"Hyokkori Hyoutanjima" selected for "Student Volunteer Group Support Project"

The Tohoku Reconstruction Support Volunteer Group "Hyokkori Hyoutanjima" has been selected for the "Student Volunteer Group Support Project" run by the Student Support Center, a general incorporated foundation that supports student volunteer activities and creative initiatives.

On Wednesday, February 7th, an awards ceremony for the organizations selected for the Center's "Student Volunteer Group Support Project" and the winning entries in the "Student Business Plan Contest" was held in Tokyo, and third-year students Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences, Takuma Kurihara (graduated from Kanto Daiichi High School), Masato Hidaka (graduated from Ichihara Yawata High School), and Makito Koizumi (graduated from Tachibana High School), attended.

The "Student Volunteer Group Support Project" is aimed at student groups that are planning and carrying out social contribution activities through creative thinking and initiative. It provides financial support for revitalizing the groups and building networks, and aims to encourage social contribution activities.

The newly selected group, "Hyokkori Hyoutanjima," is an organization that gives back to the local area through the sale of local specialty products.
The organization was established in 2013 by a group of students who participated in volunteer activities in Otsuchi Town, Iwate Prefecture, which was affected by the Great East Japan Earthquake, in order to provide ongoing support to the town. Currently, the organization is primarily run by students from the Faculty of Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences.

This marks the third consecutive year that a volunteer group from our university has been selected for this project.
Many students are involved in volunteer activities, not just in "Hyokkori Hyoutanjima."

Student comments

We were delighted that our activities received such a wonderful award. We would like to continue to work hard, using this recognition as motivation.

Makito Koizumi, 3rd year, Department of Humanities and Social Sciences

At the beginning, we struggled because we had no sales experience whatsoever, but gradually people started to get to know about our activities and we are now setting up more stores, which makes us very happy.

Masato Hidaka, 3rd year, Department of Humanities and Social Sciences

We want to make sure that the Great East Japan Earthquake does not fade from memory, and through our activities, we want many people to learn about the current situation in Tohoku. Our current goal is to increase the number of new members and make our organization a long-lasting organization.

Takuma Kurihara, 3rd year, Department of Humanities and Social Sciences