財團法人阿南達瑪迦公益基金會

2011年3月22日

以下是日本泛宇救難隊Dada Ganadevananda 的 工作報告

今日是泛宇救難隊正式投入賑災工作的第一天，我們選擇至多賀城市 (Tagajo)開始。這個地方曾受到地震及海嘯嚴重的影響。

該鎮的社會服務主管Kenta Tesaki 先生，仍記得我們曾於上星期拜訪過他。 他對我們的到來表示誠摯地謝意，並很快地完成手續， 讓我們正式加入政府的整體賑災計劃中。

我們向他表示，希望能協助當地的老人清理家園， 以便讓他們能儘早回家，並能迅速恢復過往的最低生活水準。

在等待任務分發的過程， 我們非常高興看到許多年輕的志工也一同參與整理家園。 他們也都非常高興看到我們，也興奮地用英文與我們溝通。言談中， 他們也對我們這群外國志工，表達非常深的謝意。

最後，根據我們需要，政府指派我們協助三戶老人家。 官員們也一一為我們介紹。這三位待扶助的長者，分別是：已高齡7 3歲的Ineko Sitou，她的家被水淹過，而先生因病仍待在收容中心。 在看到這麼多穿制服的國外志工，在協助她清理家園， 一開始她還非常害羞，但沒多久她就像我們的祖母般， 對我們非常友善，甚至也因為我們的幫忙， 讓她重拾對未來生活的信心。

她非常愉悅地指揮我們，將已溼的塌塌米墊及彈簧床等搬出室外， 這個任務對她來說，根本是不可能完成的。她的家具已凌亂不堪， 房內到處都是污泥。我們希望能協助她將家裡完全打掃乾淨。 但她了解到，在沒有水及電的狀況下，這是一個困難的任務。因此， 她向我們表明，既然大型與厚重的物品已搬除，剩下的部份， 她可以慢慢的自行清除。

第二位則是78歲的Ikuko Maekawa，她家大約在20公尺外。她的先生因為受到驚嚇， 目前仍待在收容中心。她非常高興我們能協助她， 將家裡的塌塌米及大型的床墊移出室外。

我們希望今日能完成指派的任務，因此試圖與第三個案例聯絡。 但這位長者似乎不太習慣有外人來幫忙，因此， 他希望我們晚一點再過去。

由於我們提早完成任務，因此，我們就花了一個多小時，聽Inek o 及Ikuko訴說海嘯來時的狀況。他們告訴我們在海嘯來的20分 鐘，他們有多害怕， 尤其是當他們看到八位同胞從二樓不斷要往上爬時， 但大水迅速包圍他們並將他們吞沒的景像。

隨著我們相談的時間愈長，大家愈覺得親近，話匣子也都打開了， 他們也向我們分享他們在第二次大戰的經驗。 而這次當他們看到外國人滿身污泥，不顧一切的來協助他們時， 他們的眼眶都溼了。因為這一切的種種，讓他們相信， 一個更美好的世界是有可能來的。

上星期Fox新聞曾經訪問過我，我向他們說明我們的服務計劃， 那位記者還有點遲疑，認為在這麼大的災難下， 僅是協助清理家園的效用有多少？但今天我們徹底證明他是錯的， 因為，對這兩位阿嬤而言，這個效用絕對是百分之百的。

完成今日的工作，回到政府社會服務單位， 並繳交今日的工作報告時， 在場的每位人都以非常日本式的方式向我們致謝。今天的服務， 讓我們體會到新人道主義的精神，而每位救難隊隊員也都期待， 能繼續以此謙卑的態度來服務災民。

財團法人阿南達瑪迦公益基金會

Today was the first day of operations of our team and we chose to travel to the town of Tagajo, which has been severely, affected by both earthquake and tsunami.

The manager of the town’s social service department Kenta Tesaki remembered us from our previous assessment visit last week and he was happy to register us to work in coordination with the governmental relief plan.

We expressed to him our wish to assist the elderly in cleaning up their homes so that they could move back and regain at least some measure of normality in their lives that have been so heavily shaken in the past two weeks.

While waiting for the assignment, we enjoyed the company of many youth who were also volunteering to help cleaning up the town. They were excited to see us there and, winning their hesitation to express themselves in English, they told us how thankful they were for our gesture of real solidarity.

Eventually we got assigned three homes that matched our requirements and the government staff brought us there and introduced us to Ineko Saitou, aged 73, who was battling with her flooded home. She was alone because her husband was sick and remained at the refugee center and after a few moments of expected hesitation from seeing so many foreigners in bright uniforms in her house, she became our obasan, or grandmother, smiling and feeling again optimistic about life.

She happily directed us in throwing out all the wet tatami mats and mattresses that would have been impossible for her to lift. Her furniture had been thrown all over and mud was thick everywhere. We wanted to clean the house thoroughly but she realized that without water and electricity that was a hard task even for us so she told us that now that the heavy lifting was done, she had plenty of time and renewed energy to gradually clean everything by herself.

Ikuko Maekawa, aged 78, was waiting for us just twenty meters away and was so relieved when we could move out some of her tatami mats and a large bed. Her husband too was at the refugee center, still in a state of shock and unable to even think about returning home.

We completed the task and tried to visit the third home but the aged owner was too much in shock and unprepared for our help. Apparently he didn’t expect any help coming so soon so he requested to postpone our service.

Since we completed our task earlier we spent almost an hour with Ineko and Ikuko who were all too eager to share their experience in the Tsunami. They told us how they were terrorized for twenty long minutes by the upcoming tsunami and how they saw from the eight of their second floor those trying to escape to higher ground quickly being encircled by water on all sides and perish.

As the time passed by the feeling of closeness grew even stronger and they felt free to express their experiences during the Second World War and how seeing us foreigners getting all muddy for their sake had touched their heart, wetted their eyes and make them feel again after a long time that a better world was possible.

Last week Fox News interviewed me and when I described our relief work plan the presenter was skeptical that cleaning up homes could have any impact in such a large disaster. Well, today he was proven wrong because for these two grandmothers the impact was 100%!

Returning at the social service department we submitted a report and everyone around was so thankful in that very special Japanese way. The day of service was over leaving us feeling a bit more neo-humanist and quite eager to continue our humble service the next morning.

Dada Ganadevananda