In the aftermath of the 9.0 magnitude earthquake that occurred in northeastern Japan on 11 March, many Singapore Soka Association (SSA) members had came forth to make donations in aid of the relief efforts, raising $432,895.82 as of 21 March.
At the prayer session at the SSA Headquarters on 21 March, SSA General Director Ong Bon Chai presented a donation of $200,000 to humanitarian organisation Mercy Relief (MR). MR Advisor, Speaker of Parliament Mr Adullah Tarmugi who was accompanied by MR Chairman Mr T K Udairam and MR Secretary Mr Satwant Singh, received the donation.
MR Chairman Mr Udairam expressed his appreciation to SSA members for the donations, “I thank you from the bottom of my heart for all the support that you’re giving us to allow us to help the people in the affected areas (in Japan).”
MR Advisor, Speaker of Parliament Mr Abdullah Tarmugi also conveyed his appreciation for SSA members’ generosity and also shared in his speech, “There is something to learn from this catastrophe in Japan: the tenacity, the resilience, the courage, and the calmness with which the Japanese faced the calamities and sufferings.”
In it’s latest update, MR has delivered the first batch of supplies at the designated supply collection centre near Iwate prefecture and will continue to procure relief items locally from the supply and logistics chain that it has established to address the changing needs on the ground.
