就学支援子供たちの近況その2 Update on Children Supported by PR Africa (Part2)

　1回目（2/27付）に続き、さらに多くの支援孤児たちの近況、近影が送られてきました。
今回は、Ktg県内のもっと奥まった地域、また別のいくつかの県の僻地に散り散りになっている子供たちに、公共交通や、連絡通信手段もない中、土埃と汗にまみれて、Bodaboda（バイクや自転車の後部に客を乗せて運ぶ、クルマの無い一般庶民のアシ）で、辿り着き、1学期分の学費を納金してくれました。
   今の住居での暮らしは？、その場所で、2学期以降も、引き続き通学し続けられるのだろうか？  など不確実ですし、さらに、足跡が辿れなかった、連絡が取れなかった、直接会えなかった4人、さらに、家族のため生活費を稼がなくてはならない、病人や幼い子供たちの世話をしなければならない、等々で、通学が難しい状況の2名などに対して、どうしたらよいか思案に暮れています。
   とにかく、元気でいてくれることを祈るばかりです。
  　Since our report of Feb. 27, we have received more news and photographs from Kitgum of children supported by PR Africa.  
    This time Joyce and Astrid traveled to the deeper interior of the Kitgum District and to remote areas of other districts without public transportation or a means of communication, covered in dust and sweat, to locate children scattered over a wide area. They traveled by boda boda (bicycle and motorcycle taxis commonly used by those who don’t have a car) and paid the 19 children’s first-term school expenses. 
    We are not sure how the children are doing in their new locations or whether or not they will be able to continue going to school from the second term on. There are four children who about whom there has been no news, with whom contact has been lost, or who could not be seen in person. Two other children are unable to go to school because they must earn money for their family’s support or take care of ill family members or younger siblings and relatives. We are trying to figure out a way for them to return to school...  We just hope they will be well.

  4月2日はアンデルセンの誕生日で『国際子どもの本の日』とか。「家庭に良書があれば子どもは育つ」---とのこと。また、古代ギリシャ ラムゼス2世の図書館のドアに、『魂の癒し場所』との文字があったそうです。早くKitgumに戻り、この文字を我々の図書館に掲げ、本どころか、紙切れ、筆記具も手にするのが難しいthe poorest of the poor childrenが、本に触れられるほぼ唯一の場所=図書館を一日も早く再開できるように、と願っています。
   April 2nd, H.C.Andersen's birthday is International Children’s Book Day. It is said that children grow up well when there are good books in their home. Above the door of the library of Pharaoh Ramses II in ancient Greece was the inscription “the house of healing for the soul.” We hope to return to Kitgum as soon as possible, inscribe this motto on our library, and reopen the facility, the only place the poorest of the poor children, who have no access to pens, pencils or paper much less books, can contact with books.