Last summer, we carried out free meal service in Saitama, Japan, as the ASEZ young adult worker volunteer group. We volunteered to help a cafeteria that provides free meals to children who do not have meals for various reasons. Although it was not easy to work in the kitchen in the boiling hot weather, we joyfully rolled up our sleeves, imagining the children would enjoy the meals. Thinking that it would be good to make happy memories, we also wholeheartedly arranged traditional Korean folk games and snacks.
On the day of the volunteer service, we had to make some changes in our plan due to an unexpected situation in the kitchen, but we greeted the kitchen staff with bright smiles and carried out our changed plan. As the meal time was approaching, children came into the cafeteria one by one. We helped distributing food to the children, and recommended experiencing Korean culture after they finished their meal. They had much fun, putting on Hanbok [Korean traditional clothes] and played top-spinning. Their parents and guardians who visited the cafeteria too spent joyful time, taking photos of the children. After our volunteer service was over, the representative of the kitchen staff and the publicist came to us and thanked us for working hard despite the hot weather.
On our way back home, our whole body was wet with sweat as if we had a shower. Even so, we were full of smiles and happiness, estimating the happiness of a mother who sees her children enjoy the food that she made wholeheartedly and have fun time happily without any worries.