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RI provides emergency relief, rehabilitation and development assistance to victims of natural disasters and civil conflicts worldwide. RI's programs bridge the gap between immediate and long-term community development. This orientation promotes self-reliance and the peaceful reintegration of populations. RI's programs are designed with the input and participation of target beneficiary groups such as women, children and the elderly, whose special needs are often neglected in disasters.

JAM FOR JAPAN INITIATIVE 

Since the initial earthquake and devastating tsunami hit Japan, Relief International immediately took action working through dedicated partners on the ground, including the Association of Medical Doctors of Asia (AMDA), Peacebuilders (PB) and the Association for Aid and Relief, Japan (AAR JAPAN), to support displaced populations in the city of Sendai in the most devastated Miyagi Prefecture. Mobile medical clinics addressed traumas resulting from the disaster. Clean drinking water, hygienic supplies and other basic necessitates were made easily accessible.  We also provided ergonomic tents as much of the homeless population as possible to serve as temporary shelter during their time of displacement.

Bridging the gap between immediate relief to long term sustainability, our second phase in Japan is to provide music grants to schools whose music programs lost valuable infrastructure and instruments during the storm. In partnership with the Musicians Institute in Hollywood, CA we launched the Jam For Japan initiative.  

The initiative is two-fold: 

• excitement and awareness was raised around the project and grant applications from schools devastated by the earthquake and tsunami were submitted up until the day of the Jam For Japan benefit concert
• The Jam For Japan benefit concert was held on March 10, 2012 to commemorate the one year anniversary of the disaster, to propel us over our fundraising goals, and bring a close to the application window

The following schools have been hand selected by our review committee to be awarded:

• Mori Ruriko Music School
• Haramachi Daiichi Junior High School
• Shizukawa Junior High School
• Yasawa Elementary School
• Shimizu Junior High School
• Nakamura Daini Junior High School
• Osaki Kiyotaki Elementary School
• Kaisei Elementary School
• Fukuda Elementary School
• Shiomigaoka Elementary School / Magic Dolphins
• Yamashita Junior High School
• Sukagawa First Municipal Junior High School
• Tamura Municipal Funehiki Elementary School
• Yumehat Junior Wind Orchestra
• Oyama Elementary School
• Panderful (Steel band from Sendai)
• Gorgeous Entertainment
• Ai Love Japan

Relief International solely manages the distribution of funds directly to the schools and management of progress the schools make.

Through this effort, children are not only given an outlet for their pain but feel as valuable contributors to the rebuilding efforts. School bands benefiting from our loans spend their free time playing at local shelters and community centers, giving residents hope and courage to get them through these difficult times. Through supporting this program you make it possible to help the community heal from within themselves.