Pages 1-3 is a message from Sr.
Shirahata titled “Coming into the new year – to the members of Walking
Together”. The middle left photo is a happy girl holding a handmade doll. There
are 3 photos on the right column. The top photo shows Sr. Shirahata surrounded
by children, children marching to celebrate the holiday of Our Lady of
Guadalupe in the middle photo, and on the bottom are children taking out lunch.
The message covers the events from last
December and Sr Shirahata’s thoughts.
・December 10th : Celebrated
the holiday of Lady of Guadalupe at school. Students above elementary school
danced and sang to the band music and walked around the village. Preschoolers
sang and danced in the playground, 174 girls were
given handmade dolls made by Sr. Shirahata and another teacher, and the boys
with bubble toys as gifts. The special Christmas “Tamagawa Lunch” was open to
take out for children to enjoy with their family.
・All the sisters gathered at the Mange Monastery on Christmas and
celebrated. They stayed there for 3 days, and had a chance to spend time with
Sr. Yoshida.
・December 29th : Had a light stroke while in Lunsar
and got tested in a big hospital in Freetown. Lowered her blood pressure and
got some medication to cure.
・December 17th : Solar panels
were installed at the Monastery and now can use electricity. Solar panels were
also installed at the preschool.
・In order to live and be happy in Africa,
there are still things that are not available. Learned that it was not just
about having certain “things”, but also about feeling happiness in the simplest
things, not to worry oneself, and giving happiness to others.
Pages 3-4 is an article from a
journalist, Toru Jojima called “Revisiting Sierra Leone” After visiting Sierra
Leone for the first time in 2002 as an Africa correspondent, Mr. Jojima had
always thought about a man and his newlywed wife, who talked about his hopes
for a better life, even after he had lost both hands in battle. After 17 years,
we reunite with this man in Sierra Leone and talks about how happy he was and
how the restoration was coming along. He also talked about his meeting Sr.
Shirahata in Lunsar, about the school, and his meeting with Sr. Yoshida in
Mange. He felt a lot of passion and strength from the sisters.
The photo on page 4 is Mr. Jojima with
an old friend, Tarawary.
A presentation that was made at the
Foreign Students Japanese Speech Contest by Ezekiel KAINESSIE (1st grade at the
JASSO Tokyo Japanese Education Center) is on page 5. It is titled “My
Resolution”. There are still many issues that need to be solved in Sierra
Leone, but focuses on the need for better medical system to prevent people from
dying. For this situation, Ezekiel wants to study medicine and provide a better
society for the people of Sierra Leone. (From “NEW Ashinaga Family” published
by Ashinaga)
Messages from supporters start from the
middle of page 5 to top of page 6.
From page 6-7 is a note from Kimiko
Howell (Walking Together Advisory Committee, and Representative of Sierra Leone
Friends) titled “Thanking every encounter”. Ms. Howell started “Sierra Leone
Friends” with Kazuyo Asano, and talks about why they started up, what their
activities are, and her feelings towards Sierra Leone. The photo on page 6 is
Ms. Howell and Ms. Asano.
On page 8 is an announcement from
Headquarters. Covers: All the support funds from 2018 has been shipped out,
support funds allocation situation, solar panel installation at the preschool.
There are 2 photos on the bottom right
on page 8. The top one was shared by Mr. Jojima, a group shot with Sr. Yoshida
(on the left is Mr. Jojima and Sr. Yoshida is third from the left, and on the
right is Mr. Fujii). The bottom photo is Sr. Yoshida driving a 4WD.
(Copy:Hiroko Gotoh、 Translation:Ayako Nokuo)
Pages 1-3 is a message from Sr.
Shirahata titled “Coming into the new year – to the members of Walking
Together”. The middle left photo is a happy girl holding a handmade doll. There
are 3 photos on the right column. The top photo shows Sr. Shirahata surrounded
by children, children marching to celebrate the holiday of Our Lady of
Guadalupe in the middle photo, and on the bottom are children taking out lunch.
The message covers the events from last
December and Sr Shirahata’s thoughts.
・December 10th : Celebrated
the holiday of Lady of Guadalupe at school. Students above elementary school
danced and sang to the band music and walked around the village. Preschoolers
sang and danced in the playground, 174 girls were
given handmade dolls made by Sr. Shirahata and another teacher, and the boys
with bubble toys as gifts. The special Christmas “Tamagawa Lunch” was open to
take out for children to enjoy with their family.
・All the sisters gathered at the Mange Monastery on Christmas and
celebrated. They stayed there for 3 days, and had a chance to spend time with
Sr. Yoshida.
・December 29th : Had a light stroke while in Lunsar
and got tested in a big hospital in Freetown. Lowered her blood pressure and
got some medication to cure.
・December 17th : Solar panels
were installed at the Monastery and now can use electricity. Solar panels were
also installed at the preschool.
・In order to live and be happy in Africa,
there are still things that are not available. Learned that it was not just
about having certain “things”, but also about feeling happiness in the simplest
things, not to worry oneself, and giving happiness to others.
Pages 3-4 is an article from a
journalist, Toru Jojima called “Revisiting Sierra Leone” After visiting Sierra
Leone for the first time in 2002 as an Africa correspondent, Mr. Jojima had
always thought about a man and his newlywed wife, who talked about his hopes
for a better life, even after he had lost both hands in battle. After 17 years,
we reunite with this man in Sierra Leone and talks about how happy he was and
how the restoration was coming along. He also talked about his meeting Sr.
Shirahata in Lunsar, about the school, and his meeting with Sr. Yoshida in
Mange. He felt a lot of passion and strength from the sisters.
The photo on page 4 is Mr. Jojima with
an old friend, Tarawary.
A presentation that was made at the
Foreign Students Japanese Speech Contest by Ezekiel KAINESSIE (1st grade at the
JASSO Tokyo Japanese Education Center) is on page 5. It is titled “My
Resolution”. There are still many issues that need to be solved in Sierra
Leone, but focuses on the need for better medical system to prevent people from
dying. For this situation, Ezekiel wants to study medicine and provide a better
society for the people of Sierra Leone. (From “NEW Ashinaga Family” published
by Ashinaga)
Messages from supporters start from the
middle of page 5 to top of page 6.
From page 6-7 is a note from Kimiko
Howell (Walking Together Advisory Committee, and Representative of Sierra Leone
Friends) titled “Thanking every encounter”. Ms. Howell started “Sierra Leone
Friends” with Kazuyo Asano, and talks about why they started up, what their
activities are, and her feelings towards Sierra Leone. The photo on page 6 is
Ms. Howell and Ms. Asano.
On page 8 is an announcement from
Headquarters. Covers: All the support funds from 2018 has been shipped out,
support funds allocation situation, solar panel installation at the preschool.
There are 2 photos on the bottom right
on page 8. The top one was shared by Mr. Jojima, a group shot with Sr. Yoshida
(on the left is Mr. Jojima and Sr. Yoshida is third from the left, and on the
right is Mr. Fujii). The bottom photo is Sr. Yoshida driving a 4WD.