"Mama Cafe @ Chiba University of Commerce" - Six years after the earthquake, considering support for the needs of evacuees

On March 4th (Sat) and 5th (Sun), the Faculty of Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences held a two-day event called "Mama Cafe @ Chiba University of Commerce" (with the cooperation of the Fukushima Children's Support Center (Beans Fukushima NPO) and Fukushima Prefecture Evacuee Support Division) for evacuees who had evacuated to the Tokyo metropolitan area due to the Great East Japan Earthquake, to provide advice on life in their evacuation destinations and promote interaction between evacuees.

This event, now in its third year, aims to provide a forum for discussion and information exchange to alleviate the anxieties and worries of those raising children in evacuation shelters.
From the disaster in March 2011 to the present, the challenges of evacuation and the support situation have changed significantly. The provision of free housing to voluntary evacuees ended at the end of March 2017, and new support is now required. As measures that are in line with the realities of evacuation life and efforts to restore the mind are increasingly required, 10 students from the Faculty of Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences organized this event as an opportunity to learn about the current feelings of evacuees and consider how to provide support in the future.

The Mama Cafe venue had a space for participants to relax, as well as a play area for children that students looked after, providing an environment where participants could talk in peace. 25 people visited over the two days and deepened their connections. This time, a food education class was also held as a new attempt to get evacuees involved in the local community. The aim was for mothers to interact with each other around the common theme of "food," something everyone deals with every day, and for this to serve as an opportunity to expand the circle of community in the evacuation site.

Through running Mama Cafe, the students gained a deeper understanding of the current situation and challenges faced by evacuees, and learned that even after the evacuation order is lifted, there are concerns and challenges regarding life after returning home. They expressed their enthusiasm for future support activities, saying, "Mental care is necessary no matter how many years have passed. As evacuation continues, we must now think about ways to support evacuees and improve their lives as members of the community."
Participants also commented, "Having these meetings held near our evacuation sites gives us the peace of mind of knowing that we can talk to someone at any time," and "We're glad that people are taking an interest in supporting reconstruction efforts."