By Aimee Jachym | President
Most little girls dream of new toys, field trips, or other exciting things. My guess is that most little girls never stop to consider their furniture -- things like their dresser drawers or bookshelves. But up until a few months ago, the girls at Samsungwon, an orphanage in Gumi, South Korea, did not have their own dressers. Rather, they had their own drawer or two in a dresser shared with two or three other girls. They shared bedroom closets and desks with 3-4 other girls, so they really had never experienced furniture that was truly their own.
That changed this fall when KKOOM had the opportunity to replace all of their furniture (for approx. 35 girls) with new pieces. Every middle school and high school girl now has their own wardrobe or dresser (depending on the space constraints of each room), and all of the girls have their own space for clothing, books, and other belongings.
One of the staff members told me, "the girls were so excited about their new furniture that some had trouble sleeping the first night." This really surprised me. I remember the restless nights before the first day of school, excited to see my friends, or before my birthday... but no, I can honestly say, the prospect of a new dresser has never excited me quite like that.
The girls also texted me pictures (which are included in this report) with notes like "our furniture is SOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO pretty! You have no idea!" and "We are really happy. We haven't been this happy in a long time."
Most of us, the supporters of KKOOM, get to live pretty comfortable lives. We have chairs to sit in, desks to study at, tables to eat upon, etc., and we give these items just passing glances and thoughts as we go about our daily lives. But through the lenses of these 35 girls, and the impact that your gifts have had on them, I've seen these basic necessities in a whole new light.
It's not just furniture that you've helped provide. It's a mark of ownership, and thereby, it's a mark of identity. You've helped give these girls a stake in their own lives. Thank you.
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