[Reflection] Joo Hee Seo - Fostering Connections and Strengthening Ties with Disadvantaged Children

During my service at the Green Tree Club, I always want to connect with underprivileged children, spend time doing fun activities, and get to know them as friends. I’m excited to share stories about different parts of our country, explore nature, do science experiments, and introduce them to new ideas. Besides educational activities, we can also enjoy dancing, singing, playing games like hide-and-seek, and sharing different foods for new experiences. For me, joining Green Tree isn’t just about tutoring or mentoring; it’s also about learning how to connect and communicate with others in a meaningful way.

In one volunteering event, I visited a church that also serves as a school for children, where I taught them dance and singing. At first, I was nervous about whether I’d be able to teach the dance well. Singing was okay, even though I’m not very skilled at it, but dancing made me feel stiff, like a log! I also realized that patience is something I need to work on, especially as the children tested my ability to stay calm and flexible. Teaching them dance and singing meant breaking down the moves and instructions so they could understand, which was harder than I originally expected. But by the end, I felt a sense of pride seeing them enjoy and succeed. It felt amazing to share my knowledge not just for myself but to help them grow, especially when they finally understood and performed on their own.

In the coming months, we can do even more activities with the kids, like going on outings to fun places, maybe even to one of the biggest playgrounds in Korea! We could set up missions for the kids to complete together as a team, encouraging them to solve challenges and work together. Of course, if the kids are very young, like 5 or 6, it might be harder to keep them focused, and safety would be a big priority. For indoor activities, we could create toys or decorations out of recycled materials and talk about issues like global warming and the importance of recycling to protect our planet.

While there are many efforts to support underprivileged communities, a lot of these children still face tough obstacles that are hard to overcome. Clubs like Green Tree help by connecting with them directly, playing and sharing moments together. But before we can make an impact, we need to truly care about their experiences and be willing to reach out and get involved.