ⓒ 2018 WATV

“I’m happy to serve the community with my major in art. I hope this street with murals will be a pleasant photo spot for residents.” (Gohng Seo-yeon, 22, architectural designer from Namyangju, Korea)

“I was unaware that many senior citizens were living hard and lonely lives in the same neighborhood. I’d like to continue to help my neighbors.” (Choi Hyeong-seok, 29, production manager from Asan, Korea)

ASEZ WAO, the Young Adult Worker Volunteer Group, is carrying out different types of activities in many places of the world to improve the worsening environment and increase people’s awareness of it. On Sunday, October 7, the members became likeminded to perform volunteer services.

In many places of Korea, the young adults checked the places in urgent need of help, partnering up with local municipalities, and went to the sites, rolling up their sleeves. They helped farmers with harvesting sweet potatoes, persimmons, and mint, planting garlic seedlings and chives, picking apple leaves, pulling out chili pepper stems, and so on, to ease their worries. They cleaned the house of a senior citizen who lived alone with a mobility difficulty; he said he could not even think of cleaning for years. They also freshened up a senior citizen center. They brightened up the atmosphere by painting murals in dark, crime-prone alleyways, picked up trash in beaches, lakes, and walking trails, and removed illegal posters. ASEZ WAO in Salt Lake City, U.S., and in Pretoria, South Africa, also added warmth to local communities with services such as painting murals.

“Many senior citizens are living alone. Their basic necessities of food, clothing, and shelter are threatened due to economic difficulties and deterioration of health condition. Your volunteer service is not only a great gift to the elderly but a good example to the youth,” said Mayor of Cheonan, Korea, Gu Bon-yeong, encouraging the members who cleaned the house of a lonely old man in the city. “If I had to do it by myself, I wouldn’t be able to finish it for days. You came to help me on a holiday instead of resting. Thank you so much,” said Jeong Ok-bun (75, Ganghwado, Korea), tapping the young adults on their shoulders. She said she had been anxious about labor shortage to harvest sweet potatoes.

ASEZ WAO was organized to take care of our neighbors and communities and to protect the environment in unity, with the love of Mother who cares for Her children. The members are working in various fields with their youthful enthusiasm and power of execution. They also make efforts to raise awareness of the UN SDGs and to implement them. As the members have various jobs, they plan to perform regular and extensive volunteer services, taking their conditions into account.

ⓒ 2018 WATV