AAR Japan’s emergency response team is continuing relief activities in Mabicho, Kurashiki City, Okayama Prefecture, which suffered extensive damage. On July 23rd, AAR Japan visited “Nozomi Kids Station”, which provides after-school day care services for children with disabilities. 11 children with disabilities, ranging from elementary to high school age, had been using their services, but the recent flood had completely destroyed the facility. Their five shuttle cars were also submerged in the flood waters. The manager, Ms. Tomoko KAWAKAMI, gave up on resuming services in the same location and decided to relocate to the neighboring Soja City. However, the new 130 square meter space only had an air conditioning unit made for a 13 square meter space..

Mycetoma is an infectious disease and is one of the tough issues that Sudan is tackling currently. An staff member of AAR’s Sudan Office, Ryohma Yamagishi, reports the latest on this challenges presented by Mycetoma, including AAR’s efforts and activities to cope with this lingering illness.
Mycetoma is an infectious disease whose peculiar variety of germs exist in the soil and pass on to humans through abrasions of hands and feet, and start affecting muscles and bones. It triggers inflammation within the body at first, and the affected area grows gradually larger over some a period of time.In the later stages of Mycetoma, when the inflammation gets rather widespread, sufferers not only find it difficult to manage their daily lives but also come to be bothered by acute pain when the infection reaches as far as the bone. In the worst cases, the victim could ultimately lose his or her life.