Afshin’s Magic Carpet Ride

Text and photos by Patrick de Volpi (www.patrickdevolpi.com).

Afshin Valinejad walking through the remains of the town of Yamada, NE Japan.

With crisis experience in Iran and Afghanistan, Afshin moved into action immediately after the quake and tsunami struck on March 11th.

He put out a call for donations from among his 200 email contacts and 500 Facebook friends. His one request was that everything donated had to be new.

Soon, his Tokyo apartment was overflowing with donated goods: 700 Persian mats and carpets, 50 bottles of wine, toys, clothing, food. Waiting in a warehouse: 5 tons of bottled water.

So began his trips into the devastated areas of northeastern Japan, an ongoing odyssey that has taken him more than 10,000 km in search of people in need.

Some people seem hesitant to accept his gifts. But the deeper he gets into the disaster zone, the more accepting they become.

Especially the kids.

In the big scheme of things, receiving a carpet, a bottle of wine and some food may not amount to much.

But for people living in cramped community halls with all their possessions washed away or destroyed, Afshin is bringing a little joy into their lives, however briefly.

Their smiles tell the story.

Next page: “Shoveling mud in Ishinomaki”