Victims of earthquake Beirut - Arabstoday Tod’s announces its commitment to working with Save the Children in Japan to help the child victims of the terrible earthquake and tsunami of last year. Japanese coastal communities are still coping with the consequences of the devastating 9.0-magnitude earthquake on March 11th last year, the fifth strongest earthquake in the world since 1900 and the largest on record in Japan, and a tsunami that caused devastation on an unimaginable scale. This situation has created urgent needs for tens of thousands of children and so Save the Children in Japan has committed to a five-year recovery response strategy. It is this project that Tod’s has pledged to support, with the aim of benefiting over 7,000 children in the Miyagi and Iwate regions. Diego Della Valle, Chairman of Tod’s, says, “The earthquake in Japan last year is one of the most severe humanitarian disasters of our age and as is often the case in these situations it has had a profound effect on the lives of the children involved. I have been very impressed by the activities of Save the Children in responding to this situation and would like Tod’s to become a major partner in this initiative to help the young people that have been affected.” The overall objective of TOD’S involvement is to ensure children in the affected areas are provided with a safe, protective environment where they can learn and play with their friends, and return as much as possible to a more normal life. Tod’s donations will concretely help restore a sense of normalcy to children and their families by: ·Providing after school transportation for students ·Providing urgently needed material support for schools and playgrounds ·Provide for the construction of  kindergartens,  nursery schools and Gakudo (after-care center) This program will be partly completed by the beginning of the next school year in Japan (April 2012) and will end by the end of year 2012.