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PAY IT.. ..FORWARD
by giving back
THE MISSION
As an infant teacher, one thing I really do not enjoy is changing cloth diapers. Our regulations require us to leave the diaper as is and not dispose of the contents. I understand this is not only enviormentally friendly, but also cost efficent. However, the unwed mothers and foster mothers supported by ESWS do not use cloth diapers for either of those reasons.
These mothers have no choice in the matter due to high living expenses and inflated prices of diapers in South Korea. Being a single mother in Korea is not only stigmatized, it is only frowned upon by society and the government severely hindering their opporotunties to receive financial aid.
This picture is a photo I took at the Eastern Social Welfare Society's main lobby. The cafe supports unwed mothers. Each cup of coffee, tea etc provides financial support to a unwed mother in need of assistance.
One moment that really touched my heart and impacted my personal journey happened after the truck pulled up with the diapers shipment. My social worker pulled me aside and informed me how important these diapers were to them as well as the foster/unwed mothers in need. She told me that foster mothers and some unwed mothers still used cloth diapers due to lack of funds to support a child.
At my center, I have seen really nice cloth diapers in a variety of colors and patterns. However, these are not what she was referring to in this moment. I could not imagine a child that you support, love and cherish and being faced with the fact that you can not afford to provide for them.
It broke my heart and really made me feel like what I did, along with those who supported the cause, really made a difference in the lives of others. I am so motivated to help these nameless, faceless individuals again because whatever I gave from my pocket deeply impacted their child's quality of life.
My birth mother and I April 2014 Seongnam South Korea
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