9.0 - Voices From the Ground

Japan met with a disaster earthquake on 11th March. Ever since then, it has been a moment of recovery for them, to rebuild the country they once had. It has been more than one month ever since the earthquake struck Fukushima, Japan and the people in Japan are experiencing aftershocks frequently. The earthquake, the first for many people, will leave a scar on their memory and it has been a traumatic experience for many people.

As part of iCouncil, 10 of us volunteered on a Saturday evening to host the event "9.0 - Voices From the Ground" which was a fundraising event for the Japan earthquake and we were to work as ushers on that day itself. This was an awe-inspiring performance, furthermore, the organizer, Issac, was one of our old boys and the chairman of iCouncil 2002, which made the event even more special for the 10 of us. Issac has been living inTokyo, Japan’s capital and ever since the earthquake struck Fukushima, he has been planning for a fund-raising event to do his part for Japan and contribute to the relief efforts.

The performance, made up of 3 presentations and 4 bands, entertained the crowd and drove some to tears during the presentation, including the presenters and the audience. The presentations mainly focused on the events happened in Japan and the actions taken and what had happened to their own lives and all 4 presenters were from Japan, all living near Fukushima. One presenter that left a deep impression on me was the 2nd presenter, he was a teacher in Fukushima and after the earthquake, he had to sought help from the Japan embassy such as to get back here, being a Singaporean. During the presentation, he mentioned that he is worried about the status of his students over in Fukushima and he wishes to go back to help but is unable to do so once he thinks of his family and his life. Besides, he also mentioned the spirit of the Japanese, the principal of the school had actually offered him water (since there was water in the school) when people instead were queuing up for water for 4 hours. This spirit is the spirit when man exhibit in times of bad. When a disaster happens, most of us would be fighting for survival, but in Japan, they are giving miracles for the survival of others.

The bands offered some entertainment, shockingly; some of them were only formed weeks ago when approached by the organizers to perform. From Sunshine to S.E., some songs provided hope for Japan while others were to cheer them on and lift the spirits of many. I enjoyed it very much and I am glad that I have played a part to help Japan overcome this crisis as they hope to rebuild what it was used to be.