Feeling Alive!
Volunteering at KONA
Written by Nayan Das.
What makes someone feel alive? What makes people happy? Why are people around us always so unhappy? These kinds of questions always get tossed around in my mind. In the journey of life, I always look for answers to them.
From my experience, I have come to know that as human beings we are social animals and we need each other’s help. Every person has something unique in them. When we share what we can among the people around us, it makes us feel alive and gives us a sense of satisfaction, which leads to a happy and successful life. So how can we share our talents with society? There may be many ways, but to me, the most effective way is through volunteering.
Four years ago, I joined UNESCO KONA Volunteers, which was founded by Professor Kim Young-im. The purpose of this volunteer organization is not only to teach foreign languages, but also to develop leadership among young kids and to prepare them for the future through different sessions of silent reading. Silent reading activities include buddy reading (more on this in a bit) and reading sessions on topics such as meditation, science, history, folktales, and biographies.
Through these activities, I have had the opportunity to work and learn from young volunteer leaders like Han Sam, Han Byeol, Joon Yong, Seo-jin, and many more. At the beginning, they were my mentors and taught me how to run my sessions. It was and still is a wonderful experience to be a part of the volunteer team. As a UNESCO KONA volunteer, I worked at the KONA Storybook Center, the Gwangju Children’s Home, the GIC, the Daein Market, and a lot of other places. Through this volunteering opportunity, I have been able to meet lots of new people, learn about their cultures, and share my country’s culture. This year, I have been assigned to do volunteer work at the Children’s English Library in Gwangju, and I am greatly looking forward to the experience.
Volunteering at the Children’s English Library is another new experience for me. Going there twice a month, I join with other KONA volunteers Lee Seo-jin, Im Jong-woong, and Yoon Hyun-ji. We read books about geography, history, science, and the cultures of different countries around the world. After reading, we share the knowledge learned with fellow readers, which is a great way of learning, which we call “buddy reading.” After buddy reading, the young readers write a summary of their favorite book of that day.
Sometimes other KONA volunteers from other countries join us, including Tom and Kevan from Canada, Mati from Uzbekistan, and Tiana of the U.K. It is always a great experience. The best part for me is that by volunteering at the Children’s English Library, we are able to make other people curious about our buddy reading program, and they join in to read books with us. It is such a wonderful moment when we can connect through reading books.
Volunteering has always been a big part of my life. I find peace of mind and happiness by serving the society I am in. It is always a learning journey for me. As I said earlier, everyone has something unique to share, and when all these different talents come together, something good always happens. By connecting and sharing with the people around us, we can truly build a happy society. With the dream of a happy and beautiful society, I will continue my journey of volunteering. I hope to see you also on the journey. Let’s make the world a better place for our next generation.
THE AUTHOR
Nayan Das is currently a PhD student at the Gwangju Institute of Science and Technology.He received his BSc from Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology and his MS from Missouri State University, USA. Since his undergraduate studies, he has been part of many volunteer organizations and events such as BADHON ( A Bangladeshi blood donation organization), the Science Olympiad organized by Missouri State University, the Ozarks Celebration Festival , and the Gwangju International Center. Now he volunteers as a member of the UNESCO KONA Volunteers of KONA Storybook Center in South Korea. Email: nayan0314@gmail.com