"We want to be a second homeland": Foreigners volunteer in Rikuzentakata to help with demolition work.

Excerpt from Iwate Nippo, May 28, 2011.

Four volunteers from foreign countries residing in Japan began their volunteer work in Rikuzentakata City on the 27th. This was part of the activities of APFS (Tokyo, headed by Jotaro Kato), a non-profit organization that supports the lives of foreigners living in Japan. The volunteers worked tirelessly, clearing rubble and shoveling mud. The four volunteers, from Pakistan, Iran, Sri Lanka, and the Philippines, visited damaged houses in Takada-cho, Rikuzentakata City, and removed broken furniture and daily necessities. Amidst the swirling dust, they worked diligently, loading chests of drawers and other items onto trucks. The participants are mainly residents of the Kanto region and have lived in Japan for over 22 years. San Miguel Dante (49), from Ichihara City, Chiba Prefecture, who is from the Philippines, said enthusiastically, "The damage is worse than what you see on TV. Japan is my second home. I want to be of some help." The volunteer work will continue until the 30th.
[Photo: Foreign volunteers residing in Japan, wearing helmets and masks, diligently working to remove rubble from a private house on the 27th in Takata-cho, Rikuzentakata City]