宮城県気仙沼市のボランティアキャンプ村に宿泊したチーム。今日2日目は市内の学校を数校訪れます。

The team stayed at the Volunteers' Camp Village the night before, and today we are going to visit a few more schools in Kesennuma City.

サマータイムのない日本では、この季節朝6時には強い日差しが照りつけ始めます。6時半には宿泊したボランティア全員で清掃を行い、「腹がへっては戦はできぬ」たっぷり朝食をとります。町中には小さいスーパーが一軒開いており、夕べ買い出しができて助かりました。写真の背後にあるのが手作りお風呂。「月の湯」と名前までついていて、中から上を見上げると月が愛でれるようになってます。いつでも風流を忘れない日本人の心！

As we don't have daylight saving, the sun is quite high up by 6am. The temperature goes up in above 30C every day nowadays (in the 90s in F). At 6:30am they have a clean-up time every day by everybody staying there. Afterwards, it's breakfast time. As a Japanese saying goes, "We cannot fight the war when we are hungry." There was a small supermarket open in town, where we managed to buy some food the night before. In the photo, behind us is the hand-made bath unit. It even has a name: ‘Spa Moon' and has a little gap near the ceiling so from inside the bath, one can see and appreciate the beauty of the moon at night. We must have a sense of beauty under any circumstances...that is a Japanese mentality!

今日訪れたのは... Where we visited today... :

気仙沼市立面瀬小学校（415名）Omose Elementary School, Kesennuma City (415 students)

ここは市内で2番目に大きい小学校。ユネスコ・スクールの一つです。ワールドハーモニー・ランもユネスコの活動を応援していることから、何か縁を感じます。昨年はテキサスの小学校と環境について交流を行い、今年は昭和基地と交流ということになっているそう。震災のためなかなか昨年と同じようなペースではまだできないようですが（インターネットが復旧したのがわずか2週間前だそう）、外に向けて、新しい試みに積極的に取り組む学校の姿勢がうかがえました。今回の震災では80人の生徒さんが被災したということですが、体育館に集まったみんなは元気で明るい笑顔が印象的でした。

This is the second largest elementary school in the city, and coincidentally one of the UNESCO Associated Schools. The World Harmony Run supports UNESCO and its International Year of Youth this year, both the school's vice principal and we felt a special connection in us visiting them this way (unknowingly). Omose had an exchange program on environment with a school in Texas last year, and this year they are having a program with Showa Station in Antarctica. Due to the earthquake and tsunami, their activities are still not back in full swing (the internet did not work until 2 weeks ago), but we could see the school's open-minded policy to accept and try new initiatives. About 80 students lost their home or family members after the disaster, but they were cheerful and energetic when we played together during the program.

気仙沼市立月立小学校（34名）Tsukidate Elementary School (34 students)

この小さな小学校はお世話になったボランティアキャンプ村のすぐ上に位置し、ここもユネスコ・スクールの一つです。なんでも気仙沼市はもともと国際交流に盛んな都市で、ユネスコ・スクールへの参加も市として一番早くから取り組み始めたそうです。綺麗な校舎で元気いっぱいの生徒さんたちが迎えてくれました。

This small school is located right above the Volunteers' Camp Village, and is also one of the UNESCO Associated Schools. The vice principal told us that Kesennuma has always been active in promoting new initiatives and international exchange, and the city is one of the first cities that started promoting its schools to be associated with UNESCO. The school's new building was beautiful and functional, and energetic pupils welcomed us.

ボランティアキャンプ村 Volunteers Camp Village

訪問の合間に昼食をとりにボランティア村に戻ってきた私たちにとてもよくしてくださったのはここでお世話役をしてくださっている地元の田村さんです。暑い中外で食事の支度を始めた私たちを見かねて、普段は解放していない旧校舎の調理室をあけてくれ、お陰で涼しい室内で料理することができました。田村さんの他にもう一人、京都からのボランティアが太陽熱でお湯を作るシャワーを取り付ける作業をしていて、お二人にも昼食を用意しました。
実は田村さんはそば打ちの名人で、近辺からそば教室にいろいろなグループが訪れるそうです。そのおそばをあっと言う間に準備してくださり、作りたての二八そばをごちそうになりました。すぐ近くの畑で採れたそばを使って打つそうです。手打ちのおそばを味わう機会のない私たちにとっては本当に美味でした。

We came back to the Village to fix lunch in between the school visits, and there, Mr. Tamura, one of the local caretakers, welcomed us and took good care of us. To begin with, probably feeling sorry to see us cooking outside under the scorching sun, he unlocked the home economics room of the old school building and let us cook there. There we could use all kinds of cooking utensils and cook in the shade, a much better environment. There was another gentleman, a volunteer from Kyoto, who was building a shower with a simple solar energy system outside, so we prepared lunch for these two kind-hearted men.
We found out that Mr. Tamura is a master of soba noodle making, and often teaches groups of citizens from nearby communities. He kindly and quickly made fresh soba for us while we were out doing another school visit. It was really delicious!

気仙沼市小泉中学校（46名）Koizumi Junior High School, Kesennuma City (46 students)

高台にあるこの学校は、アクセスするのに橋を渡るのですが、この橋が2週間まえにやっと修復したそうで、「良い時にこられましたね」と言われました。ここは65％の生徒さんが被災し、仮設住宅や避難所から通っているそうです。仮設住宅の2間に家族7人で住むのも珍しくないそうで、それでも他の状況よりいい方だそうです。ここでは訪問の最後にA4判で「私たちは元気です」という写真付きメッセージをいただきました。津波や避難所、町の様子とともに、元気にガッツポーズをとる生徒さんの集合写真が載っています。全国から届いたサポートに対する返事として作成したものだそうです。中学生ともなれば、私たちより背の大きい男の子も何人もいて、小学校よりだいぶ大人っぽい印象ですが、真摯に胸に手を当てハーモニーを感じたり、パントマイムを笑顔で楽しむ無邪気な様子に未来への素直な力を感じました。

This school is located up on a hill, and visitors must cross a bridge to reach there. The bridge just got restored 2 weeks ago. Here, 65% of the students lost their homes and commute from temporary housing or shelters. We were told that it is not uncommon for a family of 7 to live in a 2-room unit of the temporary housing, and that is not bad compared to many others. At the end of our visit, the vice principal gave us an A4 size sheet which says "We Are Fine" with some photos of tsunami, the school gym as a shelter, and most importantly, a group photo of the smiling students with raised fists (which is a common gesture of triumph in sports). It was created as a thank you note to all those who had sent them goods and other support. From their sincerity in feeling harmony in their hearts and their pure joy in watching the pantomime, we could feel their potential and power for the future.

プログラムの始まりです！And now the program starts...!

大体どの学校でも、まず校長室で簡単な打ち合わせを行いました。この時こちらのプログラムの進行の仕方を説明したり、メンバーの自己紹介をします。また、その学校や子どもさんの様子や事情を校長先生、教頭先生からうかがう機会でもあります。

Commonly, we started our visit at the Principal's room. This is our opportunity to introduce ourselves in person and explain to the teachers how the program would proceed. They in return told us about the school and their students, what their situation has been after the great earthquake.

最初にプログラムを紹介する時、みんなが大好きなのが「国あてゲーム」。どこの国（国内ならどこの県）かヒントを出してあててもらいます。写真の面瀬小では、みんなエキサイトして、低学年のみんなはヒントを言う前に「ハイ、ハイ、ハイ！」と手を上げる子がたくさん！

Everyone got excited with our country guessing game in the beginning of the presentation. At Omose Elementary in the photo, younger children got so excited that many of them enthusiastically raised their hands even before we gave a hint!

そしてテーマソングを振り付きで元気に歌います。

And we sang the theme song with some movements!

「ハーモニーは私から始まる」勇気や強さや思いやりがたくさんあるのがハーモニー。1人1人静かに心の中ににハーモニーを感じてみよう。

"Harmony begins with me." Harmony means having lots of courage, strength, and empathy in one's heart. Let us all feel harmony inside our heart in silence...

そしてヴラドがホイッスルの合図で登場すると、会場の空気が変わり、笑いの渦が広がります！
And then, Vlado comes out with his whistle. The fun time begins!

最後にはハーモニー・ランのステッカーも1人1人にプレゼント。
At the end, a World Harmony Run sticker was given to each child.

次の授業が始まったのに、学校を後にするハーモニー・ランチームに最後のお別れをと、子どもたちが手を振ってくれる一場面も...（写真は月立小）

As we were leaving Tsukidate Elementary, though the students had already started the next class, some came out to say goodbye once more...

 

気仙沼訪問を振り返って... Looking back on our visit to Kesennuma...

今回訪れた学校は、体育館は避難所になり、校庭の一部には仮設住宅が建てられ、というところが多かったです。住環境だけでなく、学ぶ環境も新しい適応が求められ、子どもさんも先生方もいろいろ大変なことと思います。それでも、というかそれだからこそ、みなさんの真摯でたくましく前を向いて行こうという姿勢に心打たれました。たくさんの人が亡くなり、たくさんのものがなくなったけれど、子どもたちの無邪気でしなやかな笑い声や笑顔から、明るい未来への力強いステップを感じました。気仙沼という被災地を訪れたにもかかわらず、内的にも外的にもとても満たされ、本当に多くのものをみなさんから頂きました。ワールドハーモニー・ランも小さいながらなにか貢献できたことを願っています。

In many of the schools we visited, the school gym was being used as a shelter and part of the school track is now filled with newly built temporary housing units. Not only the living environment, but also the school environment compels both the children and the teachers adapt their lives in a new way, which must require a lot of adjustment and courage. Still, or rather, because of that, their positive, sincere and strong attitude touched our hearts. Many people died. Many things were lost. But the children's smiles were beautiful. We are indeed making a new step toward the future-that was our honest impression. Although we visited one of the most severely damaged cities Kesennuma, we felt we had received so much, both inwardly and outwardly. And we hope that in our small, humble way, we could contribute to the city's forward march toward a new beginning.

いざ帰途へ...On the way home...

気仙沼を後にしたのは夕方の5時過ぎ。今回の旅で運転をほぼ一手に引き受けてくれたのはモンゴル出身のアカンダ。モンゴルにいる時は馬乗りの名手、日本では車の運転の名手です。そして長距離安全運転に必要不可欠なもの、それは...アイスクリーム！被災地周辺でもコンビニを見かけるとほっとし、何度もおやつを買いにお世話になりました。

We left Kesennuma after 5pm and arrived back in Tokyo at 2am or so (after dinner and some breaks). We are grateful to our super excellent driver Akanda. When he is in Mongolia, he is a pro horse rider. When in Japan, he is a pro driver! And what did he need to keep himself going? Ice cream! (So did the rest of us!) We were relieved to find some convenience stores in the area, a sure sign of revival (and World Harmony Run Japan heavily relys on convenience stores on the route!).

今回のメンバーです！This trip was made possible by these cheerful and powerful members:

Akanda the driver

 Abhisar the photographer and distributor

Vlado the Pantomimist

 Usra the cook

 Harashita the translator and reporter

 

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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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