Spotlight on the Korean International Volunteers Meetup Group

I first heard about this group from my sister who has done some volunteer work with them. They do various great things like feeding the homeless and helping expats in Korea learn Korean.

But what I really wanted to take a moment and recognize them for is their work with underprivileged children.

Korean International Volunteers is a Meetup Group in Seoul go to children’s centers weekly to teach English to elementary school aged children who are from low income families.

They group up their native English speaking volunteers with bilingual volunteers with a handful of kids. This makes for a smoother learning session with the kids who may know very little English.

You might be wondering what’s the big deal if they don’t know English. Well, families who can afford English tutors do so for their kids so that they have a leg up when it’s time for college admissions.

Even if college is not their aim, there is a stigma to those who don’t know English. Many employers expect you to have some level of proficiency.

But It’s Not Just About Learning English

These underprivileged children are not only lacking English tutors, but more importantly, proper after school care in many instances. Such is the case for underprivileged children the world over, and South Korea is no exception. After school programs such as this provide a safe haven for at least a few hours.

I just think it’s so fantastic that a bunch of “foreigners,” as they would be referred to in South Korea, would come together to help these children. It motivates me to do more here locally!

If you happen to be in Seoul, don’t hesitate to volunteer with this group. You won’t regret it! You can find more details here.

“You make a living by what you get, you make a life by what you give.” – Winston Churchill