「すべからく子供は守られて生くるべし」との思いから、
ひとりひとりの愛は心もとなくとも
互いの力をもちよって活動をしています。
“All children must live to be protected.” We, NPO Lali Guransu (Shakunage) Children's House,
act to support children by gathering our love, even though one person's love is small.
本年度は丸２年に及ぶコロナ感染症の中、活動の催しが中止・延期が重なり、不安を覚えることが多々ありました。しかし、皆で目の前の小さなことをなす内に、思い掛けず新たな展開に恵まれた年でもありました。
「１の事業」のネパールの子供に向けての支援活動は、２２年目の本年もNGOサハラとの契約の下に「サハラ子供の家」の運営支援に当たって参りました。サハラからの報告によると、ネパールはコロナの感染が収まりつつあるとのこと。子供たちは元気に学校に通い、今は学年末試験を受けている最中とか。また、ビパナ・タマンとダワニム・シェルパは２か月後に催される大学入学資格試験の準備に追われているそう。２人は試験の終了後に９年間過ごしたサハラを卒所しますが、このご時世に、私共はネパール訪問が叶わず、彼女たちの門出を祝う事も見送ることも叶いません。卒所後の子供たちは、それぞれが抱える自立への課題と向き合いながら懸命に歩み出します。３年前に卒所したソニー・アドヒカリは、卒所後に日本語の習得に励んでおり、最近では日本への留学を希望しております。しかし、留学に際し150万円が必要とのこと、後ろ盾のない彼女が自力でこの金額を整えることは至難の業です。私共は卒所して行く少女たちの背を見送りながら、これから始まる自立への険しい道のりを思う時、どうか無事で幸せであれと祈らずにはいられません。
「２の事業」の子育て支援活動においては、西宮市教育委員会の「子供の居場所づくり事業」の下に、当法人の「ぼっこ会」による「大型絵本・よみがたりライブ」を開催して参りました。しかし、オミクロンの感染の拡大により全ての企画は中止となり、子供たちとふれあうことは叶いませんでした。よみがたりライブは、子供と共にお話の世界を想像して和んでおりました故、早い再開を楽しみにしております。
「３の事業」のアジアの女性への支援活動は、コロナ禍にバザーは中止・延期となり、販売の機会を失い、物品の流通、並びにネパール製品の紹介は叶いませんでした。
「４の事業」ネットワーク構築事業においては、当法人は、公益財団法人・社会貢献支援財団より社会貢献者表彰を賜りました。このような栄誉ある賞を賜りましたのも、皆様の長年の御支援の賜物と感謝を申し上げます。この賞は、当法人の活動への励ましと存じております。今後も、互いの力を持ちよって活動を継続して参る所存です。
「５の事業」の地域の方々との交流においては、昨年度より、当法人の「陽なたの会」の朗読劇「火垂るの墓」の上演を通し、作品に由来する地域の方々との交流を深めて参りました。その交流の輪が広がり、記念碑建碑実行委員会、また、西宮市青少年愛護協議会のお力添えを賜り、小学校の「平和学習」に参加上演の運びとなりました。しかし、誠に残念ですが、今年度の上演はコ本年も、コロナ禍感染対応に悩まされる一年でございましたが、来年度も喜びを持って、臨機応変に粛々と活動を継続したいと存じます。
令和4年6月吉日
特定非営利活動法人シャクナゲ・子供の家
理事長 田中 裕子
Annual Activity Report of Reiwa the Third (2021)
First of all, I would like to express my deepest thanks to you for your tireless support extended to our activities. The year Reiwa 3rd being the second year after coronavirus outbreak, many public events/ meetings/competitions were forced cancelled, making the whole world shiver. Thanks to your untiring support, we could continue carrying out all our routines as normally and as regularly as possible no matter how small the scale may be. We could thus find a ray of hope in the coming year amid turbulence and insecurity of the pandemic.
[Activity 1] Under the agreement with SAHARA Children’s Home, we kept ourselves engaged in the program to support Nepalese children, throughout 22nd year since its foundation. According to the report from SAHARA, corona infection is under control more or less. Children are coming back to school to attend face-to-face learning, some of them are already busy with the end-of-the-term exam. B. Tamang and D.N. Sherpa are attempting the college qualifying test. After the test, both will leave SAHARA definitely, their second home where they spent nine years. There are other girls, like Sony Adhikari, going her own way. How I wished if I could revisit Nepal to encourage them all! But it was not possible because of corona pandemic. Actually, Adhikari had left SAHARA three years earlier, and now with a hope to find a job in Japan, she is learning Japanese language. If you have no financial, legal, or social backing, it would be extremely difficult to squeeze out the money you need, \150 million for example, for study abroad or for foreign job hunting. All we can do is to send them off with a word of encouragement and heartfelt well-wishing, and to pray for their safety and peace on their road ahead.
[Activity 2] Child-Care Support Center was set up under the initiative of Nishinomiya City Board of Education. We hosted jointly with them “Read & Narrate Aloud Big Picture Book” supposed to be played on LIVE by “Bokko no kai”. However, due to the spread of omicron variant, all programs had to be cancelled. We are looking forward to a pleasant reunion with children again through “Big Picture Book”.
[Activity 3] Our plan to hold bazaars in aid of Asian women also had to be rescheduled due to corona pandemic. We lost a number of opportunities for marketing Nepalese products.
[Activity 4] As to the interactive network building, we received a prestigious award from the Foundation for Encouragement of Social Contribution. Thanks to your continued support over many years, our activities were highly recognized as outstanding, which gave us fresh incentive and encouragement.
[Activity 5] In terms of the interactive networking with local people, we upgraded our efforts through the recitative performance of “Hotaru no Haka” (Tomb of Firefly). The performance deepened our ties with one another. “Hotaru no Haka” was included in the elementary school curriculum of PEACE, by courtesy of Memorial Monument Erection Committee and Japan Youth Development Association. Sad to say, the plan was carried over to the next year due to corona pandemic.
As you reckon, the past few years have been full of ups and downs like a boat tossed around by waves. But we would be able to overcome together with you. I believe that nothing is impossible to a determined mind. I count on your voluntary co-operation. THANK YOU.
NPO Shakunage Children’s Home (D.F. June 2022)
Directress: Yuko Tanaka
