― Completion of Internet Set-Up ―

●　Completion of Internet set-up at meeting halls of temporary housing in the city of Ishinomaki

The works for setting up Internet connections and computers were fully completed in 18 meeting halls of temporary housing community in the city of Ishinomaki.

Nukazuka temporary housing community, one of the six communities where the work had been completed in June, is located approximately 15km away from the city center, and is a middle-sized community where 52 families/92 people live.

Just after the works had been completed, BHN carried out a brief hands-on training to the executives so that PCs can be utilized in the activities of residents’ association by making good use of e-mails and browsers.  Another IT training is also planned in July targeting at the executives of temporary housing communities in the vicinity.

  

●“Do not force anyone, nor allow anyone force others” is the key to smooth management of the community.

On June 27, Mr. Masanori Sato, BHN Chairman, and Mr. Shuji Arima, BHN counselor, visited Ishinomaki Ohashi temporary housing community.

Since Ohashi Residents’ Association consists of 540 families/1,063 people, which is the biggest in Ishinomaki, one can easily imagine that association executives should be facing difficulties in managing the community smoothly.

The following comment by the chairman of the association to Mr. Sato was quite interesting; “our motto, which is ‘do not force anyone, nor allow anyone force others to do something’ is the key to smooth management.”

The chairman of the association added with gratitude that the Internet environment set up by BHN contributed much to:

1)    quickly obtain public information from municipalities and promptly deliver it to the association members,

2)    as well as to easily create and edit leaflets.

●　Hands-on Training in June

In June, hands-on training for writing and sending/receiving e-mails, and for making leaflets/activities schedule etc. were conducted in 11 premises.

 

BHN visited Momo-o Nakatsuyama temporary housing community close to the border of the city of Tome, which is 30 minutes’ drive along the Sanriku-do (Sanriku route) from BHN Higashimatsuyama Office.

The community with 122 families is located inland and most of the families are evacuees from various tsunami stricken areas.

According to the chairman of the association, the residents gradually started to socialize with neighbors, and day by day, more and more people started to gather in the meeting hall and enjoy chatting. Nowadays, sweeping and security patrol around the premise are conducted by residents consisting of senior people mainly in their sixties and seventies. The chairman himself studies PC operation enthusiastically because he enjoys creating and editing leaflets.

In the 1^st IT training in Aikawa Undoukouen temporary housing community after the Internet was set up, the training mainly focused on how to send and receive e-mails.  As the Internet is used more freely and frequently by the residents, further efficient management and information sharing in the community are expected to be achieved.

●  IT support for the executives of Higashimatsuyama temporary housing residents’ association

The city of Higashimatsuyama, facing the Pacific Ocean had 2/3 of its area flooded by Tsunami; the city suffered the most damage in terms of the devastating impact to its main industries such as agriculture and aquaculture.

Recently, the city started to arrange explanatory meetings for the disaster victims who are looking forward to moving into public housing now under construction; 250 families from 4 districts will actually start moving into the apartments from April, 2014 as a proof of steady revival.
　

BHN has been supporting the city by means of providing Internet environment to 10 premises and several IT trainings since May, 2012.

 

In June 2013, mobile routers with high-usage in 6 premises were replaced with FTTH, and in addition, desktop PCs were newly donated for further facilitating the work of the members of the association.

BHN will continue to provide IT trainings and the necessary maintenance supports to the committees and associations concerned.