Volunteers make jewelry out of pottery destroyed during Japan tsunami
theweathernetwork.com
Friday, January 31, 2014, 8:10 PM -
Tens of thousands of people were left dead or missing by a devastating earthquake and tsunami that struck Japan's east coast nearly three years ago. Officials say the exact number of those who perished will never be known.
The disaster also caused a meltdown at the Fukushima Dai-ichi nuclear power plant, forcing thousands to abandon their homes to escape radiation.
The City of Ishinomaki was particularly hard hit.
As the community of about 130,000 continues to rebuild, a group of volunteers have formed the Nozomi Project in hopes of returning a sense of normalcy to victim's lives.
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Women are trained to make jewelry using pottery shards recovered from tsunami debris.
Nozomi -- which means 'hope' in Japanese -- provides the women with an opportunity to earn a sustainable income.
Each one-of-a-kind piece is named after one of the creator's loved ones.
Visit the Nozomi Project to learn more.