The Kobe earthquake shocked almost everyone in the world. In the early morning of January 17, 1995, a powerful 7.2 level earthquake shook the area around Kobe, Japan. Houses collapsed, were engulfed by fire, and were totally demolished. More than 5,000 people died. Sadness and grief filled the hearts of people everywhere.

"What happened to the people who were saved but lost their homes?" I wondered. That was when I saw, in the news, hundreds of people sleeping in the cold. I felt sorry for those shivering in the freezing weather. Then, as I watched, I heard some good news. Kobe would get help from other nations and areas within Japan. I was greatly impressed by the generosity from all over the world. Thousands of blankets were sent from the United States. Trained rescue dogs were sent from Switzerland to find survivors buried under the rubble. Bottled water, packaged foods, and other necessary materials were sent to Kobe from other parts of Japan.

I was very grateful that my school took part in helping the people of Kobe. One of the group came up with an idea to donate money collected from students and teachers. The members made money bottles and placed them in the cafeteria for students to put their change in, after buying lunch. Every day, I was anxious to see the money placed in the bottle increasing. More than anything, I was impressed by the generosity of the students and teachers.

In the world today, this is what we need - cooperation shown by everyone in the world. Even a little help can save peoples' lives. I hope that our support was able to assist the people in Kobe in their time of suffering. In times of catastrophe, the spirit of cooperation needs to be aroused in people. fl