[Hope Center to Abolish Poverty and Increase the Rights of Women Workers]
I have hopes now!
Dear Seoul Women Workers' Association
I was so in pain feeling guilty. That's why I tried to work as a part-timer, however, it is not easy to change and payrolls for part-timers were so poor that they are enough just for transportation fees.
However, I can't put my kids in hardship, and so I used my credit cards quite often for private tutoring, cost of living, medical costs and so on. That's why my debts were increasing, and the tuition fee for child care center was quite high, and most of all, medical costs were incredibly high. I felt why life was so tough and wondered why I had to experience the hardships.
I cried a lot, but I always thought of my kid's bright and innocent look. I usually say to myself that I should be brave and powerful when I look at my daughter sleeping beside me. I often say to myself that I shouldn't disappoint her. I would be a beautiful and helpful mother for my innocent kid.
One day, when I was looking at a community information leaflet, I found an advertisement that Seoul Women Workers' Association can support free domestic or child care workers for single parents families. At the first time I felt it's not true. However, when it was true I was so happy. Anyway, I have decided to utilize the chance to upgrade my quality of life.
However, I was so concerned about if child care service worker might visit me. As I am not good at housekeeping jobs, I asked for a domestic helper at the first time. She was hard working and passionate, but with time I needed a child care worker more. I hope the house caretaker was able to help me, but she had to continue to care for her old customer first, and so I had to choose another helper. She is so nice and qualified that she is able to understand mothers and children. She has only two sons, so she said she wants to work for a home where a daughter is raised. She treated my kid like her daughter.
She took care of my kid like her family. For example, she went to library with my kid, played with my daughter on the playground, and took a walk with her, which I couldn't do for her. She even prepared birthday for my daughter, and she is very nice, and so my kid liked her very much, calling her "auntie".
In addition, Seoul Women Workers' Association arranged us to go to have a fun with my families. We (single parents) went to Namee islet in the summer, and to sleigh ride in the winter. We couldn't manage to go to trip if only we had to organize it by ourselves. The NGO prepared lots of refreshments and foods for us, so we didn't need to become concerned about that.
I haven't been to Namee islet before, and I couldn't go to enjoy sleigh rides. I had a real fun. During the last one year when the child care worker visited my home, I can learn several things and paid off all the debts. Now I can carve some hopes in my heart.
Thank you for everyone who helped me. I can water my hopes.
Best regards,
Park Eun-young (a single parent belonging to SWWA)