シリア内戦で母と兄を亡くし、レバノンに難民としてたどり着いた12歳の少年、ハーフィズ（仮名）。当時の彼は、ただ生きることに必死で、教育を受けることなど考えもしませんでした。しかし、ある日、若いボランティアの青年との出会いが彼の運命を変えます。その青年から、レバノン東部バールベック地区にある、ルーム・トゥ・リードが支援する地域コミュニティ組織「ヘルワ・ヤ・バラディ（Helwa Ya Baladi）」が運営する図書館の存在を知らされたのです。
（English summary) Goldman Sachs CTW Volunteer Day: Translating Children’s Books from Around the World
📚 Supporting “Education Changes the World” through multilingual children’s book translation
On July 29, Goldman Sachs Tokyo hosted a Community TeamWorks (CTW) event in partnership with Room to Read. CTW is Goldman Sachs’ global volunteer program where employees work in teams to address social challenges.
The event was attended by Mr. Hirohide Imatsu, President of Goldman Sachs Japan Co., Ltd. and a Regional Board Member of Room to Read, and Mr. Kenro Tsutsumi, President of Goldman Sachs Asset Management Co., Ltd. and a long-time supporter of our work. Together with 11 employees, they engaged in a unique volunteer activity centered on books and education.
📚 Icebreaker with a Book Swap The day began with a book swap, where participants introduced themselves by bringing a “favorite” or “recommended” book. Titles ranged from business and finance books like Die With Zero, Analects and Abacus, and Life Shift, to children’s classics like Guri and Gura and The Moving Map Book, as well as history and social studies titles such as The Soviet-Japanese War.
Mr. Imatsu introduced Michael Ende’s children’s classic Momo, sparking a conversation about “how we use our time meaningfully.”
📚 Experiencing the Power of Books through Translation The main activity was translating storybooks from Room to Read’s digital library Literacy Cloud into Japanese. Around 50 titles, primarily from Asia and Africa, were offered.
Participants shared reflections such as:
“It wasn’t just labeling or checking off translations, but really crafting sentences and choosing words thoughtfully.”
“I rediscovered the power of books!”
“I realized that making it feel like a Japanese children’s book requires careful use of hiragana and particles.”
The session was filled with learning, creativity, and a strong sense of accomplishment.
📚 Warm Messages from Leadership Mr. Imatsu told participants:
“Room to Read’s CTW will be one of the most memorable activities I’ve ever taken part in.”
He reflected on his own experience as a charity runner and emphasized the importance of supporting education and continuing this commitment.
Mr. Tsutsumi added:
“Room to Read’s events always feel warm and handcrafted. Their transparency around costs makes it easy to support them with confidence.”
His words highlighted the trust and confidence that have fueled his long-standing contributions.
This CTW was a wonderful opportunity to further strengthen the long-standing partnership between Goldman Sachs and Room to Read. We are deeply grateful for their continued support.
9月8日の国際識字デーを記念して、ルーム・トゥ・リードでは「Fill Every Shelf（世界中の本棚をいっぱいに）」キャンペーンを実施しています！ 世界にはまだ、本が並ぶのを待っている本棚がたくさんあります。ベトナムのある学校でも、本棚は整っているのに、子どもたちが手に取れる本が足りていません。
そして、マラウイとケニアでは、スクリーン上で次の章が始まります。私たちは、Creative Center for Community Mobilization、Girls Activist Youth Organisation、Polycom Girlsの3団体と提携し、映像教材『少女達が未来を変えていく（She Creates Change）』を現地の文脈に合わせて翻案しました。 現地語への翻訳と吹き替えを行い、文脈に合った授業プランを開発。ジェンダー平等に関する対話を促すための教育者向け研修も実施しました。さらに、この映像教材が意識の変革をどのように促しているかを測定するため、マルチメディアに特化した評価ツールの開発にも取り組んでいます。
