No.201-3
With powerful sound of jang-go, a traditional Korean drum, the exchange salon started with Mrs. Kato’s words of welcome. This event took place in a lunchroom at Gohongi Elementary School. 53 people filled the bright spacious room with 9 tables, 3-4 people seated at each. We had to run to a nearby room to get more chairs for those without.
The salon was planned and operated by 4 friendship members who attended Japanese Language Course at Meguro UNESCO Association and who are also members of the International Exchange Committee. They were Yun Kyung Sook, Seo Young Hwa, Park Eun Kyung and Kim Ea Kyung.
We, the members of the Exchange Activity Committee were so delighted to know that the friendship members started their own activity all by themselves. That has been our long time wish.
With the rhythm of jang-go, we enjoyed singing Korean songs such as Arirang and other well-known songs. Also, we learned Korean culture from their explanations, played a Korean game called “yut”. We endeavoured to know how to read the Korean Hangul alphabet, and tried to write our names. Some of the Japanese members of UNESCO’s Korean Language classes asked some questions in Korean.
For
more than 3 and a half hours, we really enjoyed the event. This success was
brought from the perfect preparation and every effort made by the 4 Korean
members. They prepared posters, videotapes and musical instruments, and they
practiced jang-go in a park, so that they won’t bother neighbors. Above all,
what impressed us most was their beautiful hanboks, traditional Korean
costumes. For the attendants who wished to try them on, they were generous
enough to bring their precious hanboks that were used for their wedding. One of
the attendants, a 3rd grade girl of the Gohongi Elementary School, seemed so
happy when she had her photo taken wearing one of the hanboks.
Which
country will be the next? We are all looking forward to having another chance
to know a country and its culture. We welcome everybody for the opportunity
then!
(Oct 4, Chairperson of the Exchange Activity
Committee, Yukiko Katsuoka)
We welcomed Ms. Miyoko Tashiro who, having just returned from India on
Sep. 4, had come to share her experiences observing Terakoyas in India.
She visited Terakoyas in some deprived villages of Karnataka state in
which Bangalore, a Silicon Valley-like IT industry town, is also located.
This was an 8-hour ride from Goa in southwest India. Ms. Tashiro spoke
of the lives of learners at the Terakoya, where they study from 7-9 pm,
and explained how poverty prevented them from attending normal schooling.
Her examples included:
* A 12 year-old boy’s work of digging a canal 20 km away from home. He also weeds fields in order to add a meagre income to the family. * A 13 year-old boy, who recently lost his father, earns about 450 yen per day working on farms and helps his mother support a family of five. * A 16 year-old girl tries to help her family by learning hand sewing and the sewing machine.
In disadvantaged areas, people cannot live unless all family members earn something. A boy mentioned that he preferred studying to working but had to help support the household economy. They can find time to go to Terakoya only at night.
The Terakoya movement aims to improve people’s living standard through not only literacy education, but also vocational education. The vocational skills training include making candles and chalk, and practical training such as repairing machines and bikes, and welding. This training is provided for 15-18 year-old youths. The Terakoya movement also has activities to support mothers become independent and help each other.
Ms. Tashiro took part in the opening ceremony of a new Terakoya. The Terakoya is a splendid brick-built building with a solid floor and has a library, a cooking room with cooking equipment, and toilets. The equipment is certainly not gorgeous but far better than people had expected. The whole village took part in the ceremony. Ms. Tashiro walked around with others for more than an hour under the burning sun, wearing full sari.
The 30 participants watched a 10-minute video of the things she saw.
Ms. Miyoko Tashiro is giving lectures of Terakoya movement at schools all over the country, between her singing engagements. She sang ‘Satoubiki-batake’ for us at the end of this lecture, praying for world peace. UNESCO lecture report written by Yoshio Shimizu
Report on 2003 UNESCO Activities Study Meeting of Kanto Block by Shigeo Tajima, Advisor |