ワークキャンプ（国際ボランティア）に参加して
～What I had learned throughout the Vietnamese Workcamp～
外国語学部 英米語学科 4年 市川知樹さん
ベトナムでワークキャンプ（国際ボランティア）に参加した、外国語学部 英米語学科 4年（当時3年）の市川知樹さんにお話しを聞きました。
～What I had learned throughout the Vietnamese Workcamp～
外国語学部 英米語学科 4年 市川知樹さん
ベトナムでワークキャンプ（国際ボランティア）に参加した、外国語学部 英米語学科 4年（当時3年）の市川知樹さんにお話しを聞きました。
ワークキャンプに参加したきっかけ
私はゼミの一環として、2週間ほどベトナムのハノイ郊外のアンラク村でワークキャンプ（国際ボランティア）に参加しました。私は、2年生の8月から8か月間カナダへ語学留学をしました。そのため、欧米だけでなく、アジアの現状について学びたいと思い、今回のワークキャンプへの参加を決意しました。しかし、実際に参加してみるといかに私たち日本人が恵まれているかと驚きの日々でした。ワークキャンプを行ったアンラク村では農業や林業で生計を立てていますが、生活は大変厳しいものでした。今、この文章を読んでいる方に現地での活動内容とメッセージを紹介させていただきます。
The reason why I decided to join this Vietnamese Workcamp
As a part of my intercultural seminar with Ujitani-sensei, I went to An Lac Village to attend a workcamp as an international volunteer. When I was a sophomore student at NUFS, I went to Canada for about eight months to study abroad. Since I wanted to learn about the situation in Asia, I decided to join this workcamp. However, when I joined this workcamp in Vietnam, I realized that my life is blessed. At An Lac Village, the peoples’ lifestyle is mainly agriculture and forestry, but their living condition is very hard. In this paper, I want to introduce the activity that we did at An Lac Village and give my message.
As a part of my intercultural seminar with Ujitani-sensei, I went to An Lac Village to attend a workcamp as an international volunteer. When I was a sophomore student at NUFS, I went to Canada for about eight months to study abroad. Since I wanted to learn about the situation in Asia, I decided to join this workcamp. However, when I joined this workcamp in Vietnam, I realized that my life is blessed. At An Lac Village, the peoples’ lifestyle is mainly agriculture and forestry, but their living condition is very hard. In this paper, I want to introduce the activity that we did at An Lac Village and give my message.
活動内容
今回のワークキャンプでは、NPO団体のNICEと現地のボランティア団体であるVPVの共同で行われました。日本人学生12名、引率教員2名、NICEのリーダー1名、VPVのメンバー8名、計23名で参加しました。現地では、主に3つ活動を行いました。
1.畑仕事
私たちはアンラク村に滞在中、ホームステイを行いました。各家庭は、自分たちの畑を持っています。しかし、中には広大な畑を持っている家庭もあるため、とても一人で維持するのは難しいものです。そこで、私たちのようなボランティアが必要なのです。雑草取りや土を耕すことなど、初めは慣れない仕事なので分からないことがたくさんありましたが、次第に慣れていき、成果を出すことができました。終わったときは達成感を味わうことができました。
2.ゴミ拾い
私たちが2週間滞在していたアンラク村の道には、ゴミが放りっぱなしで捨てられていました。そこで、私たちボランティアがゴミ拾いを行いました。彼らはゴミ拾いをなぜやらないのだろうかと疑問を感じ、現地の人にインタービューをしました。その人は、「ゴミを拾う必要はあります。しかし、その一歩をなかなか踏み出すことができません。なぜなら、他の人々がやっていないので抵抗を感じてしまいます。しかし、日本人のようなボランティアが来てくれてゴミを拾ってくれるのを見て、とても恥ずかしかったです」と答えてくれました。その結果、私たちが帰る時には、道端にゴミが捨てられなくなりました。その様子を見て、やった甲斐があったと実感しました。
3. 異文化交流
10日目に、私たちは地元の小学校を訪問し、日本の文化を紹介しました。しかし、小学生は英語が分からないため、現地の学生が私たち日本人と子供たちの間に立って、ベトナム語に通訳をしてくれました。子供たちは初めて見る外国人に恐怖を感じ、なかなか私たちを受け入れてくれませんでした。そこで、私たちは日本から持参したおもちゃなどで子供たちに呼びかけ、交流のきっかけを作りました。徐々に子供たちの緊張も解け、少しずつ絆ができました。最終的には、お互いにお別れするのがとても寂しかったです。
The Activities
There were 12 NUFS students, 2 NUFS teachers, 1 “Never-ending International Workcamps Exchange” leader, which is a Japanese NGO (NICE), and 8 Vietnamese student volunteers from “Volunteers for Peace Vietnam”, which is a Vietnamese NGO (VPV) members. In total, there were 23 people who joined this workcamp. During the stay in An Lac Village, we mostly did three activities.
1. Gardening
When I was in An Lac Village, I stayed with a local family. Each family has their own farm field. However, it is so difficult to keep it organized by themselves, so this is why the volunteers are needed. At first, I did not know what I should do because it was my first time in my life doing farm work. I mostly cultivated the fields and removed weeds. As time went on, I got used to do my work and when I was done with my work, I got a great sense of achievement.
2. Community Cleaning
When I was in An Lac Village, there were some garbage in the street and in the forest which is designated as an important “eco forest” and we cleaned both up by picking up garbage. I wondered why the local people do not pick up their garbage, and I decided to interview one of the local people. She answered, “I am always thinking that I must pick up garbage. However, I cannot make an action because no one in this village is doing it. When I saw the Japanese students picking up garbage, I was so embarrassed.” When it was time to leave An Lac Village, I did not find any garbage in the street, and it made me realize that we, as volunteers, had done some good work.
3. Visiting a Primary School
On the tenth day, we visited a primary school, and introduced Japanese culture to children who were about 10 years old. Since the children could not understand our English, our Vietnamese friends from VPV who were also volunteers interpreted our English to the Vietnamese children. The children seemed to be afraid about seeing foreigners for the first time in their life, and they could not accept us very well. We used Japanese toys to entertain the children, and as time went by, the children started to accept us. When it was time to leave the primary school, the children and our group were very sad to say goodbye.
There were 12 NUFS students, 2 NUFS teachers, 1 “Never-ending International Workcamps Exchange” leader, which is a Japanese NGO (NICE), and 8 Vietnamese student volunteers from “Volunteers for Peace Vietnam”, which is a Vietnamese NGO (VPV) members. In total, there were 23 people who joined this workcamp. During the stay in An Lac Village, we mostly did three activities.
1. Gardening
When I was in An Lac Village, I stayed with a local family. Each family has their own farm field. However, it is so difficult to keep it organized by themselves, so this is why the volunteers are needed. At first, I did not know what I should do because it was my first time in my life doing farm work. I mostly cultivated the fields and removed weeds. As time went on, I got used to do my work and when I was done with my work, I got a great sense of achievement.
2. Community Cleaning
When I was in An Lac Village, there were some garbage in the street and in the forest which is designated as an important “eco forest” and we cleaned both up by picking up garbage. I wondered why the local people do not pick up their garbage, and I decided to interview one of the local people. She answered, “I am always thinking that I must pick up garbage. However, I cannot make an action because no one in this village is doing it. When I saw the Japanese students picking up garbage, I was so embarrassed.” When it was time to leave An Lac Village, I did not find any garbage in the street, and it made me realize that we, as volunteers, had done some good work.
3. Visiting a Primary School
On the tenth day, we visited a primary school, and introduced Japanese culture to children who were about 10 years old. Since the children could not understand our English, our Vietnamese friends from VPV who were also volunteers interpreted our English to the Vietnamese children. The children seemed to be afraid about seeing foreigners for the first time in their life, and they could not accept us very well. We used Japanese toys to entertain the children, and as time went by, the children started to accept us. When it was time to leave the primary school, the children and our group were very sad to say goodbye.
メッセージ
今回のワークキャンプで私は様々な経験を通し、たくさんのことを学ぶことができました。その中でも、伝えたいことが2つあります。
1つ目は、失敗を恐れずに挑戦していくことが大切だということです。日本人は外国の人々に、おとなしいと言われることがあります。私たちも当初は日本人同士で固まっていましたが、そのままではいけないと思い、自分からベトナム人のグループに入って行きました。結果、お互いの文化について意見交換を行い、打ち解けることができました。
2つ目は、私たちの当たり前の生活を当たり前だと感じないことです。私は水道、ガス、電気などで一度も困ったことはなく、それらを日常の生活の一部だと思っていました。しかし、ワークキャンプを行ったアンラク村では、それらが十分に整っていませんでした。このように考えると、私は恵まれた生活を送っているので、日々感謝の気持ちを忘れないようにしたいです。このように改めて自分を見つめ直すことができたのは、このワークキャンプに参加したからです。本当に充実した2週間を過ごすことができ、一生忘れられない思い出ができました。最後になりましたが、アンラク村の住民の皆さん、VPVの皆さん、宇治谷先生、Paul先生、NICEのリーダー、日本人学生の皆さんありがとうございました。
1つ目は、失敗を恐れずに挑戦していくことが大切だということです。日本人は外国の人々に、おとなしいと言われることがあります。私たちも当初は日本人同士で固まっていましたが、そのままではいけないと思い、自分からベトナム人のグループに入って行きました。結果、お互いの文化について意見交換を行い、打ち解けることができました。
2つ目は、私たちの当たり前の生活を当たり前だと感じないことです。私は水道、ガス、電気などで一度も困ったことはなく、それらを日常の生活の一部だと思っていました。しかし、ワークキャンプを行ったアンラク村では、それらが十分に整っていませんでした。このように考えると、私は恵まれた生活を送っているので、日々感謝の気持ちを忘れないようにしたいです。このように改めて自分を見つめ直すことができたのは、このワークキャンプに参加したからです。本当に充実した2週間を過ごすことができ、一生忘れられない思い出ができました。最後になりましたが、アンラク村の住民の皆さん、VPVの皆さん、宇治谷先生、Paul先生、NICEのリーダー、日本人学生の皆さんありがとうございました。
Message
Throughout this workcamp experience, I learned a lot of things, and I would like to give two messages.
First, do not hesitate to make a mistake. It is often said that Japanese are quiet when it comes to public speaking. When I was at this workcamp, I was always with my friends. However, I realized that this is not a good thing to do, and decided to join in the Vietnamese friends’ group. As a result, we were able to exchange our culture with each other and had a fun time together.
Second, people must have appreciation for their comfortable lives. I had never been without gas, water, and electricity in my life. However, in An Lac Village, we did not have a perfect condition regarding these three things. When I think about it, I felt that I am living in a blessed life.
In conclusion, I had a chance to look over these things because I joined this workcamp. I had a great two weeks, and I will never forget these moments. Finally, I would like to say thank you to the local people in An Lac Village, VPV members, the NUFS teachers Ms. Eiko Ujitani and Mr. Paul Crane, the NICE leader, and the other NUFS students for everything.
Throughout this workcamp experience, I learned a lot of things, and I would like to give two messages.
First, do not hesitate to make a mistake. It is often said that Japanese are quiet when it comes to public speaking. When I was at this workcamp, I was always with my friends. However, I realized that this is not a good thing to do, and decided to join in the Vietnamese friends’ group. As a result, we were able to exchange our culture with each other and had a fun time together.
Second, people must have appreciation for their comfortable lives. I had never been without gas, water, and electricity in my life. However, in An Lac Village, we did not have a perfect condition regarding these three things. When I think about it, I felt that I am living in a blessed life.
In conclusion, I had a chance to look over these things because I joined this workcamp. I had a great two weeks, and I will never forget these moments. Finally, I would like to say thank you to the local people in An Lac Village, VPV members, the NUFS teachers Ms. Eiko Ujitani and Mr. Paul Crane, the NICE leader, and the other NUFS students for everything.
