Every semester, the Ewha Volunteer Group recruits new members for both their domestic and international volunteer programs during the summer and winter vacations. Since its establishment in 2000, the Ewha Volunteer Group has been fulfilling the Christian values of love and coexistence through their education, participating in construction and medical volunteering programs.
Among them, the domestic education volunteer program is the largest in scale, and the longest running. It specializes in providing fun learning experiences to students living in underprivileged conditions such as farming villages or urban slums, while creating experiences of sharing and understanding for future leaders.
For this program, a small group of students visits a children’s center or school in the countryside, to teach subjects such as English, Mathematics or sports. The volunteers are required to create their own educational programs to teach the kids in interactive ways, each using a 200,000 won budget provided by the school.
This winter, Kang Nae-young, an Economics major, visited a small children’s center in North Jeolla.
“If you love kids, and have creative ideas for new activities, this program is for you,” Kang said.
According to Kang, the volunteer program is a great opportunity for children to learn through interactive activities.
“Most schools in the countryside only utilize textbooks at lectures, and the kids there don’t usually get to meet college students,” Kang said. “Therefore, I think it’s important to realize how much difference you can make in their lives.”
In a children’s center in Nonsan of Chungcheongnam-do, children were able to go on sleigh rides and experiment with mini volcanos, thanks to the Ewha Volunteer Group.
“The best part of it was having a heart-felt connection with the children,” said junior History major Bae I-seul, after volunteering at Nonsan. “Some kids had a harder shell to crack, but once you were able to establish a connection, the bond was so precious.”
This January, 88 students like Kang and Bae participated in the domestic education volunteering program. Recruitment is now open to all undergraduate students with a passion for volunteering.
“By spending time with these children, I learned that volunteer work benefits both the giver and receiver,” Bae said. “Volunteering is much more than a sacrifice of your time and energy, as you can come back with valuable memories.”