Dear Friends of All Nations,

At 2:46pm on Friday, March 11, in small villages of the Tohoku region in Japan, many children were at school and excited about the upcoming weekend and time with their friends. Their parents and other family members were at work nearby, for these are fishing villages along the ocean. It seemed to be just another Friday afternoon until the earth shook with vigor and longer than they had ever felt before. As the ground below them trembled, the warning sirens echoed around the villages and people ran and screamed that the tsunami waves were coming, Many of the villagers had grown up in these villages along the Pacific coast and knew what they had to—run to higher ground.

This time, the tsunami was different; it was stronger, higher and faster. Children ran to the rooftops of their schools for safety and witnessed the giant waves attacking their villages. The waves came one after another, and gulped up everything that was familiar to them: people, cars, boats, trees and buildings. No one could do anything to stop the forces of nature and their villages disappeared before their eyes.

As of March 29, combined figures of reported dead or missing people stands at 28,000 and this figure is rising. Many of the surviving victims have lost everything: their homes, jobs and families. Materially, very little is left. Emotionally and physically, they are scared, tired and possibly injured. BBC reported, “The worst earthquake in modern-history hit the best prepared country in the world, testing their capability and government. While there were many victims of the disaster, the people of Japan face the situation calmly and with concern for each other. This is a fundamental aspect of Japanese culture”. What the earthquake and tsunami could not take from these people is their hope, determination and will to restore their villages.

In the spirit of helping others, Tres International has established the “Smile Support Scholarship” to help children who have lost their parents and will possibly have difficulties continuing their education. Your generous donation will not only provide materials needed and school fees, but it will also give each child an assurance that they can hope for a better future. These children will be the center force in restoring the small villages of the Tohoku region, and in building towards a solid future for Japan.

We wholeheartedly appreciate your interest and support for the “Smile Support Scholarship”. Together, we hope to bring smiles back to the faces of these children, and to our future generations.

Sincerely,

Miki Ihara
President, Tres International Ltd