Global Volunteering in Mongolia

In July 20th, the fifth KNU Student Global Volunteer Corps has left for Ulaanbaatar of Mongolia at Incheon International Airport. The KNU has started recruiting students as a member of Global Volunteer Corps from April 2015.A student who passes the application review processes and the interviews is eligible to participate in the group. A total of 35 students compose a group including 19 women and 16 men. The entry fee is ₩500,000 per person. It’s supposed to leave from June 29th to July 12th. But it was canceled, thence implemented from July 20th to August 2 again. The group has been to Mongolia for twelve days fourteen nights. It is comprised of six teams. Taekwondo team 1, taekwondo team 2, samulnori team, health care team, education team, mural team. Each team has prepared education program as number of team members and team program according to their characteristics.An Interesting thing is that there’re also K-pop dance teams. Students work both their original team and K-pop team. In other words, one person belongs to two teams.

First impression of Mongolia

First of all, you can feel the Mongolia’s weather. It is dry and ultraviolet rays are deliriously intense. But if you stay in the shade, it feels a little chilly. So sunblock and sunglasses are essential items before leaving for Mongolia because of the intense UV. At the street, there’re interesting traffic laws compared to the Korea. While pedestrians are given priority over vehicular traffic in Korea, the situation in The Mongolia is exactly opposite way. Therefore I couldn’t really say for sure that the car will miss you when being in the process of jaywalking.

At the Khumuun tsogtsolbor Elementary/Middle School

The fifth KNU Student Global Volunteer Corps has worked for the first time at the Khumuun tsogtsolbor Elementary/Middle School. Volunteering period was from July 21th to 26th. It was categorized as working, education and cultural interchange.

The working volunteering was comprised of painting murals mainly. School requested to remodel the shabby classroom. Students removed the old windows, stripped the old walls, and redecorated the old classroom. Mural team has taken painting. They have done their best to give children a beautiful painting. As a result, finished painting was excellent enough to attract many people trying to take a picture.

All the teams have worked the education volunteering by turns. It has worked two teams a day. Learning the Korean language, making peony blossom pop-up cards, kite-flying, decorating glass, coloring fingernails with balsam, decorating a Korean traditional dress. These programs are good for children’s emotional cultivation and can develop closeness with them. Especially the programs are popular with children that can promote Korea like ‘Learning the Korean language’.

Cultural interchange volunteering was composed of K-pop performances. The K-pop teams are made up with 3 men's team and 3 women's team. These teams had prepared Korea idol dance before went to Mongolia to show a fabulous performance to the children. This is the performance list.  BEAST's Beautiful Night, Big Bang's High High, Block B's JACKPOT, Wonder Girls' Nobody, Apink's Mr. Chu, T-ARA's Roly-Poly. At that time, reaction of the children was very hot.

It was like we were at the K-pop concert.

At the Jyaniogalhang Nursery

Second volunteering place was Jyaniogalhang Nursery. It lasted for a day from July 28th to the next. In the interest of time, volunteering was focused on working. They built a new playground that includes sandpit, seesaw and shade canopy. Men mainly did a hard work and women prepared a meal at a nursery kitchen.

Exploration of Mongolia Culture

On the last leg of the schedule, the Corps went to Terelj National Park.

They stayed at the Ger that is a traditional house and enjoyed various activities from July 30th to August 1st. Those activities were Horse Riding Experience, Barbecue party, Ger Experience and Touring the National Park. So they could relieve fatigue of volunteering. Terelj’s landscape created an atmosphere of a beautiful and peaceful wonderland.

The Mongolia Global Volunteering for 14 days gave all the members unforgettable vacation. Warm affection formed with their beloved children will remain precious memory. Also they got chums with each member. It is said that they keep in touch also at Korea. The sixth KNU Student Global Volunteer Corps will be formed this winter. They will leave for Cambodia. Why don’t you try it? I’m sure that it will be an invaluable experience.