QFF completes rewarding year funding number of rehabilitation projects in Japan

With funding of approximately $100m, assistance in the key areas of child health, education and the fishery industry is set to forge its way ahead until 2014.

The year got off to a good start in January when 1,400 children, victims of the tsunami, were treated to a ski education programme at Yubari City in Hokkaido.

With the need to promote economic regeneration, April saw ground break on 'Maskar', $24m fish processing center in Onagawa, Miyagi Prefecture.

Applying state-of-the art Tsunami-proof design, construction rapidly proceeded culminating in a grand opening in October 2012. The 7,760 facility is now in operation and over 7,500 fishermen directly employed in the fisheries industry in Onagawa are already receiving hope from this project.

Results of a call to projects also yielded five rewarding projects that directly target the key areas of childcare health, education and the fishery industry. By November, work was already underway in several projects. This included promoting a healthy and happy community in Tohoku by reaching out to children, including those with disabilities, in areas with significant radiation levels in Iwate, Miyagi and Fukushima Prefecture.

Another key project spearheaded in November included work on a regional community revitalization project in Minami-soma City. This will develop communities and nurture the young through a new community facility. The facility will foster sports, culture, childcare support, healthy living and protective care for people living alone and children who have limited opportunities to play.

Families and their livelihoods are also top on the agenda, and November saw the start of a project which encourages farming to regain livelihoods in Kesennuma City. Families come together productively through workshops on growing vegetables and this will lead on to sales of the resulting produce.

Following the successful launch of 'Maskar', the importance of the fishery industry was again revisited through a project now underway in Kamaishi City. This includes freezing marine products using a process that effectively preserves the product. As the year drew to an end, QFF brought to a close its second call for projects and this will soon lead to a list of rewarding projects which will be publically announced in the early months of 2013.

Commenting on QFF's activity in 2012, H.E. Dr. Khalid Bin Mohammad Al Attiyah, Qatari Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, said, "Speaking on behalf of H.H. Sheikh Hamad Bin Khalifa Al-Thani, the Emir of the State of Qatar, and H.H Sheikh Tamim Bin Hamad Al-Thani, Heir Apparent of the State of Qatar, QFF is very proud of its work throughout 2012. As we embark on a new year, it is particularly satisfying to look back on the work of 2012 to see tangible results which have undoubtedly brought hope to thousands affected by the 2011 Tsunami and Earthquake. It has been a busy year and we are looking forward forward to launching even more valuable projects in 2013."