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GODE Project
Movie "The first time to visit GODE"
Photos Children in Gode
Photographing at Aug. 2000
First visit to Gode
It was towards the end of last year. The first thing that we found remarkable about the drought in Ethiopia was the fact that almost no information was available in Japan, neither in the mass media, nor in any Japanese internet portal. This seemed very strange to me, considering its urgency and gravity compared to other disastrous cases in the rest of the world which were reported every day. All we could do was to read the foreign press, and web sites outside Japan. When I first visited the embassy of Ethiopia, I heard for the first time some information that sounded authentic. We were very touched and were strongly motivated to take action in one way or another, and it did not take long before we decided to visit Ethiopia. So we visited Ethiopia last month for a period of two weeks. The aim of this visit was to see, first of all, the situation in Gode, a town constantly reported as the center of the drought disaster and to implement preliminary research necessary to make the most effective plan. In addition, we hoped to experience the cultural, historical and natural richness of Ethiopia, so that I could express them in my artistic dimension, and convey their beauty to Japanese audiences, who knew almost nothing about Ethiopia.
We considered this trip just as the beginning of a long term project. However, we had such a wonderful time moment by moment, wherever we went, that it turned out to be one of the most precious and shocking events in my life. I encountered there the inner beauty and dignity of human beings that most of the world had forgotten. What I have experienced resides in me and pushes me hard to think about Ethiopia, where the revelation of true history and authentic humanity takes place.
In Gode, through intimate conversation with people there, we came up with the following three frameworks to follow: First, in order urgently to secure the lives of people in Gode, some powerful assistance to doctors and medical staff there shall be made as soon as possible. Getting them out of the fatal situation where they have few medical facilities and basic sanitary commodities, providing some basic supplies will allow them to exercise their professional abilities. Then, if matters are so arranged, they will secure the lives of a great number of people. We asked them what were the most important things they wanted and promised them on the spot that we would bring a portable X ray machine, basic medicines and some other related supplies. Fortunately our NPO is assisted by various medical specialists and doctors who are already working hard to find the most usable and maintenance-free X-ray machine, and the most developed medicines appropriate for Gode. Second, by further investigating various factors of the actual situation, we identified the problem of water supply deficiency, both in terms of its quantity and quality. This seemed to be the cause of most of the problems there. Lack of good enough water supply means the lack of the basic life cycle necessary to live on for the inhabitants there, together with the plants they cultivate and animals they herd, and also may well be the source of infection of most of the fatal diseases people are suffering from.
Third, the provision of education is indispensable in order to put an end to the poverty of the local society. We are very much looking forward to develop our project in this respect after solving the problems of medical care and water supply. We need to be persistent and faithful to each other.
Lastly, we will always remain sincere to people based upon the principle of mutual understanding and development. What we hate to do is merely to impose on other people the things we think. We will try to help people in need of our assistance, but the dignity and liberty to live a unique life is the same for every person whatever his or her race, creed or nationality. Dialogue is essential. In the course of implementing a project based on this principle, we expect together to discover infinite possibilities and create something precious that can result in, for example, a new agricultural model in the dry area, or a new medical diagnosis, etc, applicable to the rest of the world. Mutually interwoven with and inspired by each other, we will pave the way for a new society where all children live on happily, for the birth of a new human species recovering its original beauty and dignity. To this end, we are extremely happy to be able to kick off the project in Ethiopia, a country symbolically represented by Denkenesh signifying you are wonderful, which is the name we use for the bank account of our charity activities.
Thank you again for providing us with this precious opportunity. May this tiny project become the hope for both of us, and for people all over the world in quest of peace and truth.