PRAfrica
Poverty Relief
Kop Ango~? こんにちは、大変にお世話になっています。
ウガンダの他の地域（東西南北中部）が、着々と発展していく中で、長い内戦の後遺症、戦争やエイズ孤児、うなずき病など特有の困難を抱える北部で活動を始め、10数年が経ちました。私ども夫婦のささやかな蓄えで細々と、でも、皆様の暖かいご支援、励ましに支えられ、①現在35名の孤児たちへの就学支援、②「いつか自分にも学校に通える日が来るかも知れない…」との期待を胸に図書館に日参する20数名の孤児たちへの識字と算数指導、③何とか通学はできても本など買ってもらえない子ども達への図書館サービス、を提供しています。 日本政府が世界中の発展途上国で展開しているGGP(草の根無償支援事業)に、一昨年、キトゥグム県とタッグを組んで『子ども図書館（と識字教育センター）』の新築工事を申請しました。1度目は第一次書類審査で不合格でしたが、昨年再挑戦し、多くの方々のご協力により、600件を超える応募の中から他の4案件と共に、最終審査に通りました。
今年、2月末の起工式から始まり、HP（www.prafrica.jp)でご覧いただけますように、着々と建設が進んでいます。新図書館は、現建物の2倍近くになり、書架も大幅に増えます。まだまだ先は長いのですが、私どもの頭には、完成（年末か年明け頃予定）後のことが浮かぶ今日この頃になりました。
課題の一つに、『小学生～中学生程度向け図書（英語）が少ないのではないか？』ということがあります。１，２冊でもご不要の本（中古本大歓迎, 書き込みなどあっても構いません！）をお持ちでしたら、どうぞお送りいただけますよう心からお願い申し上げます。皆様の周囲の方々にも、呼びかけていただければ大変有難いです。新図書館が完成するまでは、保管場所が無いため、来年1月初め頃より後に当地に届くように、9月初め頃以降ご発送いただければ有難いです。
更に,お願いですが、“女の子を連れてきたLa賞”の紙冠用の古紙（印刷ミスで◎、A4が適ですが、大きいものは切って使えます。色物大歓迎！）が、逼迫しています
本の隙間に、数枚ずつでも入れていただければ、有難いです。本や紙は重いので、船便でも送料が嵩みますが、
どうぞ宜しくお願い申し上げます。
Kop Ango~? Hello, everyone.
More than a decade has passed since my husband and I began our work in northern Uganda, which, while other regions of the country steadily develop, faces unique difficulties such as the lingering effects of the long civil war, strife, HIV-infected orphans, and nodding disease. Stretching our meager savings and with your kind support and encouragement, we are now 1) helping 35 orphans go to school; 2) teaching reading and arithmetic to more than 20 orphans who come to the library every day in the hope that they will also someday be able to go to school; 3) providing library services to children who manage to go to school but whose families can’t afford books.
The year before last, in cooperation with the government of Kitgum, we applied for a grant for the construction of a new children’s library and literacy center through the Japanese government’s Grant Assistance for Grassroots Human Security Projects (GGP) Programme, which provides financial assistance in developing countries throughout the world,. The first time we failed to pass the initial document review. Last year we tried again. With the help of many people, we passed the final review and were one of four grant recipients selected from among more than 600 applicants.
As you can see on our website, (www.prafrica.jp) construction of the new library, which began with a groundbreaking ceremony in late February, is steadily proceeding. The new library will be nearly twice as big as the current building and will have many more bookshelves. There is a long road ahead, but we are thinking ahead to the day when the new library will be completed (late this year or early next year).
One issue is the lack of English-language books for students of elementary and junior high school age. If you have any books you no longer need, we would greatly appreciate it if you would send them to us. Even one or two is OK. Used books are welcome. We don’t mind if they have been written in. We would be grateful if you would ask others you know for their support as well. Because we have no place to store the books until the new library is completed, please ship them from early September on so that they will arrive in early January or later.
We are also in urgent need of used paper to make crowns for the winners of our prizes for those who bring girls to the library(See "Raising Girls' Attendance" in "Library Activities"). Paper that has been printed on on one side is fine. We use A4 paper, but we can cut down bigger sizes. Colored paper is welcome!
Your cooperation would be greatly appreciated. Thank you.