Q1. Please introduce yourself briefly!
Hello! I am Kang Ji-yeon, working as a MAP volunteer in the second half of 2022. I am in charge of the Good Samaritan Scholarship Program this time. Because of the nature of the program, I interact directly with refugees, so I feel a great sense of responsibility. I want to take it as an opportunity to look more deeply into their lives and grow together.
Q2. Please tell us your motivation for joining MAP.
Last semester I went to Russia as an exchange student, and as it happened a war broke out there. It made me realize and reflect that I had been far too indifferent to what happens around us, and to war and refugees. I also came to feel the importance of the state and its protection, which I had not noticed before because it was so taken for granted, and I developed concern and sympathy for the people who cannot enjoy what is taken for granted. After coming back to Korea, while looking for what I could do for them, I saw MAP’s call for volunteers, and the more I learned about the organization, the more I wanted to work with it, so I applied.
Q3. When do you feel most like yourself?
I think I am someone who feels proud when I can be of help to someone. I do not do it expecting something in return or on purpose, but such actions seem to come out naturally. (Or maybe not, haha) I also feel excited and thrilled when I take on something new. In that sense, working at MAP will be a new challenge for me!
Q4. What do you think our society needs most right now in order to become a better society?
I think we need to take an interest in our surroundings. I think many things begin from a small interest. Lately I have felt strongly that no one exists independently and that we are all connected somehow. If responsibility is added to this, I think interest can be turned into action.
Q5. What gives you your own small but certain happiness?
I feel a gentle happiness when I am in a space of my own. Whether it is watching Netflix on the bed with a candle lit, or going to a favorite cafe to read a book, having a space of my own that I can go to whenever I want feels truly cozy.
Q6. Finally, what kind of ‘change’ do you want to bring about through your work at MAP?
The program I am in charge of is a scholarship program, and one of my main tasks is to make plans for the future together with the scholarship recipients and carry them out. So I want to help the scholarship recipients achieve what they want through the program, so that they feel that things have changed between before and after receiving the scholarship! I also hope that, in the process of helping them, I can think about my own future and find a direction.
