I work at a Japanese language school handling administrative work while also teaching Japanese once a week. Our school has 400 foreign students from 30 countries including China, Vietnam and the Philippines.

我在一所日本语学校工作，在处理行政工作的同时，每周还教授一次日语。我们学校有400名来自中国、越南、菲律宾等30个国家的学生。

This January, when the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak first erupted in China, a colleague who is a liaison for China, having heard that face masks were in shortage, bought several hundred masks using her own pocket money and sent them to her friends in China. Her actions triggered our entire school to also show our support as much as possible by sending large amounts of goods such as face masks and alcohol-based disinfectants to study abroad centres and to our graduates in China.

　Later, the number of infections escalated in Japan, depleting our own supply of face masks. Then, in March, a graduate who had received the face masks we sent in January, sent 1,200 medical face masks to our school saying it was to return the favor. This was still at a time when infections were growing in China and when, I am sure, masks were still scarce. I was so touched and deeply encouraged by their sincerity to reach out to us despite being in a tough situation themselves.

后来，日本的感染人数增加，耗尽了我们自己的口罩供应。接下来，在3月份，一位毕业生向我们学校发来了1200个医用口罩，他曾经在1月份收到了我们发去的口罩。他说这样做是为了报答我们。当时，中国的感染人数在不断增长，我可以肯定地说，口罩仍然很短缺。尽管他们的处境非常艰难，但是他们依然真诚地向我们伸出了援手，这使我深受感动和鼓舞。

　Our school immediately decided to deliver these masks to those who were in need the most and donated them to the city to be used in the medical field. Our mayor (of Sagamihara City) thanked us later in a letter saying, “Thank you very much for the most valuable gift.”

我们学校立即决定将这些口罩送给最需要的人，并捐献给市里，用于医疗领域。随后，我们的（相模原市）市长在信中感谢我们，说，“非常感谢你们提供最贵重的礼物。”

At our school, we kept in touch with each of our students through phone calls and social media, and we identified two issues that were troubling the students.

在学校，我们通过电话和社交媒体与每一位学生保持联系。我们发现了两个问题，一直困扰着学生们。

One is social isolation. Due to travel restrictions imposed by countries around the world, many of our students are unable to leave Japan. Furthermore, they are also unable to connect with local communities and are feeling increasingly anxious.

第一个问题是社交隔离。由于全球各国实施了旅游限制，我们的很多学生无法离开日本。而且，他们也无法与当地社区联系，因而感到越来越焦虑。

The second issue is being at a standstill financially. Some have stopped receiving funds from home, or were deprived from opportunity to continue with their part-time jobs due to reasons such as temporary shut-down of their workplaces. We felt that it was the foreign students who were being weighed down the most with worry.

第二个问题是陷入财务困境。一些人无法从家里获得资金支持，或因工作场所临时关闭等原因而被剥夺继续从事兼职工作的机会。我们觉得，外国学生的心情最为沮丧。

And so, in April, we began conducting online classes for our students. We scheduled classes to handmake face masks together, or set up gatherings for our students to communicate and exchange online. The students enjoyed seeing their friends again after a long break and talked excitedly with one another.

因此，在4月份，我们开始对学生进行线上授课。我们制定了课程计划，一起手工制作口罩，或为学生安排聚会，进行线上沟通和交流。学生见到长时间没见的朋友后感到很开心，并兴奋地交谈起来。

For students struggling financially, we support them as much as we can, for instance, by extending the deadline for payments of school fees. Some have voiced relief at the school’s response to this situation, but in truth, it is not enough to completely eliminate the medium to long term anxiety felt by the students. We are determined, however, to continue doing our best to support our students through this ordeal.

对于有经济困难的学生，我们竭尽所能支持他们，例如，延长学费的付款期限。一些学生表示对学校的疫情应对措施感到放心。但事实上，这不足以完全消除学生的中长期焦虑。不过，我们决心继续尽力支持学生，帮助他们渡过这场磨难。

Throughout this period, I have engraved in my heart the words of Dr. Daisaku Ikeda, the founder of Soka University, my alma mater, who said, “Foreign students are the future of the country.” The warmth in these words are underpinned by trust and hope that “no matter what job they (the foreign students) go on to serve in the future, they are treasured individuals who will build ties with their homeland and Japan.”  

在此期间，我已将创价大学创立者、我的校友池田大作的教导铭刻于心。他说，“外国学生是国家的未来。”语言间洋溢着温暖，伴着信任和希望，即“无论他们（外国学生）未来从事什么工作，他们都是值得珍惜的人，能够在他们的祖国和日本之间建立合作关系。”

In fact, around 30 Chinese students who graduated from my school are currently working in Japan as a nurse, and I am filled with deep emotion when I think of them dedicating their lives in this struggle against the virus here in this country.

实际上，大约30名在我校毕业的中国学生目前在日本担任护士。当我想到他们在这个国家为抗击病毒奉献人生时，我深受感动。

It is because these individuals possess such potential that we should firmly establish in our society the belief that “foreign students are the country’s future” and ensure that the educational environment is prepared for times of emergency.

正是因为这些人拥有这样的潜能，我们更应该在社会中牢固树立这样的信念：“外国学生是国家的未来”，并确保教育环境时刻做好了应对紧急情况的准备。

I have learned from the Soka Gakkai the spirit that “friendships built through grassroot exchanges can bring together countries transcending matters of national interest,” and I have been putting this into practice at my workplace.

我从创价学会学到了一种精神，即“通过基层交流建立的友谊能够让各国超越国家利益而团结起来”，而我一直将这种精神运用于我的职场实践中。

In the case of my school, the sincere actions of one colleague spread to create warmth in the people of both nations to help save lives. When we support each other during times of difficulty, the appreciation we feel is much deeper than at ordinary times and our sense of solidarity becomes that much stronger. I believe that the good intentions inherent in all human beings are the hope to overcoming crisis.  

对于我的学校而言，一个同事的真诚行动传播开来，点燃了两国人民拯救生命的热情。当我们在困难时期相互支持时，我们的感激之情比平时更深厚，我们的团结感更强烈。我相信，所有人内心里都希望战胜此次危机。

This idea is described in the following words that represents the philosophy of the Soka Gakkai:

这一理念代表了创价学会的哲学思想，具体描述如下：

“If one lights a fire for others, one will brighten one’s own way.”

“如果一个人为他人点亮前方的路，那些这个人就会照亮他自己的路。”

I strongly feel that the common goal that we as youth should uphold is not just limited to bringing an end to the COVID-19 pandemic but to build a world of cooperation fueled by this crisis.

我强烈地感觉到，作为年轻人，我们坚守的共同目标不仅限于战胜这场新冠病毒疫情，更要在这场危机的推动下建立国际合作。

I believe in the brightness of our future that will be brought forth by youth from around the world, working in various fields, who awoke to their mission and stood up to take action. I will continue to build friendship with each and every one of our foreign students who are the “future of the country.”

来自世界各地的、各个领域的年轻人意识到了自己的使命并且挺身而出，我相信，他们将为人类的未来带来无限光明。我将继续与每一位作为“国家的未来”的留学生们建立友谊。