Contributions from people overseas who are sharing the message of Hiroshima

(11)"Sadako" offers hope amid a devastating earthquake by Tomoko Watanabe

I am the director of an NGO called ANT-Hiroshima.

Our NGO is engaged in small projects that provide support in Pakistan for reconstruction after natural disasters and for basic medical care. From March 28 to April 15, I visited Pakistan to monitor our projects. I'll share with you how Hiroshima has inspired a new hope for peace in one region in which we work.

The site of the Sadako Trust school. In the background are tents from a refugee camp.

Tomoko Watanabe

Born in Hiroshima. Her parents are A-bomb survivors. When she was 20, her grandfather's death led Tomoko to pursue peace-related issues. She frequently speaks at schools about these issues and shares her life experience with children.

In Kashmir, Pakistan and India have been in conflict over control of the land for more than 60 years. Moreover, in October 2005, the area was struck by a major earthquake that killed more than 70,000 people-one-third were children-and injured 3 million more.

Because the earthquake occurred at 8:50 in the morning, a lot of children were at school. Many of these children were killed or injured when the school buildings collapsed.

Our relief activities began two weeks after the disaster. The local people told us, "It's like Hiroshima after the bombing". Not only were they afraid of aftershocks, they were haunted by the question "Why did I survive when so many others died?"

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After this emergency relief, our work shifted, in August 2006, to support for reconstruction. We produced a children's book about Sadako Sasaki, the girl who inspired the Children's Peace Monument in Peace Memorial Park. This book is entitled "Sadako's Prayer" and it was published in Pakistan. We distributed this book in refugee camps and schools and held readings for the children there.

From their reaction to the book, it became clear that the children of Kashmir can empathize deeply with Sadako's story: "Like Sadako, we must not lose hope"; "It's incredible that Hiroshima and Japan could be rebuilt after such destruction ; Although Hiroshima was totally destroyed by the atomic bomb, the people's courage enable them to revive the city-I'm very impressed".

The children's feelings moved the adults of Kashmir to take stronger action to overcome the damage caused by the long conflict with India and the earthquake. Last September they established a new NGO to help with reconstruction efforts that is guided by the motto "education, friendship, and peace". And their first goal is to open a school and promote peace education. The name of this NGO is "Sadako Trust".

When I visited Kashmir in the Spring, they had just finished constructing the foundation for the school. Sadako Trust is still in a very early stage of its work, but we look forward to supporting the people of Kashmir long into the future.