On January 14th, 2019, I experienced a life changing moment at the Eastern Social Welfare Society. The Eastern Social Welfare Society, also known as ESWS, is a Korean organization that strives to bring joyful lives to hundreds of relinquished babies currently within the care of ESWS. When I visited on that day, what I observed was absolutely heartbreaking. There were at least dozens of infants lying in little cribs, each baby lying right beside each other due to lack of space in the rooms; most of the babies were crying or sleeping. Some of the infants could not even open their eyes because they were born only a few weeks or months ago. Watching these babies in tight cribs and a noisy environment melted my heart as I watched them from afar crying for comfort. Unfortunately, my volunteering companion, Justin Suh, and I were not allowed to touch or hold the babies so we were transferred to a different area for our volunteer work. 
 
[Jiewan Hong’s mother caressing an infant at the Hongdae adoption center] [Photo Credits: Jiewan Hong & Sponsorship Department of ESWS]
We were led to the first floor of the facilities where we were given our first job. Apparently, the day we visited was the day when new supplies for the babies arrived such as baby handkerchiefs and diapers. There were massive loads of diaper packages resting on the first floor. Our job was to carry all the boxes up to the second floor. At first, Justin and I let out a distraught moan after looking at the overwhelming loads of boxes. It seemed like unnecessary labor that was forced upon us. However, I reminded myself that these diapers we were carrying up with our own hands were going to be worn by the infants we had seen upstairs. The idea that I was contributing to the infants’ improved lifestyles brought me enthusiasm and motivation to work even harder than before. After an hour or two of delivering the mountainous packages of diapers, my friend and I were completely soaked with sweat. However, this was not sweat due to frustration or anger. This was sweat of pride. We realized that our actions were a major contribution towards the well being of at least dozens of infants currently living in the confined facilities of the adoption agency. When we thought our job was all done, we were glad to hear that we had another task to accomplish. 
 
[Jiewan and Justin moving the diaper boxes up to the second floor] [Photo Credits: ESWS Sponsorship Team]
We were to unfold at least hundreds of baby handkerchiefs that were delivered by donors and volunteers who had devoted their time to knit them. We organized the handkerchiefs into whether they were appropriately or inappropriately knitted for infants to use. We knew that this job required precision and caution. So we carefully unfolded the handkerchiefs one by one and cautiously inspected each of them to make sure there were no holes or sharp edges that could harm the babies. After a rigorous two hours of inspecting each handkerchief, my friend and I were able to successfully deliver the handkerchiefs to the ESWS organization.
  
[Jiewan Hong and Justin cautiously examining each handkerchief] [Photo Credits: ESWS Sponsorship Team]
In the end, I have learned an important life lesson as I witnessed an unfamiliar area of life such as the poor babies who are currently living as minorities in the vastly growing world today. All this time, I believed that the well being of my family was the priority of my life. However, through this single day of volunteering for a cause other than my own, I realized the true value of selflessness, a lesson that I would cherish for years to come. 


 

 

 








Jiewan Hong
11th grade  
Asia Pacific International School

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