Its a hard knock life - Ulsan Orphanage

I have always been one who  likes to get involved in volunteer work  especially  since moving  to Korea  I feel it is my duty to try and give back in some way.   For the last few months I have been doing volunteer teaching on Thursday evenings with some elementary students and I absolute love working with them. However ,  I felt like I needed to do something outside the realms of teaching . So on sunday I decided to join some friends at an orphanage in Ulsan. Now coming from South Africa and having been to plenty of orphanages in Cape Town I predicted that the orphanage in Ulsan would  be far less traumatic . Unlike the ones in Cape town  which are usually poorly managed , run down and where children rarely receive the care that they need. I arrived feeling very optimistic and excited to spend time with the age group  that I love so dearly . Anything from nappy age  to age 5 .

When we arrived , the orphanage was anything but run down , just as I had predicted.  A Big spacious building , entertainment room for the children , eating room and bedrooms. Clean , beautiful and full of  books and toys.
                                                                                                 

I was in awe. An orphanage like this was  just such   a foreign concept to me. The irony , this is how an orphanage should be.  We waited in the play area for the children to come through . It wasnt too long before we heard screaming and shouting from down the passage and  little boys pretending to be aeroplanes  " flying in" to meet us.  30 little bodies all rushing to hug us . My heart lept with joy!  For the next two hours we had to entertain these little "angels" It was love at first sight. I whipped out my camera and started snapping away. The most beautiful little faces I have ever seen all smiling at me as if nothing was wrong in their lives. Not even 15 minutes in and I was already getting emotional . Little did I realise just how much more emotional things would get.

Unlike South Africa ,  where the high orphan rate is due to AIDS or financial challenges , Koreas high orphan rate is largely as a result of the high divorce rate. Yes . Divorce in Korea often results in children becoming orphans. Sometimes it is genuinley because the single parents cannnot afford to raise the child. Then I spoke to the owner of the orphanage and what she told me broke my heart.  She admitted that most of the time  the parents or single parents   just don't want the responsibility of having to look after another human being. Yes , this happens in South Africa too but did I expect this from a first world country , one that prides itself on " togetherness"  and family , absolutely not. The worst part of all of this ?  Parents are still given full birth rights to their children . Which means these children cannot be adopted by anyone else and the parents are allowed to take the children  for weekends whenever they feel like it . Basically when it suits them.

I couldn't believe what I had just heard . It very soon became a reality when one little darling came through the front door with tears flooding down her face. I asked the owner why she was crying . It turned out that she had just come back from a weekend with her parents . Let me emphasise that she had not seen them in over a YEAR . So after a lovely two days with her parents she was returned  to the orphanage just like you would return a broken toy to the shop. I dont think words can explain how angry  , frustrated and heart broken I felt for this child. As if seeing her crying was not enough I tried to hug her and comfort her and their in her hands were  pictures that she had drawn of her parents. How can parents be allowed to do this to something so innocent and pure ?  Why is this allowed?  The most heart breaking thing that a child has to face in their life time  , rejection.  " my parents don't want me " 

 I have  now been in Korea for almost 4 months , and in those short for months my perception  has changed drastically. "All that glitters is not gold " a saying that I feel illustrates  Korean society pretty accurately.  The soju flows , Noribangs are full  but the two most important things that this society seems to have lost  ,  commitment and responsibility to family.

So the next time you having a bad day  at work , feeling unloved or just  feeling " depressed "  may this be a reminder to you  that  things could be far worse.  Its a matter of perspective.
 Count your blessings . whether it is to God , Buddha  or  Allah .  Just be sure to count them.
 I know that I am.