Taking advantage of the winter break, the volunteer corps from Dankook University’s two campuses traveled overseas to volunteer in Cambodia and Vietnam.
On January 6th, thirty-one members of the Jukjeon campus Overseas Volunteer Corps, led by Professor Sung-soon Park, departed for a 12-day trip to visit and volunteer at the Tatok School in Siem Reap, Cambodia. After serving meals through Dail Community’s Babfor Services, volunteers taught students math, science, Korean culture, and art, and painted a mural at the school. They also made a donation to fund a parking area where students could store their bicycles, which will create a better learning environment.
On the same day, thirty members from the Cheonan campus Overseas Volunteer Corps, led by Professor Byeong-gu Song, also embarked on a ten-day journey to volunteer at the Trương Văn Hai Primary School in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam. Volunteers taught children Korean language, science, art, and physical education, helped paint school facilities in addition to a mural. It was even more meaningful with students majoring in Korean language and culture at nearby Van Lang University joining the group to extend a helping hand as interpreters. After volunteering at the primary school, the DKU delegation visited Van Lang University where they had the opportunity to engage in further cultural exchanges.
“I went [on this trip] to give, but I received so much love in return from the children there,” said Heeju Yun, a senior majoring in communications who was in charge of the art class in Cambodia. She added that “[I] would like to continue taking part in sharing with others through volunteering and making donations, even after graduating.”
Hyowon Kim, a senior majoring in English who volunteered in Vietnam commented, “we stayed up all night getting the programming ready, but it was worthwhile seeing how the children enjoyed what we had prepared,” and went on to say, “volunteering in Vietnam was a priceless experience that made me realize the power of education and the importance of communication between different cultures.”
The Dankook University volunteer corps were founded in 2007 and have been actively conducting volunteer work both at home and abroad ever since. Over the years, more than 2,500 students and faculty members have traveled overseas to practice Dankook’s guiding principles of ‘truth and service’ in other countries, including Mongolia, Cambodia, Vietnam, Nepal, Uzbekistan, Indonesia, and Laos.
