第6回：迎える

予想もしなかった2020年も残すところあと１か月強となった。ここ札幌では連日200人を超えるコロナウイルス感染患者が出ており、当院の職員達も日々強い緊張下に置かれている。
その最中に我々にとって非常に明るいニュースが飛び込んできた。ついにインドからの技能実習生３名の受け入れが可能になったのだ。このプロジェクトは２年前から準備を進め、2019年７月にはインドに当院の職員が赴き、面接を行い3名の受け入れが決まった。そして、2020年春には我々法人の一員となり新たな歴史を作る予定であった。しかし先の見えない事態となり我々も初の外国人職員の受け入れを諦めかけていた。ところが菅政権に代わった途端に外国人のビザ発給が緩和され本年の10月18日に彼女たちは無事に来日し、ホテルでの隔離、名古屋での監理団体による研修を経て、11月19日彼女たちはついに当法人の職員となった。
インドのマニプール地方出身のシャンさん、チュイさん、シャンピさんが日本の看護、介護技能を学び、また日本の文化をおおいに楽しみ、自国に無事戻ることができればこれ以上の喜びはない。やがて世界一の人口となるであろうインドには介護を必要とする人々が数多く発生すると推察される。当法人での学びを生かし、自国で存分に活躍してほしいと願う。また、これを機会に当法人も多様性を許容するコミュニティーに一歩でも近づいてほしいと考えている。異なる文化や言語背景を持つ人々にものごとを教えるということは決して容易ではないが、教育側の試行錯誤は必ず自分たちの成長に繋がると確信している。
25年も前になるが、私も海外で暮らしていた。言葉がわからないので毎日自分の五感を総動員し、一日が終わる頃には疲れ切っていたことを思い出す。周囲のささやかな助けに涙も出た。そうだ、今度は私の番だ。

Only one month remains of this very unpredictable year. In Sapporo, more than 200 people contract the COVID-19 virus every day, and the staff of our hospital have to work very hard under severe pressure. Amid this situation, we received welcome news. It was decided that we will accept three technical intern trainees from India. We have been preparing for this project for two years.
In July 2019, staff members from our hospital visited India for interviews, and it was decided that we would accept three people. They were scheduled to become members of the HAKUYOKAI in the spring of 2020, which would create a new page in the history of our corporation.
However, there was no end in sight for our battle against COVID-19, so we had to abandon our plan of accepting foreign staff for the first time. Despite this, the government was replaced by the Suga administration soon after this, and visa issuance for overseas visitors was eased, which also enabled the foreign staff to arrive in Japan safely on October 18th of this year. After quarantining at a hotel and training by a supervising organization in Nagoya, they finally became employees of HAKUYOKAI on November 19th.
I sincerely look forward to Ms. WORSHANGPHI, Ms. CHUI, and Ms. SHANGREIPHI from the Manipur region of India learning Japanese nursing skills, enjoying Japanese culture, and returning safely to their own country. India, which will soon have the world's largest population, will have many people in need of nursing care. I wish them much success in their home country. I also hope that HAKUYOKAI becomes a diverse community in the future. Teaching people with different cultures and linguistic backgrounds is not easy. However, trial and error on the teaching side always leads to their growth.
Twenty-five years ago, I also lived abroad. I didn't understand native English, so I concentrated on every word and every facial expression on a daily basis. I remember being exhausted by the end of the day.
I was really moved by the kind support I received from my colleagues and neighborhood.

And now, it is my turn to return the favor.