Take our user survey and make your voice heard.
“Electricity is back!” and “We are grateful for the food!” are not the type of titles that would make it to the front pages of many high-profile newspapers. But handwritten in colorful letters and distributed in emergency shelters by a 7-year-old "editor" makes them important - perhaps even historical.
Risa Yoshida, a first year student at the Minami-Kesennuma Elementary School in Miyagi prefecture, launched the colorful Fight! newspaper with a single thought in her mind: to revive optimism among the evacuees living in emergency shelters as a consequence of the devastating March 11 earthquake.
Risa, a victim of the earthquake and tsunami herself, was among the 300 evacuees temporarily living at the Kesennuma Elementary School emergency shelter, when she got the idea. “I thought that everyone felt very lonely. I wanted to cheer them up,” she says.
The first edition, handwritten and in vivid color, read: “There are many inconveniences right now, but let’s do our best to overcome them!”
Risa, who is best known among her friends as "Ms Editor," will be soon leaving the shelter to move in with relatives, but she has secured her replacement - the 10-year-old current "sub-editor." Starting from the newspaper’s 16th edition, he will make sure that Fight! is continuously read by everyone at the shelters.
© Compiled from news reports
21 Comments
Login to comment
Nicky Washida
God bless her little 7 year old heart!!! With all the awful things we are reading about right now, this is absolutely something to warm up even the most tsumetai of people!
Triumvere
This is fairly awesome.
mukai
I bet her stories are written better than a "professional" journalist could write. Because they come from her heart!
Tom DeMicke
I teach English in Okinawa and would love a classroom full of children just like her! Kudos kid!
smithinjapan
What a sweetheart! The world needs more like her, editor or otherwise.
shinkansenjp
that is good to hear, more young talents over there
emmandaya
we need children like her !!!
TumbleDry
Refreshing. Good luck with your art work.
BurakuminDes
She's a little champion! Children are the real optimists here, they will learn through this disaster and honour their many friends and family who died. All the best Risa-chan!
dirisaya
Wow! Sometimes it takes a child or children to remind us (adult) to be GRATEFUL that we are lucky to be alive.
asianTourist
In such situation, Kids grow up and show their talents. She is among other awesome kids to make Japan feel prouder.
minello7
All children the world over hold the key to the future.but how many get the chance. This little girl is a wonderful gem that has brought a sparkle to all those around her.Only children have this innocence, its we adults that take it away.
Garbo
What a stunningly good idea Risa-chan had ! She is truly wonderful. I wish her and the current 'sub-editor' the best of luck they deserve.
asianTourist
Your comment is secondly considered, but parents and educators need to support kids without any restraints. Kids grow naturally to develop their skills without any interference of adults. Creativity and innovation are outcomes then.
Sarge
Like Triumvere said, this is fairly awesome! Go Risa!
jobseeker
I give two thumps up
samwatters
This girl is a bright ray of sunlight in the darkness that has been 2011. Kudos Risa!
Fadamor
Leave it to a child to jar the adults out of their worrying about what MIGHT happen in the future and into celebrating the good that has been occuring in the present. Yokatta imouto-san!
ramenkun
Indeed a shining example that Children ARE our FUTURE!!
nath
Hokey.