Hi Friends!
I'm a Nissei who grew up in New York City but am currently living in Buenos Aires, Argentina. I am volunteering for this Nikkei organization FANA (http://fananikkei.exblog.jp/) and am learning how Nikkeis here cope with everyday issues. Some topics are hard to bear...for instance, at FANA, we mainly handle situations pertaining to Nikkei seniors/retirees who have no money or family to support them in their "golden years". Argentina's social security is a joke and it's sad to say but a growing number of Nikkeis (mostly 1st and 2nd genration seniors) live in poverty level. FANA manages a senior citizens home for Nikkeis and for the most part rely on donations to support the facility. There are JICA (Japanese Peace Corp) volunteers who help out as well but it's not enough.
Various Japanese Associations throughout Argentina report to us about seniors with mental/physical problems that live in shacks in Cordoba or in the jungles of Misiones who need help asap. We have brought some of them to the facility but due to our limited funds & staff we cannot accommodate more at this time. There is one lady in particular, who came to FANA, with breast cancer. Her right breast was practically rotting away. Since she does not have insurance, going to a public hospital and waiting for hours to get treated was a nightmare. After getting a mastecomy, she was told to leave the hospital the next day. Back at the facility, JICA volunteers changed her bandages everyday. Now it seems as though the cancer has spread again as she is coughing and getting lumps around her chest.
It's inconceivable that in this day and age, there are Japanese/Nikkeis living this way. And although the Japanese government supports them with some medical & living stipends it's minimal at best and who knows when their budget will be cut. It seems JICA will stop sending help from this year so I'm reaching out to Nikkeis in the "developed world" like USA and Cannada, to get advice on how to manage and sustain a growing population of Nikkei seniors who have nowhere else to go but to an organization like FANA.
I will be happy to get some positive feedback and some ideas on this topic. Also, I would like to know any other organizations I can contact or team up with to help me with this situation.
Thank you;
Misa