Life in a Korean Orphanage
All of our Korean projects are housed in group homes. These facilities receive some support from the Korean government, but that funding has been cut dramatically in recent years. Consequently, the support we provide to our Korean children is now more important than ever.
Some of the children in these homes are orphans, but many were born to young, unwed women who were unable to care for them. Children often live in these facilities from infancy to adulthood. Upon graduation, they typically go to work or attend trade school or university. It is not uncommon for a child who grew up in a group home to later return to that institution as a teacher or social worker.
The children typically study for many hours each day:
The typical group home has an on-site library:
Staff strive to feed the children a healthy, balanced diet. Most snacks consist of fruits and vegetables:
The group homes are usually housed in comfortable, modern buildings:
The dormitories are structured so that the children live in family-like groups of five to ten people:
Here, a group of children costumed as royalty perform a skit for Foreign Division Director Luis Bourdet:
In accordance with Korean custom, many children sleep on mats on the floor (which is heated), but some homes contain bunk beds:
The youngest residents receive special care and attention:
Many homes offer music classes:
This building contains both living quarters and classrooms for kindergarteners:
