Eastern Family
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
EASTERN July 2020 #26 FAMILY Eastern Social Welfare Society, Inc. is a non-profit organization, licensed by Ministry of Health and Welfare of Korea Government For more information on our mission, please visit our website at www.eng.eastern.or.kr Address. 26 Yeonhui-ro, Seodaemun-gu, Seoul, Korea 03784 Tel. +82-2-332-3941~5 Fax. +82-2-324-3985 E-mail. [email protected] 1 CONTENTS Eastern Family 03 Greeting: President & CEO Kim, Jinsook 12 Covid-19 News Family, its incredibly powerful strength! Actions taken by ESWS 04 Story of Adoptive Family 1 13 TWO+GATHER Campaign Adoptive & Foster Mother, Kang, Eunjung Making a mask 06 Story of Adoptive Family 2 14 ESWS NEWS Sponsored Child, Park, Sarang Jan. 2019 to Jun. 2020 08 Story of Adoptive Family 3 16 Notice Adoptee, Park, Ga-on Cancellation program 10 Sponsored Program 17 Fundraise for Prevention of COVID-19 Story of Sponsored Kopino, Lee, Changdo 11 International Development Cooperation 18 LIST OF DONORS Sri Lanka │Cover Introduction│ A Baby living in Jacob’s Home is wearing a TWO+GATEHR Campaign’s Mask Eastern Family 2020 #26 Chairman of the Board Kim, Dojong, Ph.D. President Kim, Jinsook, Ph.D. Chief Editor Kim, Daeyeon Editor Seong, Cholong / Hong, Suhyun Special thanks to Park, Yoonkyung / Katey Foran / Jacob Van Dyne 2 Greeting “ Family, Its Incredibly Powerful Strength! ” We hear of depressing news at times that sad- their lives. Moreover, people find peace and sanctu- dens us: news on child abuse including abusing or ary within their families: even with missing mem- abandoning them, and even threatening the lives of bers of the family, each member is able to fill in the their own children. In the past, there were people vacancy through mutual trust and solace. who unwillingly gave up on their own children due to unfortunate circumstances in Korea. Further- Families of Eastern Social Welfare Society are in- more, there were physical punishment for disci- deed exemplary of the potential within families. As plining children but most of the time with love and saying they gave a birth to their children through care, which was understandable at that time, as their hearts, adoptive parents solidify trust and being uncommon for them to threaten children’s develop attachment with their children adopted. lives or causing permanent injuries. Like any other family, through their exchanges of complaints and hurts, children grow to be beautiful As a president of a welfare agency, I get to and firm and parents continue to mature. It is very have mixed feelings whenever facing various social fulfilling and heartwarming to see the happy faces issues especially on children. For the past few years, that only children who are raised in the blessing Korea has undergone dramatic changes in family and love of their parents can make. culture, as getting birth rates low, divorce and un- married rates higher, and the widespread of cohab- ESWS is striving to fulfill our mission of re- itation, living together before marriage, and staying specting value of life just as we pledged 48 years single by choice. In addition, such events reflect ago to keep it to all ends no matter how the world how the ties of relationship between each member changes around us. ESWS will make continuous of the family is not as secure as before and how efforts for helping more families form valuable family does not have an absolute value anymore. bonds through love and care for children. We pray Then, would families continue to drift, having lost that God’s blessing will bestow upon every adopted its strong bonds and sincerity? It would not, nor child, parent, and on all of the families related, should it. sponsors and supporters who enable us to do what we do. The potential strength that lies in each family is still alive but has incredible power beyond our imagination, and various functions in a family exert its true power during the time of social crisis and difficult times. There are countless times in disaster Kim Jinsook, Ph.D. or in war when people sensibly overcome imminent President & CEO difficulties by placing their families at the center of Eastern Social Welfare Society. Inc. 3 Interview Adoptive Family Adoption is the Same as Having a Child of Your Own Interviewer : Adoptive & foster mother, Kang, Eunjung How did you feel at first when you met Could you tell us how your children, Eun-Hae and Dong-Hae? Eun-Hae and Dong-Hae, are doing now? Until we adopted Eun-Hae in 2010, we had not Our family is now an ordinary family – a family full known anything about the baby who we were going to of love and laughter, ordinarily bustling through meet, but we trusted that the social worker will work everyday life. However, we only pray for having this as our “Samshin” (the goddess of childbearing who normal life continued because we know that being oversees the birth and growth of children). normal is happiness itself. Eun-Hae and Dong-Hae are well aware that they were adopted. Upon seeing 35-day-old Eun-Hae for the first time, what we felt was a feeling of awkwardness and Eun-Hae is a sensitive child, so she has had many strangeness rather than intense attraction toward questions about her birth mother ever since she was her. However, as we daily bathe and feed her, looking six to seven years old. Although we were bewildered into her eyes, we felt a growing love within us and when she cried saying that she wants to see her birth began to think, ‘this little creature is our real baby!’ mother, we told her that we would share her curiosi- ty and help her in her search as we already had de- Before adopting Dong-Hae, we got to see a photo of termined earlier. In addition, we try to get her to him. Although people around me didn’t find him have an opportunity to talk to other adoptees. We handsome, to me, a boy with doe-eyes and big nose also discuss how we can protect her birth-mother. was extremely adorable and thought he will grow into a handsome boy. That is how we met Dong-Hae On the other hand, Dong-Hae is not too concerned in the morning at the end-of-the-year celebration in about his adoption, being a boy who loves running 2011.♥ around and playing the most. ♥ 4 Is there a specific reason a lot. The foster children also come 50. Yesterday, and even the day why you became foster and go to their sister’s and broth- before, I put the baby to sleep and parents after adoption? er’s rooms, having fun together. went to bed with pain relief patches all over my body. However, My foster children are also very While raising my own adopted I realized that physical suffering popular not only among my family children, we thought that there is nothing compared to the emo- including Eun-Hae and Dong-Hae has to be no discrimination toward tional grief that comes with send- but also among other children my children only because of the ing the foster child that I had playing in the playground -- they fact that they were adopted. Also, raised all these times away for all try to get close to them and as getting interested in many adoption. Occasionally, I have even hug them wanting to play social problems, we realized that hesitant people around me who together with them. Dong-Hae there are so many children out want to become foster parents and even tells other children not to there who could have been my what they are scared of the most is touch their babies sometimes. ♥ children and all of us in this socie- the parting and separation. I tell ty have to take care of them and be them even at this moment while responsible for them altogether. Is there any advice you they being hesitant there are so In addition, there was the Special would like to give to people many babies in need of love and care but have no choice to live in Adoption Act that one politician preparing adopting or fos- brought up. Many adoptive par- other facilities ; however, I cannot tering children? ents strove to stop the passing of easily force them to be foster par- this act at that time, and my con- Whenever I meet foster mothers ents because I know how much cern for children awaiting adop- who have been fostering babies for sacrifice and responsibility they tion grew. ♥ 20-30 years, I cannot help but need to become one. ♥ admire them so much and be im- pressed by their hard work. As a Do Eun-Hae and Dong-Hae person who has been a foster par- get along with the children ent only for two years, I cannot you are fostering? even imagine how big their love toward the babies is nor how much Now, Whenever I ask my children, it hurts to say good-bye to them. “Should we stop fostering?” their My body hurts all over having answer is a solid no. Eun-Hae and raised young children at the age of Dong-Hae adore the foster babies 5 Sponsored Program Story of Sponsored child Park, Sarang, an Adoptee to be Sponsored Who Dreams of Becoming the National Gymnast Interviewer : Sarang’s Mother What was it like when you first met Sa- Since when did Sarang begin to have rang? interest in gymnastics? My husband and I decided to receive adoption con- After hearing that children with the same physique sultation in lieu of our anniversary.