By Angela Hill

Japanese exchange students concerned about home

Mar 11, 2011 | 4:44 PM

Students in Prince Albert are watching the news of Japan’s earthquake with anxiety.

There are 12 Japanese students that are in the Prince Albert area though Global Partners exchange program.

“They are certainly anxious they don’t know what the state is for their families, they don’t know if their families are safe or if they are alive, if they are hurt,” said Jeanette Eddolls, provincial-regional manager of Global Partners.

Some students have been able to contact their families, but others have not.

There are five students of the 36 in Saskatchewan whose families live in areas that are most damaged by the earthquake in Japan.

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Even if a student and their family are not directly impacted by the earthquake, all of them are concerned about the situation for their friends and extended family members, said Eddolls.

Having the host families is assisting in alleviating the stress, she said.

“These kids have all bonded with their families and host parents take them as being one of their own, so the host parents are going to be there to comfort, support and to help them navigate the communication channels to get information.”

The national Global Partners office continues to contact the Japanese office, said Eddolls and they continue to pass on information as they receive it.

“I’m just trying to follow up as the information keeps coming to me to be able to forward it out as it needs to be forwarded. We’re just doing the best we can to assist with the communication lines.”

Communication is difficult because of power outages and other situations developing across the region, Eddolls said.

Currently the plan is for the students to stay in Canada, unless there is a request for the student to return home. If that situations arises the cases will be considered case-by-case, with the idea that the students will come back to Canada, she said.

For more:

Red Cross ready to support Japan

Japanese earthquake brings shock to locals

Japan rocked by massive earthquake, tsunami triggered

ahill@panow.com