先日、本学の子会社である 「おれんじ・ふぉれすと」*の社員の皆さんとお会いし、お話しする機会がありました。
私にとって、 「おれんじ・ふぉれすと」の皆さんは、まさに本学の「エッセンシャルワーカー」と呼ぶべき大切な存在です。多摩キャンパスで学び、働くすべての人が快適に過ごせる環境は、働く皆さんの日々の努力によって支えられています。清掃、マット、洗濯、園芸の各チームに分かれてさまざまな業務を担う皆さんの姿からは、それぞれの個性や日々の工夫、そして時には避けられたかもしれない課題などを垣間見ることができました。帰る前に、少しゆっくりと栽培中の苗や、入荷したばかりのお花を見せていただきました。
学生の皆さんには、ぜひ一度立ち止まって考えてみてほしいと思います。ゴミを捨てるとき、用意されたゴミ箱を使っているか。使ったスペースを離れる前に、散らかしたままにしていないか。片づけをする人のことを想像してみてください。もちろん、ホコリは自然にたまり、水がこぼれ、ゴミも出るものです。しかし、知らないうちに誰かの「余計な仕事」を増やしてはいないでしょうか。
キャンパスを歩きながら、清潔な空気やきれいなマット、花の香りを楽しむとき、どうかそのすべてが、人の手によって支えられているということを思い出してください。
* おれんじ・ふぉれすと株式会社は障がい者の雇用に特別に配慮し、障がい者の自立と社会参加の機会の拡大を図ることを目的に設立され、本学が100％出資の特例子会社です。
I recently had the opportunity to meet and talk with employees of Orenji・Foresuto*, our university’s subsidiary company. It is an initiative of Hosei University that seeks to create a workplace where people with disabilities can apply their abilities and experience the joy and sense of purpose that come from meaningful work. Before leaving, I took a moment to look at the seedlings being cultivated and the freshly delivered flowers that the staff kindly showed me.
To me, these are our precious essential workers — people whose efforts sustain a comfortable and welcoming environment for everyone who studies and works on the Tama Campus. Divided into teams, they handle a range of tasks that keep the campus clean, safe, and pleasant. During the informal meeting, I was able to catch a glimpse of their vibrant personalities, their daily routines, and the challenges — some of them avoidable — that they face in carrying out their work.
I’d like to invite our students to pause and think: the next time you are about to throw something away, please make sure to use the garbage cans provided; before leaving a space, take one last look to see if you’ve left a mess; and think of the people who will have to clean up after you. Of course, dust and dirt naturally accumulate, water may be spilled, and garbage will always need to be collected. But might you be, even unintentionally, creating extra (and unpleasant) work for someone else?
As you walk around campus, enjoy the cleanliness, step on a fresh mat, or breathe in the scent of flowers — remember that all of this reflects the labor of love of real people.
* Orenji・Foresuto is a special subsidiary wholly owned by Hosei University, established with the aim of expanding opportunities for the independence and social participation of persons with disabilities through employment practices that provide special consideration for their needs.
