Self-support Activity Center Creates Hope

- discussion by coordinators of self

-support activity center -

Bae, Jin-Kyung   KWWAU Head of Public Relations

Moderator : Thank you for coming. It's really nice to see everyone in one place. Perhaps we can start off with a short briefing on the situation of self-support activity center in your respective areas.
Hong : In the case of Seoul, we were designated as a self-support activity center by the Guro local office in March 2001. We operate a common workshop for women and 15 women are participating in making stickers and completing pieces of sewing work. We have operated a sewing room since 1998 with the onset of the IMF crisis. First-class sewers came together to form this sewing room when they lost their jobs during the economic crisis. At the moment, 10 workers are fully employed most of the time and  monthly profits are high. There are low seasons but they have overcome them very well. We are entering our third year as a community and as a designated supporting center, we intend to turn the sewing workshop into a self-help community.
Jeong : Incheon started off with a sewing union set up under the Incheon KWWAU in 1996 and based on this, we were designated as a self-support activity center in August 2000. Free private nursing which started in July 2000 as commissioned by Incheon city, has become the basis for a profit-making private nursing community. There are 5 people in the lunchbox community, 10 participated in cutting the odds and ends of clothing. Of the 10, 3 are beneficiaries and 7 members of the local neighborhood. The profit-making private nursing community has sent 2 persons as leased workers and 10 people are receiving education. As part of the self-help projects, 15 participate in free housing repairs and 15 work as free private nurses. Free housing repair work and free private nursing work will be continued in the future as communities.
Kim : Bucheon has 35 women (who have received training in 1999 under the women householders' comprehensive training program and who have formed a collective called Durea, working as household helpers, mother's helpers (helping new mothers to take care of themselves and help with the baby) and private nurses. This was the basis for the start of the self-support activity center. We were designated as a supporting center in August  2000 and conditional beneficiaries were entrusted to us since last December. Last year, we emphasized group dynamics and education and projects were activated only this February. The welfare private nursing project was accepted as self-support activity work and upgraded in April with 44 people participating. 17 work as private nurses and 10 in community food projects. 7 are in the sewing project but as there is no space available yet for a common workshop, sewing work is just undertaken as sideline job. Straw craft work is being considered as a new project to be undertaken.
Jo : Ansan has created a Hansarang lunchbox community of women householders in 1999. Five women and the KWWAU invested a million won each, creating the third floor of the KWWAU into the facility required. However, as all the participants were women householders, it was difficult for them to start work early and all left the community. At the moment the project has been designated as a public self-support activity center and we provide support for other similar communities. There is room for 20 and 16 people are participating in the activity. In June 2000, a sewing community was started but owing to low needlework skill, most of our clients who were clothing exporters left us and we did not have enough work to meet the minimum wages. In addition, there was a strong tendency of the women to depend heavily on the KWWAU. At the present, the thread and needlework as part of the self-help project has been changed to a clothing completion project with 20 people participating. Partially-made clothing is brought from a sewing factory and completed. In July 2000, a comprehensive training program was undertaken and volunteers and self-help workers decided to open a common business, receiving more education and operating a community.
Jeong : Self-support activity center are at a disadvantage in the market economy. We are small, poorly skilled and yet have to create a profit. So as a long term prospect, we have decided to provide free meals to the elderly living alone and to young children who have to miss their meals. We are taking these activities as public projects and intend to ask the local government office to help us protect our market. It was a mistake for us to enter the lunchbox market so aggressively in the beginning. We did not have enough skill or money to compete with the existing businesses. Two thousand won is provided for children who have to miss their meals and as the childcare and after-school centers did not have enough people to cook for them, we were asked instead. Participating in such public projects (packing 100 lunch boxes per day) created enough profit to pay 4 to 5 women. We are not management experts but we needed to create a profit and so we had to change our project direction according to our skill and situation. I think this was the most difficult part in self-support activity center.

Moderator : How is the project progressing?
Jung : I think the lunchbox project and private nursing project is suitable for middle-aged women. When I was working at the Action Center for women's unemployment, I realized that there was no suitable work for these women. So we have created work for them. Another thing connected with self-support activity center was that we have provided welfare services to low-income families through the free housing repair project and free private nursing project. One side gets to work and the other side gets benefited from such projects. The free private nurses project has been well-received as the sick are left alone and have no one to care for them. Our people were proud that they were protecting the lives of the sick. Our free housing repairers were also proud that they were improving the living conditions in downtrodden mud huts. Third, we have rented the common room in the old people's home as a workshop for sideline work. Three people are beneficiaries of the program and  seven from the neighborhood. We realize now that self-help projects are also projects for the local residents. The workshop is not just an ordinary workshop but has become a meeting place for local residents. Residents with low income would drop by to get some work or just for a chat. One of our dreams is to play the role of a local meeting place and provide counseling and education as well as cultural activities in the workshop.
Hong : We have just started in Seoul and it is too early to predict results of the projects carried out. However, we could see changes in the attitude of the participants who are attempting to do something on their own without relying on government support. It is not easy for people to change but we were happy to see attitude changes sprouting. The programs can only be evaluated after a certain time period.
Kim : We have not much to show as results. Our women had worked at many jobs before taking the job as private nurses and are learning the skills and realizing that private nursing could be their lifeline in future. We also realize that other self-support activity center are finding their direction and becoming stable as time went by. On the local level, regulations have been set up last month for self-support activity and self-support funding within the Bucheon regional alliance. The regulations have been legally implemented. This is a big step in activating self-support activity center.
Jo : I don't think there is much difference in Bucheon, Seoul or Incheon and so I expect that the results are similar. We intend to open a cooperative office for 7 women who are working as mother's helpers and household helpers. Many started out in the project because basic living wages were provided but now women have regained their confidence while working and are not afraid to go out and work any longer. This is a big step for the women and toward the success of our project.

Moderator : What are the characteristics of self-support participants and the difficulties faced by them?
Jo : For self-support participants, wages and living expenses are both provided and 1/3 of participants say self-support activity center wages and the pleasure of working are more valuable to them. Another 1/3 say that self-support activity  are easier than steady jobs and so wished to participate in self-support activity center. The other 1/3 comprised of conditional beneficiaries who were forced to participate in self-support activity center to get their living expenses because if they do not participate, their wages would be reduced or cut off completely. The motives of the participants are different and the formation of a self-autonomous community takes time and effort. As such, continuous education and discussions are needed.
Jeong : The women workers were different from the women I met at the Action Center. They were all financially very badly off and in very poor health. I was worried how much these women could achieve in self-support programs. I wondered if our organization has been chosen for self-support activity and designated as a supporting agency for the purpose of overcoming such difficulties. Also, we accept both men and women beneficiaries. During counseling, women are more firm in their purposes to participate in self-support activity center. Women who are often sick and financially badly off would never give up and would just go for any kind of work available. So, we came to the conclusion that there would be possibilities if we concentrate on the women's sector and to gain expertise in certain fields.
Hong : There was a strong sense of futility and victimization among the women. It was emotionally difficult for them to meet people and there was no outside support services other than the basic wages given out. As time passed, the objectives of women's self-support programs became clear to us. Most of the women who came to work have a high sense of responsibility toward their families but their occupational outlook and occupational awareness were lower. It is difficult for us to fulfill such obligations but project participation would be an opportunity for them to become financially independent and help them contribute to society.
Kim : The women who participated in training programs for women householders are sicker than the women who came from the Action Center in our region and have little or no purposes for self-help. It is difficult as they come with no personal hopes but only the desire to remain within the self-support programs. The coordinators had no idea that these programs would grow into independent cooperatives in the beginning. Now we know that self-support programs could advance into independent cooperatives after six months. We must work to achieve this purpose.

Moderator : What kind of changes took place after participation in self-help projects?
Jeong : One of the characteristics was a strong sense of victimization and the tendency to remain indoors but continuous counseling and work participation has brought the women out. They look brighter and happier with the enjoyment of labor. Self-support programs help people to change. Women became healthier and brighter in expression. Additionally, with the passing of the difficult phase, women are turning their attention to other people. Self-support activity center provide more emotional benefits rather than economic benefits.  With emotional stability, women can go forward. This does not seem to happen automatically but through the endless efforts of our coordinators. We believed that they would change and the women lived up to our expectations. We are happy to see the women living with confidence.
Kim : I think it is a really big thing that the women have gained confidence. Working as welfare nurses provide a great deal of satisfaction to our women. They have only thought of themselves with difficulties but when they saw people who cannot move and lying alone, they became more emotionally stable. There was a woman who was very ill and could only work for three days as a private nurse. She was facing great financial difficulties due to bankruptcy and has lost all financial credibility. However, when the person who she was looking after became hospitalized, she put off everything to look after the person in the hospital even on her non-working days.
Jo : It is the same in Ansan. The women were getting plump, gaining 2 to 3 kgs. They all look brighter as they can see their future with hope. Most women work with enjoyment and it is a pleasure to see them change. Their financial situations are becoming better. They have gained confidence and firmer in purpose. They all looked better now.

Moderator: What are the personal changes which took place after coordinating self-support programs?
Jeong : I learn not to give up on people. Before, I would be angered at some wrong behavior and would contemplate whether to end our relationship or believe in the person but I have learn not to make up my mind so quickly. I learn to believe in the potential of people. It was not easy for me to decide and I thought a great deal about the matter. Working with such people was the most difficult.
Kim : Self-help programs allow you to meet people face-to-face. They make you think about people more in depth as self-support programs require much interpersonal relationships. We have to know about personal difficulties, desires and future hopes to build up an effective program.
Jo : You don't let people just pass you by. You look at them with more depth.
Hong : Not a big change but I learn to manage myself very well. We are open to other people and we spend time with them the whole day unlike the Action Center. Being closed up together in small quarters can flare tempers and depress my feelings.  I have learn to control myself in such situations as I could not release my anger on the women.

Moderator: What are the advantages of women-oriented self-helpprograms?
Jeong : It was easier for KWWAU to undertake women-oriented self-support programs as we provide comprehensive counseling. The Hotline for Equality provide legal counseling, the KWTU organizational support and the Action Center abundant experience on how to settle issues. We have long experience in providing women beneficiaries with emotional support through group counseling and education. We also think women-oriented programs are needed after working with both men and women in self-support programs. We found that we were only carrying out general projects and could not concentrate on women workers. Women have their own special characteristics, you know.
Kim : This is informal but we are only accepting women participants in self-support programs. Women enjoy being with other women. Women receive too much stress in their homes and there are some women in the program who avoid men. So women gather together and open themselves to each other.
Jo : Women are more resourceful than the men. It is good that such instinctive resourcefulness is continued in self-help programs. Women are comfortable in groups of threes and fives. It is possible to lead such groups into the formation of a  cooperative in future. That is how I see it.
Hong : In reality, the working experiences of the women are all different. I believe it is the duty of the KWWAU to provide solutions for women workers facing difficulties in employment because they have been cut off from the labor market due to childcare or housework. It is not easy to have this kind of perspective in self-support programs attended by both men and women. So we have the responsibility for setting up a model of women-oriented self-support programs. A different approach is needed for women workers. A comprehensive or emotional approach is needed. That would make the advantages of women-oriented self-support programs clearer and influence the results of the programs.

Moderator : What are your future plans and goals?
Hong : We have plans to increase our sewing room members to 40. We are also thinking about a workhand lease system. We would most probably start by offering free services but eventually would grow into a profit-making cooperative. We also plan to start a women's workshop for sideline work and are thinking about the possible items. We are just about to start and welcome any ideas and suggestions from other people with the same experience.
Jo : We have already carried out self-support programs and are about to start our supporting activities but I don't think there would be much difference in the type of work carried out. We only have to develop more projects and to progress into the  formation of a cooperative. We need to experiment with different types of self-support programs and to create a model in linking welfare and labor.
Kim : We also need to stabilize the projects undertaken and to develop more appropriate projects and also new projects to target fringe markets. We have to find ways to progress into cooperatives and how to set up a model for women-oriented self-support programs. Last year, we concentrated more on structure-building and since the emphasis was on self-support, we must try to achieve some results connected  with self-support programs in the later half of the year.
Jeong : We have more than 50 people participating and hope that they will all become independent within the year. The methods could be through cooperatives or opening businesses. We are trying to set up a program to self-support activity center about 100 people. And also to carry out research and education programs for both the coordinators and participants on the philosophy and future prospects of self-support programs. Since the framework has been established, long term prospects must be set up. We feel more responsibility because we are carrying out the work in the name of the KWWAU.