Seoul YWCA

An intensely frozen day, 27th Dec. Seoul YWCA  conducted a training session for Y-VM volunteers. Six out of eight had attended, and they learned about intellectual developmental disabilities. They would be a volunteer for various people who has disabilities and help their life skill for them to be included within the community in United Kingdom.       Each of them will be sent the the UK one by one in a different project, but most of them will face new environment in a foreign country and someone who has diverse difficulties. In order to prepare for the project Y-VM volunteers had this chance to get a preliminary training. In the first session, they listened to a lecture regarding  intellectual developmental disabilities and met with 17-year-old intellectual disability students to get to know each other.   The third session was to self- experience being a handicapped person. Each of us got a test paper looked like above. If you reflect the paper to a mirror, it'

Do you remember the Starbucks funded Youth Dream Factory? There were second event called "Creative Job Talk Concert" linked to the Youth Dream factory on December 17th. About 50 high school students got together and met with three successful entrepreneurs. One of them is Mr. Shim Yong Hwan, who is the CEO of N History Research Institute. He advised all of us are considerable individual composing of current society, so it's important to have critical thinking and raise social issues' awareness through story of poet of resistance, Yoon Dong Ju in Japanese colonial era in Korea. The students attended had a great time with the speakers and got to think of what kind of job they are dreaming for the future. SeoulYWCA felt also rewarding to make this event happen! We hope the students(mainly Y-teens) keep dreaming and achieving what they want with Seoul YWCA!

 On the December 9th, Seoul YWCA had a big worship for Christmas and celebrating 94th anniversary. All the committee members, former presidents, YWCA staffs got together at the grand ballroom hall in the Seoul YWCA building. As a yearly event, committee choir sang merciful hymns that made us more unified within the Lord. We deeply feel thankful for former committee members an former presidents who keep supporting Seoul YWCA all the time. The event was wrapped up with monodrama <Silence> by a theater company Danhong. The show sent us serious message that it's important how to live within the Lord when you face suffering.

Have you known that International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women is on the November 25th? It was designated by the United Nations General Assembly  to raise awareness of the fact that women around the world are subject to rape, domestic violence and other forms of violence; furthermore, one of the aims of the day is to highlight that the scale and true nature of the issue is often hidden. Seoul YWCA conducted a campaign for this day in front of the Myeongdong Cathedral Church.   We distributed "No violence to women!" stickers to campaign participants and collected signatures for Equal Pay for Equal Work.

Seoul YWCA Member Activity Team organized a volunteering program called "Dream Sharing" that makes baby hats for Burmese refugees. The special participants came from Ambassadors' Spouses Association in Seoul(ASAS) composed of various countries' ambassadors' spouses. They are focused on cultural exchange activities and volunteering in  South Korea. There were seven ASAS members taking part in the Dream Sharing; Aissatou NDIAYE from Senegal, Mah Manesh Taherian from Iran, Nehal Selim Hanna Egypt, Chisanga Kapumpa from Zambia, Sarah Bile from Cote d'lvoire, Raheela Nasrullah Khan from Pakistan, Susana Yturry from Peru. Although some of them were not used to sewing and making hats, eventually completed adorable baby hats with Seoul Y committee members' help. These hats will be sent to Maehongson where Burmese refugees are living in. It was such a lovely international volunteering activity with ASAS members. Seoul YWCA wants to show our gratitud

 Seoul YWCA World Fellowship Department has kicked off the preparation of World Friends Youth Volunteering Program for children and women's education in Myanmar. During November 11th ~ 13th and 26th~28th, all of the members had an official meeting to get to know each other, what kinds of activities they are going to make, what items they have to bring. Not only they learn about the volunteering programs itself, but also they had substantial lectures about Official Development Assistance, Sustainable Development Goals that would be necessary to understand why we are doing this abroad. Twenty six members including Seoul YWCA staff as a program manager and Professor Kim Jung Mo as a Chief of the team, will have more meetings for preparation to give educational service to children and women in Myanmar.                                * A group photo of all World Friends members                                * Practicing Taekwando for cultural exchange program      

    National Women’s Education Center of Japan hosted a seminar for gender equality themed    "Career Development of Young Women and Girls" during   2nd October - 9th October.  Ms.Choi Bom in charge of Fundraising Department in Seoul YWCA attended the seminar and introduced gender equality policy and its efforts to tackle the gender issues in Korea. Gender issue professionals from Japan, South Korea, Philippines, Cambodia, Sri Lanka, Myanmar came to this seminar and they all shared about domestic gender policy and how the countries are developing women's skill-set for getting a job.  

  A new committee member's training course opened on October 21st. Nine members have learned YWCA's vision, mission, organization, and met with senior committee member who has been dedicated to YWCA's activities. Youngdengpo Women Resources Development Center hosted a job fair called "Heart flutter job seeking day!" on October 19th. Youngdeongpo Center prepared for tables where job-seekers are able to meet recruiters from private companies.

Are you familiar with "Social Entrepreneurship" ? Social entrepreneurship is the use of the techniques by start up companies and other entrepreneurs to develop, fund and implement solutions to social , cultural, or environmental issues. This concept may be applied to a variety of organizations with different sizes, aims, and beliefs. Seoul YWCA has decided to apply this concept to Y-Teens to solve social problems and create values through changing themselves and the world.  Sixty high school students(Y-Teens) are taking part in this program and they called themselves "Hero". They implement hypothetic community development and team building project together. This program is funded by Starbucks Foundation. Seoul YWCA is looking forward to Y-Teens learning matured insight to put more values into society and community, not only oneself.

Seoul YWCA had a special guest to its office on the 2nd of November. Ms. Chantanee Molee, the Secretary General of the National YWCA of Thailand. Although she visited South Korea for travel with her college alumni during personal vacation, she kindly made time to visit us and had luncheon with Finance Committee including the President, Ms.Cho and Secretary General, Ms.Yang. Ms.Chantanee also stopped by the National YWCA of Korea to see her old-friend Ms.Yoo who is the Secretary General. Ms.Chantanee got informed regarding current programs of YWCA in Korea and take a short tour to Seoul YWCA building. Seoul YWCA was really happy to see her in our office, and will continue the close relationship between two Y.

Bongcheon Social Welfare center opened a "Youth volunteering school" during Aug 8th~11th.  It delivered basic understanding of volunteering, ICT skills for seniors, planning skills for community festivals which contribute to community development.    Nowon women's development center hosted partner corporation meeting on July 8th. The 17 CEO of the partner companies and HR managers got together and discussed in-depth employment network and evaluate Nowon's service for job-seekers. Nowon will strengthen the relationship with the partners and expand stable working places for the people use the Nowon's services.

Seoul YWCA's World Fellowship Department has implemented regional assessment in Yangon from Aug. 31st to Sep. 6th. Our major objects to visit Yangon are to figure out a possibility to build a sustainable women’s capacity development center based on the National YWCA of Myanmar and to look for an opportunity to contribute to women’s income generation activities through social business consulting center.                   * Women living in Hmawbi are listening to the survey's aim and necessary information.   The WFD team and the national YWCA of Myanmar have met 120 women in Hmawbi(Small township in Yangon state) to do a survey regarding their general living condition and their needs for vocational skill training. Also, the team has met a number of stakeholders who would affect building a women's vocational training center, such as Women Development Center run by Yangon city government and Pann Nann Ein, a social enterprise that works with disabled producers. Seoul

It has been scorching days for a while in Korea. Despite the weather, there are beautiful people who shared their talents for a place in need.     Seoul YWCA and Starbucks Korea did a volunteering activity which drew wall painting on the Seongdong Youth Center. Seoul YWCA staffs, DCS(District CSR Specialist) Starbucks Korea, and Seongdong Youth Center alternative school students, all 68 people got together to make better environment of the Youth Center building.   Since the Youth Center has been built long time ago, there have been a number of places to be renovated. Thankfully, the drawing wall painting changed whole appearance of the classrooms, club activity rooms, stairs, even hallway.     In four hours, Seongdong Youth Center has reformed to a "Space for the positive change" with dreams and hopes on the paintings.       Seoul YWCA appreciates DCS Starbucks Korea staffs' efforts and hopes to work together again for

■ Duration: 1 July ~ 17 July 2016 (17days 15nights) ■ Location: Dar es Salaam, TANZANIA ■ Number of Participants: 33 persons in total (Including 1 professor and 2 staffs) ■ Organization: Tanzania YWCA, Kijitonyama elementary school, Tegeta vocational school, Maendeleo middle school, Good neighbors of Branch of Tanzania, etc. ■ Main Activities 1) Education Activities 1. IT education - Hardware: Computer assembling and repair practice, computer management, etc. - Software: Installation of Software, The use of Software programs (Word, PowerPoint, Excel), etc. 2. Elementary school · Middle school education - Mathematics, English, Arts, Music, etc.     2) Effort Service Activities 1. Computer repair and Building Computer room (At YWCA of Tanzania) 2. Making a flower garden and painting on an external walls of building (At Tegeta vocational school) 3. Development of a Classroom, making new desks and chairs

  Peace in Asia is an exchange program for the sake of Burmese women refugee living on the Thai-Burma border, and it has been organized by Seoul YWCA and sponsored by Sungjoo Faoundation. This year marks 9th anniversary of Peace in Asia which has continuously carried on its supporting programs through interactions with the Burmese refugees living near Mae Hong Son.   Peace in Asia ultimately and firstly aims to have the Korean youth who join this program experience 'self-reformation' and its secondary goal is to make a change in a society through changes of each participant. Though the depth and length of their change might differ respectively, each and every participant whose mindset, attitude toward life and world view get changed is entrusted to make the world better than ever before, and this is the firm belief and foundation that Peace in Asia has stood upon.   Now let's explore what we have done in Thialand though pictures.   *Games with Thail

  Gender equality education Boncheon Social Service Center carried out gender equailty education five times from May 14th to June 14th. The participants were the staffs and managers from child care institutes, and they learned basic gender equality concepts, gender discrimination case studies, teaching method for children. They realized the importance of gender equality and promised to actively raise awareness at workplace.          Campaign for International day of domestic workers   Women's Capacity Building Department did a campaign for International day of domestic workers on the June 16th. International Labor Organization voted for an international treaty to guarantee the basic rights of domestic workers. Seoul YWCA pledged to make our voices strong and loud to demand our government to review national laws and practices and reform them into line with the Convention and its accompanying recommendations.             Consumer and Environment Departm