活動報告（協働）

　「日本の棚田百選」に選ばれた大中尾棚田の田植えをみんなで行おう！ということで、大中尾棚田保全組合のご協力のもと、GP学生10名（日本人2名、留学生８名）を含む30人余の県下の大学生たちが、田植えボランティアに参加しました。

　参加学生らの日ごろの行いが良かったのか、前日まで雨の予報が出ていたにも関わらず、当日は太陽こそ現れなかったものの涼しい曇りの天候で、快適な田植え日和になりました。

　西洋圏からだけではなく、日本と同じ稲作文化のアジア圏から来ている留学生や日本人学生ですら、手で稲を植えるのは初めてという学生がほとんど。

　そのため、大中尾に到着してその雄大な風景にテンションがあがったものの、いざ田植えが始まると、泥に素足で入ることすら戦々恐々。稲の苗床から適量の稲束をほぐすのも、一苦労。それを真っすぐに一定間隔で植えていくことは、想像以上に難しかったらしく、組合や農家の皆さんに丁寧に辛抱強く教えてもらいながら、時には「もっと速く！日が暮れてしまうよ！」と叱咤激励される場面がありました。それでも若者ならではの要領の良さと体力で、すぐにリズムとコツをつかみ、午前中には、割り当てられていた水田全部を稲の苗で埋めつくすことができました。

　そのあとは、棚田を一望できる場所でお弁当を食べ、本来は午後に持ち越して再開する予定だった田植えが早く終わったこともあり、外海地区を探訪するプランに変更。

　サンセットロードをバスで走り、世界文化遺産に登録された出津集落にある出津教会堂を見学したり、遠藤周作文学館を擁する道の駅で物産品を楽しみながら海を眺めたりと、西海エリアを存分に満喫しました。

　自分たちの植えた苗が穂をつけるころ、「自分の手で収穫しに来たい！」と参加学生からたくさんの声が挙がり、それに応えて農家の皆さんも「ぜひ来てね」と歓迎してくださったので、それを楽しみに今日の思い出と経験を抱えて家路につきました。

　As per its kindness of Oonakao community and farmers’ union consisting of volunteer members who tackle to preserve its terraced rice paddy fields, nearly 30 university and college students throughout Nagasaki, including GP member fellows visited Oonakao to experience rice planting as a part of volunteering excursion. 

　Previously, the weather forecast was saying it was going to be rain on the day, but it turned out to be cloudy sky, which was the best for farming works; not too hot and not too cold.

　International participants were from among not only the Asian region but also the western countries such as Canada, Italy, and the Netherlands. It’s easy to imagine that planting rice by hand is challenging for people in western cultures but this was actually the first time for Japanese youngsters and those from other Asian countries to go through this traditional muddy work.

　First off, when they arrived at Oonakao by bus, panoramic landscape of many paddies terraced over terraced got them excited, but they soon turned to be upset and overwhelmed once planting orientation was given by farmers. Still, thanks to skilled rice planting masters, their gentle and thoughtful hands-on guidance teaching everything from A to Z, the youths got soon the hang of dealing with muddy and rice nursery. And voila, they completed all the paddies assigned in the morning.

　After enjoying all the attracting items such as fresh air, nice view, and tasty lunch bento box as well, being hard time for them to leave such a nice place, they headed the next destination, Saikai district, to explore nature and Christian culture.

　As the district bears many hidden Christian sites and many of churches located there has been designated by UNESCO World Cultural Heritage, the chartered bus took students to one of its most renowned church, “Shitsu Churchi.” They luckily had a lecture from volunteer female guide about the history of the church. Making the best use of extra time, they dropped in a roadside station where they could enjoy local specialties and sunset on the horizon.

　Given rice farming cycle, when fall comes, many volunteers will be called in again for harvesting. Participant students are surely looking forward to reap the exact rice they had just planted. Hopefully they all get together and reunion with farmers and people in Oonakao and blessed with good harvest!

昨年初めての試みで実施された、修学旅行で来崎する大分大学教育学部附属小学校の６年生に付き添って英語を使いながら一緒に長崎観光をするというボランティア活動。昨年の反響が良かったため、今年も同時期に開催されることになり、２４名の留学生が参加し、約９０名の小学生と交流しました。

参加留学生の国籍は、イギリス、イタリア、エジプト、カナダ、ザンビア、シリア、ジンバブエ、スペイン、スリランカ、タイ、台湾、中国、バングラデシュ、ベトナム、マレーシア、レソト、と多岐に渡りました。

まずは班ごとに自己紹介。小学生は日頃学習している英語を一生けんめい使いながら自己紹介をしてくれ、留学生もそれに応えて名前や出身について話しました。

そして熱い日差しが振り注ぐ中、いざ長崎のまちへ！小学生たちがあらかじめ決めてきた観光ルートに沿って観光名所や史跡をめぐり、彼らが予習してきた各スポットの情報を英語で留学生に説明したり語りかけてくれました。

暑い一日でしたが、小学生も留学生も無事故で、全班が長崎大学の文教キャンパスに再集合。各班、英語で振り返りを行って終了となりました。

留学生の中には、留学で何年も長崎に滞在していながら、日ごろ、研究や勉強にいそがしくて意外に自分であちらこちらに出かけたことがない学生も。彼らにとっても長崎の魅力を発見する機会になったり、英語を実際に使って学ぶ小学生の姿に刺激を受けたそうで、逆に多くのことを学びました。

長崎大学が多様な留学生の人材の宝庫であることから、グローバル人材育成に定評のある同小学校が修学旅行の一環でこのようなプログラムを今年もリピートされたことに感謝するとともに、またどこかでいつか再会できることを楽しみにしています。

As a part of the excursion of Oita Elementary School 6th graders, there planned an itinerary for children to give non-native Japanese an English tour around Nagasaki tourist spots. Actually, this group-tour English studying program with foreigners had been successfully carried out following last year’s one since it caught on among those concerned with the school in 2018. 

This year, two dozens exchange students of whom some out of GP members volunteered to be kids’ English practice partners accompanying and strolling together.

In the afternoon on Sunday, May 25th, they got together to meet about 90 pupils at the venue. Kids were already divided into some groups and 2 -3 volunteers were assigned to each group. Then self-intro time kicked off. It was impressive that kids were very good at using English to introduce themselves!

After warming up and breaking the ice, each group headed to each destination along each plan which was designed beforehand by pupils. For some international students, though they’ve stayed Nagasaki for many years, it turned out to be a golden opportunity to visit popular tourist attractions and historical sites they’ve never dropped in before since they don’t usually have plenty of time to do so due to their busy everyday with studies and researches at uni. More to say, this time, sweet and smart little kids guides offered comments and well organized information in English! 

Needless to say, kids’ behavior to practice their English skills as much as they can and hardworking attitude touched student volunteers as well.

Thankfully, this initiative has just proved that Nagasaki bears a goldmine with many fellows of diverse backgrounds. 

GP appreciates that the Oita elementary school makes good use of this Nagasaki’s remarkable resources of both academic and personnel every year and hope to welcome the pupils again in the future!!

毎月、Vファーレン長崎のホームゲームに携わるさまざまな業務を手伝う「Vファーレン長崎スタッフボランティア」というお馴染みの活動ですが、今回は「Vファーレン長崎 ボランティア体験バス」という名前で、同ボランティアに初めて参加する学生を対象にした特別版が企画されました。

通常のVファーレン長崎ホームゲームボランティアと異なり、長崎大学からバスで諫早のホームスタジアムまで無料送迎付き！しかも、同チーム社長の高田明氏（ジャパネットたかた元社長）からのお話が聞けたり、場内自由見学、さらには自由席からの試合観戦などの特典がたくさん付いた活動になりました！（試合終了後には場内の片付けや清掃の手伝いなど、ボランティアとして裏方業務もちゃんと含まれており、みんなで頑張りました！）

GPからは留学生４名を含む数名が参加。留学生からは「社長の話を直接聞いて、日本や長崎のサッカーを全員で盛り上げようという雰囲気が感じられて有意義だった」「日本語に不安を抱きながら参加したけど、英語で通訳してくれる日本人学生とすぐに友達になれて、色んな場面で助けてもらって嬉しかった」と感想の声が寄せられました。

スポーツは言語や国籍を超えて一緒に熱中できたり取り組めるものであることを再認識する機会になりました。

また、今回の特別版に参加したことで、学生の中にもたくさんのVファーレンサポーターや今後のボランティア常連メンバーが増えることが期待されます。

Here in Nagasaki, we have a professional soccer team called "V-VAREN NAGASAKI" and it is one of vigorous teams of Japan League (J-2). 

When it takes on its rival teams on its home field, Isahaya stadium, such as once or twice in a month, it calls for many home game volunteers to successfully run games. Participant students usually join in task force such as logistics, trash collecting, set-up/breakdown, greeting stations, and so forth.

But thanks to kindness of the V-Varen Nagasaki’s administrative team this time, the team offered us a special opportunity for students, especially first-time volunteer fellows, to experience the home stadium atmosphere. There prepared a speech of the team’s president, Mr. Takata, free time to stroll and hang around the stadium, and invitation to unreserved seats to watch the match!!

(As long as this initiative was named as “V-Varen Nagasaki Home Game Staff Volunteer,” participants worked on tidying and cleaning up the stadium after the match, more or less!)

Furthermore, it’s noteworthy to say that a free charter bus was arranged to carry all the volunteer students between uni and the stadium! They usually need to go to the stadium on their own, which is always a big hurdle for students living in Nagasaki city and exchange students who are quite unfamiliar to Isahaya to participate in this volunteer activity. 

Then 4 foreign mates from GP member hopefully joined in with other Japanese buddies, and they got honored to meet the president, excited to feel the swelling air of V-Varen supporters, and impressed by how people work together in backstage to make this big game happen.

Even though it was challenging to participate in for some whose Japanese-ability was fairly basic, they soon got built friendships regardless of languages and nationalities. Sport event activity definitely proved that language barrier was always broken down amid mingling and sweating together.

And it’s no doubt that proud and affection toward Nagasaki and its representative team have been nurtured among youths, owing to this special opportunity.

今回は「平成ラストマッチ」ということで、平成最後の一戦を盛り上げたい意気軒高な学生たちが参加しました。イタリアや韓国、台湾からの留学生も4月に長崎に来たばかりですが、「サッカー大好き！」と加わってくれました。

当日は朝から快晴で気温もぐんぐんあがる中、場内整備やゴミ回収、特設ブースでのお客様対応などに力を注ぎ、サポーターや来場者が気持ちよく快適に過ごせるよう頑張りました。

裏方でどんな作業が行われているのか、運営するのか、また、国籍を超えた仲間とどう連携して行うのかという学びは、今後、GPの活動でもきっと生きてくると思います。

In the end of April, V Varen Nagasaki met Kagoshima United FC at home here in Nagasaki and many GP fellows including exchange students from Italy, South Korea, and Taiwan joined as volunteers.

This match was named as “The V-Varen Last Game in Heisei Era,” then all the volunteer students put the guts into running force from very early in the morning. Some played good job in logistics, some in garbage-collecting, and some in welcoming visitors at the dedicated booth commemorating the V-Varen history in Heisei Era.

After long-hour task under the sun, everybody got exhausted but more excited to feel the air and blast of the game, which was like a festival.

Furthermore, each student volunteer learnt that there were many people and tasks to support to make it happen, which must turn out to be good lesson for them to organize and facilitate GP events in the future!