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[김성렬교수의 시사영어] House of Hope
"As I think of setting foot into my house, which I acquired by saving day by day, penny by penny, I feel as if I'm starting my life anew." Both Koh Chang-yoon(52) and Kim Seung-geuk(49) expressed this sentiment at a noodle shop run by Keumjung Hope House, a homeless shelter located in Suhdong Keumjunggu, Busan on February 18. The Hope Noodle Village opened in April last year to raise the homeless back on their feet by giving them paying jobs. Mr. Koh serves noodles here, and Mr. Kim is in charge of delivery.
Together with the other homeless in the shelter, these two men began respectable work at the noodle shop 10 months ago, saving diligently a sum of 3 million won, which they used recently to rent a place in Suhdong. Next week they plan to move into their new home.
"In the fall of 2005, I collapsed from a stroke. For 8 years before it struck me down, I had been living in a cheap rental building. The stroke paralyzing partially my body and speech, I cut my connection to my family, not wanting to be a burden. I spent my days in Jejudo, where I'm originally from, and then, resolving to die, I came to Busan last May," said Mr. Koh.
He gave a shy and awkward smile as he related the irony of ultimately finding hope being determined to die. By saving what and whenever he could from his monthly salary (800,000 to 1,000,000 won), he managed to secure 3 million won for a down payment.
According to Mr. Koh, "once I started working, my health became better and better." He revealed his dream for the future: "I want to begin a new life in a new house."
With a son, who will soon join the army, and a daughter, who will soon enter high school, Mr. Kim divorced his wife 10 years ago because of economic difficulties. Having also endured hard times, once putting his children into an orphanage, Mr. Kim was full of high hopes at the prospect of moving into a new house with his children. He had been living together with them on the second floor of a daycare center through the kindness of Keumjung Hope House's Director, who also happened to be the head of the daycare center.
"My daughter is so happy that she has her own room. I want to work hard and move into a bigger and better house," Mr. Kim said.
Looking at these two men raising themselves up, the other homeless have their own dreams for the future. Kim Geuh (49), who entered Keumjung Hope House last month, remarked, "I have lived for the past 5 to 6 years separated from my family after my business failed. Although I have never worked in a restaurant kitchen, my effort will be ceaseless until my family and I are together. That is my dream."
According to Keumjung Hope Houses Director Choi Joo-ho, "because of societal prejudice against the homeless, it is not easy for them to find employment. And even when they do find employment, they have no money to pay for food or public transport since they have to wait until they get their monthly salary. Thus they are forced to struggle to keep their heads above water." He hoped that more homeless are able to get back on their feet and obtain their own place to live by using the noodle shop as a steppingstone. < 끝 >
(한글 내용은 www.busanilbo.com 2월 19일자 8면) urizen@dau.ac.kr
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 / 입력시간: 2008. 03.04. 10:04
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