PRAfrica
Poverty Relief
2学期が終わり、Lumure村から3人の支援生が図書館に姿を見せました！ 凸凹荒れ泥道を片道２時間もかけて徒歩での往復です。帰路、この頃連日のように夕方起こる雷付き強風雨に出会ってしまうおそれがあるので、近況を聞くのもそこそこに、早く帰してあげないと、と、大好きなビスケットも急いで食べさせるしかありません。
Three children from the village of Lumure who are supported by the library showed up one day after the end of the second term. It is a two-hour walk each way along
a bumpy, muddy road. Recently there have been storms with strong winds, heavy rain and lightning several evenings in a row. There was a risk of them getting caught in one of those storms on their
way home, so we had little time to ask what they’d been doing before sending them home. There was only enough time for them to eat their favorite biscuits.
Ktgタウンの支援子供たちにも、大人気のビスケット！ 1袋３０枚弱入り4000シル（約160円）！ 水と粉を練って焼いただけ、ミルクやバターなど一切入っていない非常に素朴なモノですが、時々何かの折に一人2，3枚ずつ振る舞います。これを楽しみに図書館に通ってくるらしき子もいるとかいないとか…！？！
These biscuits are popular with the kids we support in Kitgum too! There are slightly fewer than 30 biscuits in a bag, which costs 4,000 shillings(=about160yen).
They are very simple biscuits made of water and flour that has been kneaded together and baked. There is no milk or butter in them. We give two or three to a child now and then. There may be some
children who come to the library just in hopes of getting biscuits.
3学期までの約3週間、別途費用を払って学校での補習に参加することを勧められますが、お金がない子は?！? そこで、図書館では、例によって通常の寺子屋を拡大充実し学習の機会を無料提供！ この子たちにも時たまビスケットをふるまうので、それを目当てに来ているのかもしれません？！
Children are advised to participate in supplemental lessons that are conducted for three weeks before the start of the third term. But students must pay extra for
these lessons. So, what about the children who have no money? At those times the library expands its services to offer free extra lessons. We occasionally give these children biscuits too.
Perhaps that’s why they come.
読書に来る一般の子供のスペースも確保するため、低学年(P.1,2,3,4)生は、新図書館で、高学年(P.5,6,7)生は、旧図書館で、2,3名から5,6名のクラスに分かれ、先生が一人ついて、学校の期末テストの間違い直しやホリディパッケージ（数英理社などが一冊にまとめられた休暇用学習帳、お金持ちの学校ではこれを各自に購入させます。当方では、一クラス一冊ずつ購入、皆でシェア！）を利用します。一クラス5,60～100?名もいる学校の補習と違い、少人数クラスなので、“分かりやすい！”、“役に立つ！”と好評です。
In order to make room for other children who come to the library to read, children in the lower grades (first through fourth) study in the new library while those
in the upper grades (fifth through seventh) study in the old library. Students are divided into classes of from two to six children with one teacher. The students review the errors they made on
final exams in school and study with special vacation workbooks. (Each workbook covers mathematics, English, science, and social studies. At wealthy private schools each child is required to
purchase one of these workbooks. Here we buy one workbook for each class and the students share it.) Unlike the supplemental lessons at schools, in which there may be anywhere from 50 to 100
students in a class, our classes are small. They are popular with the students because the lessons are easy to understand and helpful.
約10ン～年ぶりに、Sally（ボランティアのコーナーをご覧ください。）が、夏休みを利用してもどってきました！今は母国イギリスで副校長先生をしています。変わらぬ優しい笑顔で、子供たちと交流してくれました。
During her summer vacation Sally Haiselden came back for a visit for the first time in more than 10 years. (See the volunteer area.) She is now the head teacher at
a primary school in her homeland of England. She talked with the children with her usual kind smile on her face.
ある日曜日、開館前から長蛇の列。満席で、入館制限を実施。一人退館すると一人入館、右手奥の入り口外には、順番待ちの子供が列を作っています。この日は“新規”来館者数（コロナ後）の新記録！！
One Sunday there was a long line in front of the library long before it opened. The library was full, and we had to limit admission. When one child left,
another came in. Outside the door that can be seen in the background on the right, children formed a line to get in. That day we set a record for new visitors to the library (since the
coronavirus pandemic).
この日最後に来た女の子二人、お互いに“新規”の相手と誘いあってきて、二人とも“女の子を連れてきたLa賞”を獲得!!
These two girls, the last to come to the library that day, invited each other to come with one another. They each were awarded the Prize for Bringing a New
Girl.