SEOUL YOUNG LEADERS CLUB – EXPANDING ITS COMMUNITY SERVICE
The Seoul Young Leaders Club (or SYLC) organized its second trash picking event on Sunday 21st November. Covid-19 sanitary crisis forced SYLC members to postpone their regular community service (supporting unwed mothers community) due to the social distancing policy in Seoul as well as to expand their service scope and diversify their activities to keep supporting the local community in need. It rapidly appeared that “protecting the environment”, one of the 7 areas of focus of Rotary International, was not only one of the issues of interest to SYLC members but also to the local community of Seoul. One of SYLC members, inspired by local trash picking actions she saw on social media, mentioned that it would be meaningful for SYLC to organize similar activities.
After approval by members, SYLC decided to start organizing regular trash picking events, gathering small groups of people that would walk along Han River to pick up the leftover detritus that can be found aside from the road. The first event, held at the end of September was a great success and the service was praised by bystanders, local shop owners, and followers on SNS. This motivated the members to organize a second trash picking event in mid-November.
SYLC – EWHA ROTARACT – HUFS ROTARACT – SRC JOINT EVENT
It was a pleasure to receive a very positive answer from Ewha rotaractor (Dahyung) and HUFS rotaractor (Minji), both clubs are supported by the Rotary Club of Seoul (SRC), motherclub of SYLC, that gathered 5-6 of their co-members within one day to attend the SYLC “trash picking event”. Altogether, about 20 Rotarians and Rotaractors from SYLC, Ewha University, HUFS university and former president Sugar Han from Seoul Rotary Club gathered together at Sports Complex station and splitted into small groups to cover the most area possible around Han River and pick up cigarettes, cans, cups and other plastic waste let by bystanders within 2 hours. This event was a wonderful opportunity for members to socialize and meet other young and inspiring Rotarians from district 3650 while doing a meaningful activity.
MESSAGE FROM OUR GUESTS
“We were so happy to be invited to the plogging event, thanks to Maya, the co-president of SYLC. While we were picking the trash, some of the neighboring residents came up and said ‘thank you for the work!’. We were so glad to join this meaningful event and hope our small efforts made a big wave to many of our neighbors. Wish the whole world would remain clean and that someday, we won’t be needed as trash pickers.”
“It was very nice to be able to volunteer together. This activity was a meaningful opportunity not only to purify the environment but also to interact and strengthen with members.”