Volunteers plan cleanup of Guryong

Published on 2012/06/23 | Source

By John Redmond

Volunteers will return to Guryong to clean up trash in the village and the river on June 23. People from the expat and Korean communities will roll up their sleeves and fill as many bags with trash and debris as possible to help prevent pollution from washing into the streams this summer.

Guryong Village is a settlement located on the outskirts of Gangnam, in the shadows of Seoul's predominantly affluent middle class district. Residents of the village face abject poverty. Some of them, especially the elderly can barely afford to survive. The housing is not safe and much of it is dilapidated. Pollution in the village is another major problem and source of concern and the residents are always in need of assistance.

One of Guryong's worst pollution problems is the accumulation of trash in the rivers. Most garbage from homes is dumped onto the mountain side and is then washed into the streams during the ra iny season, causing the local streams to flood the area. This summer, Mannam International volunteers will help to prevent this from happening.

Members of the public are asked to join in efforts to achieve a clean, pollution free village for the residents of Guryong.

Volunteers are advised to wear old clothes that they don't mind getting dirty _ preferably long pants, long sleeves, and ra in boots if possible because some areas are wet and muddy. Sunscreen, hats, visors and bug spray are also highly recommended as all the work will be done outdoors. Lunch and drinks can be purchased at local village stalls which would help support the village economy.

Thanks to the work of over 300 volunteers, Mannam International's winter project at Guryong was a huge success. A total of 4,500 coal briquettes used for cooking and to provide warmth were donated to families in the village who could not afford to buy them. This provided 45 families enough warmth to survive the winter.

Please note that in the event of ra in, the cleanup project may be postponed to June 30. To join, you may register at http://www.mannamintl.org/guryong-clean-up.html. Any inquiries may be addressed to Michael Owen on 010-2126-8802 or Peter Chung 010-3565-7916. (Association website is www.mannamintl.org)