Since the "Association for Natural Disaster Orphans" (the predecessor of today's Ashinaga) was established in April 1988, as of December 2012, the organization has provided scholarships of 33,598,025,000 Japanese yen to 35,023 orphaned students, including children who lost parents in the Great Hanshin Earthquake in January 1995 and the March 11 Great East Japan Earthquake and Tsunami in 2011.
The end of Tsudoi (summer camp) Bonfire Ceremony.
This ceremony, which happens at the end of the tsudoi (summer camp), is a time in which students can speak out and reflect on how far they have come.
Yassy at the bonfire ceremony.
"I lost my father when I was in my 4th year of primary school. After that my mother raised me and my twin brother alone. And before we had a chance to repay her for the favours she gave us, she passed away when we graduated high-school.
Behind me there are always my parents footprints. So I continue to walk though life as to never bring shame to my parents. Sometimes you will have to face troubles. But never loose your heart. Keep going forwards, although many people may stand in your way, remember you always have at least the 400 people here on your side." - Yassy Miyagi
Yassy, one of the most inspiring and hardworking people I had the pleasure to meet, was this years tsudoi leader.
"When I reflect on how I stay so focused in my life now, I think perhaps I am trying to give a special purpose to my parents deaths. The harder I work, the more evident the way in which my parents worked to raise me will be. Doing this means I fulfil my duties to my parents. This is what I have been telling myself for the last three years." - Yassy Miyagi
Bonfire Ceremony
The view from a high school tsudoi location, Kyushu.
Ashinaga Scholarship students and interns learn about Japanese culture at a conference room in Kyoto Tower Hotel
Meiko dance, an experience Ashinaga students and interns were fortunate to experience while on their cultural learning trip in Kyoto.
Cultural learning trip
Ashinaga students and interns learn about the rebuilding of the town of Onagawa
International interns and ashinaga student try out the facilities at Sendai Ashinaga.
This room is there for students and Ashinaga recipients to vent any frustrations or anger they may have.
Opposite it is a quiet room with a soft area and many cuddly toys, available to relax or talk confidentially.
Ashinaga students gather outside at 6:30am for the morning announcements and exercise.
A girl unlocks her door in the tsudoi dormitories.
Each year, high school students arrive at the summer tsudoi to meet and make life-long friends with other young people who have suffered similar loses. Being put into groups, first and second year university students, most of whom have previously attended as high school students, care for them and take lead in the activities that they participate in during the weeks tsudoi.
Kyoto State Guest House Boardroom. Host to previous dignities such as US President Barack Obama
Ashinaga students learn about the traditional teahouse,Kyoto.
Kyoto Ashinaga Interns Cultural Trip
Ashinaga scholarship recipient, and now cell researcher (right) explains the work he does to an ashinaga intern, (left).
Vivi Nur Khomsiati, international Ashinaga scholarship recipient from Indonesia.
Students arrive at Ashinaga's national university tsudoi
International Ashinaga scholarship recipients, Vivi Nur Khomsiati from Indonesia, and Peace Edriner, from Entebbe, Uganda, talk about how they first met, their beautiful, and hilarious friendship, and the challenges of learning Japanese and English together.
Yassy, tsudoi leader, welcomes the students to the 2015, university tsudoi.
Yoshiomi Tamai, president of Ashinaga and recipient of the Eleanor Roosevelt Val-Kill Medal, welcomes students to the 2015 university tsudoi.
American intern, Benjamin Questie Saaburukku greets Ashinaga student Vivi Nur Khomsiati with a big hug.
