MANNAM) We long for Freedom and Peace

This is a video that a MANNAM branch visited Seodaemun Prison History Hall in Seoul, Korea.

Have you heard about it?

The Seodaemun Prison History Hall is the museum preserves and displays Seodaemun Prison signifying the suffering and pain of Koreans during the modern period.

Here, independence activists and pro-democracy activities were jailed and martyred.

Despite such a history of suffering, Koreans achieved independence and democracy. The Seodaemun Prison History Hall represents the history of struggle to achieve Korea's independence and democracy with such indomitable spirit and potential.

MANNAM hosted an event there with foreigners. They toured the hall and wrote some messages with their hope and wishes.

Although I wasn't there, I'm sure they must have felt that it was necessary to have freedom and peace.

Please enjoy this video.



An Essay Ⅱ from MANNAM Korean teacher.

This is a story why am I willing to be a volunteer for foreigners.

It was 15 years ago. I had been working in Gunsan Daewoo commercial vehicles. I had some chances to meet foreign buyers that time. Whenever I met them, I had got trouble because of my poor English skills. So I wanted to learn it more, but it was not easy to do both learning and working.

At that time, IMF hit Korea in 1997 and the economy was getting worse. Numerous workers were fired from their companies. However, I quit the job myself and flew to Australia to prepare for a better future.

Since I had been experienced in staying Japan, I felt living in foreign countries seems to be romantic. However, It was different between dream and reality. One of the big problem was, of course, the language!!

I wanted to be a permanent resident in Australia so I needed to improve my English skills. But entering the language school costed very expensive. I had been spending a mount of money to rent my house, get some groceries, and so on. I had to figure out a better way to study English.

I used to go a library nearby my place to read some books. When I had walked through the hall, a tiny invitation posting caught my eye. It was an ad about Free English classes for foreigners like me!

I was excited that I could learn English for free and decided to go there.

The class was made by some Australians and christian missionaries. They volunteered every Saturday. Most of the volunteers were from different countries. They offered English classes, Bible study, and singing to the students. I liked those. The best thing I liked was I could meet many foreign friends there. I could hear a lot of stories about the world from them. It was so much fun.

During break time, all of students and volunteers roamed around the class and had a chat. Thanks to that, I should practice to speak English to communicate with them. I had tried my best to learn from the class and have a conversation with the volunteers and I could feel that my English skills were getting better little by little.

I still have keep in touch with one of them. Her name is Allison. She is Australian. She came there to help the students with English. She told me her fiance was Korean and she had been interested in learning his language. Since her fiance had used to be an international student, she knew the difficulty of foreign students' well. So she had started to volunteered there.

Allison told me about her life and took me to meet her husband. She always tried to help me with daily conversation. Even though she was one of volunteers, she was a real teacher to me. I was really thankful to her. She treated me not only as a student but a friend. From then on, I think I have dreamed to help someone with my language like her.

After 15 years, now, I am a teacher in MANNAM Korean Class. I have my own job, bring up two kids, and I volunteer every Sunday. I am truly happy I can help the foreigners. I feel I am giving back the kindness to Allison who gave it to me.

Some of my students study very hard in order to teach Korean in their countries. They express their gratitude to me every time. How nice!!

Like the slogan of MANNAM, When Light meets Light, there is Victory, I convey a small light to them and they receive and spread the light through the world.

Written by

Hwang, Jae-yeon

I am an Office Worker!! I am a member of MANNAM!!

 I am an officer of a building company. I have been engaged in there for 3 years.  It was April 2012 when I started to join MANNAM. I had been tired of my repetitive life. At that time, one of my friend told me about one volunteer association called MANNAM and recommended to join the volunteer group. Honestly I had never heard the name before. Anyway he told me that it could bring me some happiness. At first, I turned it down because I thought I should spend lots of time and money if I joined there. Working in my office was hard enough for me. But he kept persuading me. He said I could feel happy while I helped people in need.
"You just need a little bit of spare time and passion.", he said.
So I decided to join MANNAM Volunteer Association.

 Before, I had been New Zealand for a while so I knew about the feelings of staying abroad. I knew well how difficult it was. So I started to help them with teaching Korean language and Korean culture to adjust this strange land. It was very easy for me to make them understand my culture,  but it was something special for them. The foreigners really thanked me for helping them. It was also great I was able to know about their countries and cultures.
 I felt great while I helped them. Amazingly, volunteering was healing my stress.

A few months later, I got a chance to manage sports teams. Through sports, we could get closer each other. It refreshed my boring life and brought happiness to me. Before doing that, I was a person who just knew oneself only and didn't care others so much. Now, however, I feel very happy that I could help someone.

 The best memory I have during activities is 'The Children Abuse Prevention Campaign' held on Children's day 2012. It was a campaign that we tried to let people think about how many children were under unfair situations and participate in the campaign through doing variety performances. We did Flash Mob to gather people and make them aware about the serious social problem with pictures and articles.
To prepare this campaign, we gathered some foreign friends who were interested in volunteering and talented at dancing. Thanks to the volunteers, about 100 people  were able to join Flash Mob. We practiced only twice before the event. But did a great job. And we made some clay toys to offer every children we met there.
 A lot of people watched our Flash Mob and hundreds of children enjoyed our program joyfully. I felt so amazing that we had made this wonderful event by ourselves and also could reduce this terrible problem at least once by doing this campaign. How worthwhile it was! I will not forget this forever.

 As an office worker and also a member of MANNAM, I have been volunteering on every weekends, helping Korean language class, joining orphanage volunteers, visiting a hospital to treat sick children and so on. It really brings me happy and pleasure. I have got much more passion about the world peace through those activities within MANNAM. If we share our thoughts about peace and love with our neighbors, I think the world peace is possible.

Thank you.

Written by
Min-uk Choi

MANNAM donated for children with cancer.

MANNAM Volunteer Association Jeonju branch delivered to the director of Jeonbuk university hospital.

In Daejeon, Korea, there was a charity event Aug. 4th. 2012. MANNAM Jeonju branch had managed a food booth, which sold chinese and lao foods, and donated the profits to the hospital.

"Though it's a small enough sum, we are happy that we could contribute to our community spending our time and passion. We would like to deliver our hearts to the little children with serious disease." said Min-uk Choi, a member of MANNAM.

Seong-hu Sung, the director of Jeonbuk university hospital said, "I appreciate the international students to give the profits and sincere hearts for children. And I hope the culture of donation would be more activated through this chance.

Giving their hands and delivering love makes the comunity bright.