ワールドハーモニー・ランチームは、5月の石巻訪問に引き続き、再び宮城県を訪れました。被災地の子どもさん、避難所の方々にお会いするためです。今回は南三陸町、気仙沼市を1泊2日で訪問しました。前回同様、ランの提唱者シュリ・チンモイが始めた国際人道支援活動The Oneness-Heart-Tears and SmilesのKids to Kidsプロジェクトからのプレゼント贈呈も行いました。また、今回はスロバキアからプロのパントマイム師ヴラドがボランティアで来日してくれ、子どもたちを大いに喜ばせてくれました。

Following our last visit in May, we visited Miyagi Prefecture for the second time, the most seriously damaged prefecture after the massive earthquake and tsunami back in March. This time, we visited several schools and a shelter in Minami-Sanriku Town and Kesennuma City along the coast in two days. Like last time, during this special trip, gifts from Kids to Kids program of the Oneness-Heart-Tears and Smiles, the international humanitarian initiative by the Run's founder Sri Chinmoy, were offered to the children and refugees we met. A special feature of this time also is Vlado, a professional pantomimist from Slovakia, whose performance gave a lot of joy to the children and adults alike. 

訪れたのは... Where we visited... :

前回同様夜中の2：30頃東京を車で出発。初日の今日は南三陸町で１校、気仙沼市で１校と避難所１か所を訪ねました。先生方のお話で共通していたのは、震災直後と比べだいぶ状況も落ち着いたし、物資もそろってきたけれど、子どもたちはまだ心の中にショックを抱えている、ということでした。だからこそ学校生活は普通に、元気に送らせてあげたいという先生方の願いが伝わってきました。

Like last time, our van with 5 members and full of humanitarian goods left Tokyo at about 2:30am of the 11th. On this first day, we visited one school in Minami-Sanriku Town followed by another school and one shelter in Kesennuma City. From what the teachers told us, we found something in common. That is, the situation has settled quite a bit and material-wise they are OK, but the children are still in shock inside. This gives all the more reason for the teachers to try their best to create an environment for the children to study and play as normally as possible. 

南三陸町立入谷小学校　（104名）Iriya Elementary School, Minami-Sanriku Town (104 students)

ここは耐震構造の新しい校舎だったため、学校の建物自体の被害はほとんどなかったとか。ただ体育館が避難所になっているため、ホールでプログラムを行いました。生徒さんの何人かは被災したとのこと。先生も10人ほど家を流され、代わりの住居が見つかるまでは学校で寝泊まりしていたそうです。震災後電気が通じるまで1カ月かかり、水道は2週間前に通ったばかりとのことでした。

This school is relatively new with all the earthquake-proof structure, so they had hardly any damage. As the gym was being used as a shelter, the program was held in their multi-purpose room. Some of the students lost their homes and family members. About 10 teachers also lost their homes and until they found somewhere else to live, they stayed in the school for a while. It took a whole month to have the electricity back, and the running water came back only 2 weeks ago.

気仙沼市立南気仙沼小学校（206名）Minami-Kesennuma Elementary School, Kesennuma City (206 students)

この学校の校舎は津波で被災し使用できなくなったため現在は気仙沼小学校内で授業を行っています。この学区の地域は誰も住めなくなってしまい、150名ほどの生徒さんが他の地区の学校に転校したそうです。残った生徒さんも8割が被災し、学区外にある避難所や仮設住宅から通学しているとのこと。この厳しい状況にもかかわらず、子どもたちはなんて元気にパントマイムに声援を送っていたことか！

The building was damaged by the tsunami, so the students of this school are now housed in another school, Kesennuma Elementary. The school district is no longer habitable. Thus, 150 of their students moved to another school. Of the remaining 206, 80% lost their homes and they now commute from shelters or temporary housing. Despite this extremely challenging situation, how they sang with us with vigour and responded to Vlado's performance with full enthusiasm!

 

気仙沼小学校体育館避難所 Kesennuma Elementary School Gym Shelter

宮城県が11日に発表したところによると、県内では15,000戸の仮設住宅が建てられた後もまだ13,000人余の方々が避難所生活を送っているそうです。この避難所には現在60数名の方が暮らしていらっしゃいますが、訪問したのが昼間だったため中にいらした15名ほどの方々と交流しました。暑さが厳しい中、扇風機とうちわでしのいでらっしゃいました。数個のテントは更衣室として使われ、プライベートの空間は低い板で仕切られているだけです。でも寄付された本のミニ図書館があったり、全国から寄せられた激励のメッセージが所狭しと壁に張られ、物資を仕分けしたりするボランティアの方が何人もいらっしゃいました。七夕の短冊もきれいに飾られていました。

According to the news on the 11th, in Miyagi Prefecture alone, over 13,000 refugees still live in shelters even after over 15,000 temporary housing units have been built. Over 60 people live in this shelter that we visited. As it was a day time many of them were out; still, we met about 15 residents there. In this severe heat, there was no air conditioning in the gym, just some fans. The few tents there were being used as ‘changing rooms', and their private space was partitioned only with low-height boards. Still, there was a mini-library with donated books, and messages of encouragement from all over the country were posted on the walls. A few volunteers were working hard to organize donated goods at the shelter. As we just had the Star Festival (tanabata) on the 7th of July, following the tradition, a big branch of bamboo with prayers on coloured paper was on display.

さていよいよプログラム！ Now we are starting the presentation...!

「ハーモニーって、心の中に、いっぱい強さや思いやりや勇気があること。自分の心の中にいっぱいハーモ二-があったら、それがまわりにも広がって、もっとハーモニーがいっぱいになるよ。」

"Harmony means having strength, empathy, and courage in one's heart. If you have a lot of harmony inside yourself, then you can share it with others around you, and then we will have more harmony."

ハーモニーがもっとたくさんになるように、1人1人の願いをこめてトーチを握ります。
Each one holds the torch with their wish and prayer for harmony...

避難所では1人1人、時間をかけて握ってらっしゃいました。
At the shelter, each one took time and held the torch in silence.

さてここでヴラドの登場！母国でも主に学校でパントマイムのプログラムを行い、子どもを笑わせるプロの彼。今回もスポーツを使った名(？)演技でみんなを 爆笑させてくれました。必ず会場から1人か2人指名して、一緒に演技。子どもたちは大喜びです。みんなで笑うと楽しいよね！

And now it's time to have Vlado the pantmimist! He is professional and in his native country Slovakia he also works with children. The students in all schools all burst into laughter! The rest of the team laughed and laughed as well! It is a lot of fun to share a joyful time together, isn't it?

避難所では小学校とはちょっと違った内容の演技。大人も子供も関係なく大笑いです。

At the shelter Vlado had a different act but equally funny. Laughter and smile are for everyone!

 

 一日が終わって At the end of the day...

今晩の宿泊先は山あいにある旧小学校の校庭にある、ボランティアキャンプ村。まず街の銭湯で大きな湯船にたっぷりつかり疲れをいやしてから現地へ。実は私、アメリカチームがランでよくキャンプ場に宿泊するのを報告で読んでちょっといいなと思ってたのですが（日本ではコース付近にキャンプ場はなかなかないので）、思わぬところで夢がかないました！
ここにはボランティアのコーディネーターが数人おり、世界各地から気仙沼を訪れたボランティアの宿泊が心地よいものになるようお世話してくださいます。屋外キッチンには前に来たボランティアが寄付していったガスコンロや電気ポット、電子レンジまであり、焚き火で沸かすお風呂まであります。自然の中、とっても贅沢な気分で夜を迎えました！

Kesennuma City's Disaster Countermeasures Office checked us into their old school yard-turned-into Volunteers' Camp Village up in the mountain. They told us about the town's public bath (sentou) on the way, which we enjoyed fully after the hot, long day.

We set up our tents, cooked dinner outdoor, met other volunteers who were there from all over the world to help Kesennuma rebuild. In fact, whenever I read the US Team's daily reports, I wished camping were possible in Japanese routes as well, and tonight, at a most unexpected place, my dream came true!

The camp site was much more organized than we had expected. There were a few coordinators, both local and out-of-town volunteers, who made sure everything ran smoothly there. In the outdoor kitchen, there were a portable gas stove, an electric kettle, even a microwave, together with other utensils that previous volunteers had donated. They even created a bath, using woods to heat up water. Again, quite unexpectedly, our stay in Kesennuma turned out to be comfortable, beautiful, and joyful...

 

一日目をふりかえって... Looking back...

三陸沿岸は震災・津波から4か月たった今も、瓦礫がたくさん残り、いたるところに被害の大きさを物語る風景が広がっています。ワールドハーモニー・ラン一同、被災した皆さんに、心からお悔やみ申し上げます。

Even after 4 months from the quake and tsunami, there is so much debris everywhere along the Sanriku Coast, which unmistakably tells us how massive the damage was. We, on behalf of the World Harmony Run, would like to offer our deepest condolences to all the victims of the disaster.

と同時に、学校であった子どもさんと先生方からは元気に普通の学校生活を送り、前へ進んでいこう、という強さとたくましさを感じ、またいたるところで国内外からのボランティアが自分にできることを生かし働いている姿を目の当たりにし、チーム一同、感銘と新しい希望でいっぱいになりました。なんといっても子どもたちのはじけるような笑顔にこちらも勇気をもらいました。このような訪問の機会を与えて下さったことに心から感謝いたします。

Still, we could feel very strongly from the children and the teachers we met that they are really trying their best to lead a normal school life with a positive attitude. Their strength and determination is truly amazing. We also witnessed so many volunteers both from inside and outside Japan working tirelessly on so many aspects of ‘rebuilding' of the areas. We were all deeply moved and filled with new hope and courage. We are truly grateful for having given this opportunity to make this trip.

 

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The World Harmony Run proudly supports the International Year of Youth (IYY) and the International Year of Forests (IYF) proclaimed by the United Nations General Assembly.

See the recent Youtube video on African experience which illustrates IYY slogan "Our Year Our Voice"  International Year of Youth - Zambia World Harmony. They surprisingly mention Presidents and UN Secretary-General in a unique way! 

See also the UNESCO World Heritage (WH) Centre support for IY of Forests.  ... Convention for conservation of forest biodiversity. (more)

 

 

 

– Harashita

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Team Members:
Akanda (Mongolia), Abhisar (Czech Republic), Harashita (Japan), Vlado (Slovakia), Usra (Japan)

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