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