Every member of the Rotary Club of Ulsan Freedom is a refugee from North Korea. Rejecting an oppressive regime, which is built on the denial of individual freedoms, these refugees risked their lives to realize their dream of “living like a human being.” And now that they have built new lives in South Korea, they have turned their attention to helping others. Each month, the Rotarians visit the Ulsan Home for Children, helping to clean the playrooms and teach the children.
Most recently, club members sat down with children in an art class. With crayons in hand, grownups and children worked together to sketch their dreams of a peaceful Korea in the future.
“Many of us became separated from our families while escaping the North. So our hearts ache when we see children of the same age as our own at this orphanage,” said club President Ju-eun Seok. But rather than just “wring their hands” these Rotarians have engaged Rotary to make a difference.