Volunteer Opportunities with NGO JEN

NGO JEN is looking for volunteers for its soup kitchen and sludge removal projects. 

Reposted from NGO JEN blog. Image (C) JEN

JEN is an NGO with a wealth of experience in disaster relief, focused on needs assessment, coordinating with other international organizations, scouting for local manpower and managing support projects to adapting all of these to a variety of situations.  They are currently handling projects in Afghanistan, Sri Lanka, Pakistan, Sudan, Iraq, Haiti, and now Miyagi. They are a very effective at the work they do. Their well-proven objective is not to execute one-time relief work, but to work through an established process to insure sustainable recovery in each of the areas where they set up operations.


Soup Kitchen Volunteers: 


JEN dispatched its first team to Miyagi prefecture immediately after the earthquake, and conducted damage and needs assessment and assessment of transportation and procurement routes. Along with these assessments, JEN distributed emergency supplies of clothing, hygiene kits and food for soup kitchens. They also provided hot meals for 600 people in evacuation centers with the cooperation of earthquake/tsunami victims. They have decided to organize soup kitchen in Ishinomaki to provide hot meals for those who have difficulties securing food.

Now they are calling for volunteers to support them in their soup kitchen.

The details for the soup kitchen volunteer opportunities, and application forms can be found here: 

Sludge Removal Volunteers!

Sludge, brought by the tsunami, is now emitting disturbing odor around communities. It has been more than three weeks since the incident, and the sludge is drying up and hardening. Gradually this sludge will turn into dust. The dust will be blown up into the air which can have perverse effects to our health.

The tsunami brought heavy mud and sludge inside houses. Tatami mats and furniture have absorbed water (one tatami can weigh up to 100kg), thus women and elderly cannot even clean up their houses. Most of the people staying at their homes live on the second floor because the ground floor is covered with mud and sludge. There are also evacuees who could return home once mud and sludge is cleared.

JEN is now procuring equipment and preparing to receive volunteers while coordinating with other organizations. They are now calling for volunteers to help them remove mud and sludge from houses.

The details for sludge removal volunteer opportunities can be found here: 




Following that, NGO JEN is also collecting donations related directly to their Soup Kitchen and Sludge Cleanup operations. Please follow their main blog for details.