新・図書館、工事完了!! 　New library completed!

2017年2月下旬に着工、8か月後の10月に完成の計画でした。長～い長い道のり、何度も挫けそうになりましたが、皆様の励ましで遂にここまでたどり着きました!　この後、工事完了承認を受けるための各種文書が大使館を通して、外務省とKitgum県との間で行き交い、最終的には来年2月頃に、いよいよ私どもPRAfricaに利用運営が委ねられる予定です。
Construction of the new library began in late February 2017 and was scheduled for completion eight months later in October. It was a long haul, and we were often frustrated, but with your encouragement, the building has finally been completed. Next, documents to certify the structure’s completion will be processed by the Foreign Ministry and government officials in Kitgum via the Japanese embassy, and in February operation of the library will officially be turned over to PR Africa.

Babaたちが2日間付ききりで注文し続け、何とかOK!となった書棚と机‼
 Bookshelves and desks Baba and others spent two days ordering arrived after we managed to get approval for them.

“99％完成”の看板と毎㈯ミーティングに参加の就学支援生たち。高学年生は全員対象の毎㈯補習のため学校へ行き、中・低学年生も数名はマラリア（おまけに最近は風疹*も流行っていて騒動に！）等で欠席ですが、アヤノさんのKTG出立直前、"もう待てない！"ので撮りました。

風疹*　北部一帯で流行りだし、WHO、赤十字、医療NGOなどが子供に無料の予防接種を実施。ところが、「毒だ！受けさせるな!」という風評があり、図書館組の子供の中にも、保護者が“受けさせない！”という事例が発生！　同じ家の兄弟姉妹なのに、就学生は学校で一律に受けさせられ接種済み、図書館生は未接種、という事態が起きています。
Students we are supporting to school pose with the 99% complete library sign at the weekly Saturday meeting. All upper graders were absent in order to attend supplementary lessons at school, while several middle and lower graders missed the meeting on account of malaria. (There has also been an outbreak of rubella* recently.) But we couldn’t wait any longer as Ayano was about to leave Kitgum, so we gathered for this group photo.

*Rubella is prevalent throughout northern Uganda. The World Health Organization, Red Cross, and medical non-governmental organizations give free vaccinations to children. But groundless rumors that the vaccine is harmful circulate, and the guardians of several of the children who study at the library have told them not to get the shot. In some cases, among children in the same household, those who attend school have been vaccinated while those who study at the library have not.　　

10月9日はウガンダの独立記念日、今年は57回目。以前は、多少、学校に通ったことがありそうな人たちでさえも「独立記念日?　何それ?　ヘ~、アッ、ソッ」というような人がほとんどでしたが、ここ数年はラジオの普及が進み、認知度が少しは上がったかと…今日は久々P.6 生が来館しましたので、日本在住のNさんから届いた英字新聞を紹介。　

Oct. 9 marked the 57^th anniversary of Uganda’s independence from the United Kingdom in 1962. In the past, even people who had had some schooling seemed to be unfamiliar with Independence Day, but with the proliferation of radios over the last few years awareness of the holiday has a bit increased. On the day this photo was taken sixth graders had come to the library for the first time in a while, so we showed them a special page on the holiday that was published in an English-language newspaper and sent to us by N, who lives in Japan.