about 5 people in two days under the guidance of the "Stricken Area NGO Cooperation Center". "Footbath" has been carried out since the time of the Great Hanshin-Awaji Earthquake as an activity to heal the hearts of the victims.The purpose is to have people put their feet in a tub filled with lukewarm water, loosen their hands and have a conversation while listening to the "tweets" of the victims and getting close to their feelings.While listening to uncertainties and feelings of restlessness, Mr. Kimura said he decided to continue, saying, "I want to do what I can."

In the second team in June, a footbath was given to 6 people in two days at an evacuation center in the village.In addition, with the introduction of the "Nishihara Village Agricultural Support Volunteer Center," weeding work was also carried out by visiting the victims' homes where farming became difficult due to the disaster.In July, the third team continued to take the footbath that they had been doing at the evacuation center.At this time, we visited the "Ohisama Cafe" run by Kumamoto Gakuen University students in the evacuation center in Mashiki Town to exchange opinions, and also visited the temporary housing with the cooperation of Kumamoto Prefecture and the NPO Rescue Stockyard.

The center commented, "I pray for the earliest possible recovery of Kumamoto and would like to continue my activities in the future."