Tomodachi Fund Helps Earthquake Affected Students Study Abroad
By Adam Westlake, Japan Daily Press – The Tomodachi Fund, established to help students recovering from the March 2011 disasters and support Japan–U.S. cultural exchanges, has just received 320 million yen (approx. $3.9 million) in donations from five Japanese corporations. The fund, set up by a U.S. public-private initiative called “Tomodachi” (the Japanese word for “friends”), provides aid to high schools students affected by the earthquake looking to study in the United States. The companies that contributed include Toyota Motor Corp., Mitsubishi Corp., Hitachi Ltd., Mitsubishi UFJ Financial Group Inc., and Takeda Pharmaceutical Co.
At a commencement ceremony at the residence of U.S. Ambassador to Japan John Roos, 18 year old Ayaka Ogawa, one of the first recipients to benefit from the fund, said how grateful she was and now had a dream to follow. Originally from Kamaishi, Iwate prefecture, one of the areas to suffer the most damage from the earthquake and tsunami, Ogawa lost both her parents, older sister, and grandparents. She says she will explore her potentials when she begins her studies in June.
(Original article can be found at http://japandailypress.com/tomodachi-fund-helps-earthquake-affected-students-study-abroad-201124)
