Last March, Red Cross Youth (RCY) KAIST was founded based on the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement’s philosophy. Since then, it has been active in informing KAIST students of volunteer activities. The KAIST Herald met with Heejae Jang, President of RCY KAIST, and Sangyoon Lee, Vice President, to hear more about the Red Cross philosophy and the activities they perform.
What is RCY?
[Jang] RCY stands for Red Cross Youth, and it is a non-profit organization working for world peace. It is one of the branch organizations of the Red Cross, and its constituents are all member students from elementary schools to universities. It exists in more than 180 nations worldwide, and it stands for humanitarian principles by providing community services that help the needy, teaching educational programs that promote health and safety, and more.
When and with what purpose was RCY KAIST founded?
[Jang] RCY KAIST was founded in March of last year. Starting the RCY in KAIST was actually a professor’s idea. He thought that it was a pity many students in KAIST did not do any sort of volunteer work, and figured an organization like RCY is what is needed to encourage more students to volunteer. By doing volunteer work and sharing what they have, one of which could be knowledge, the professor thought that KAIST students would be happier and would find more meaning in their lives.
What are some of the activities that RCY KAIST has done so far, and what others are planned for the future?
[Jang] Some of the activities arranged by the Korean Red Cross are campaigns on saving lives, PCR education, first aid education and collecting stationery to deliver to children in developing countries. Apart from these, RCY KAIST has been holding a weekly science class on Saturdays at a child care center for orphanages. We also plan to deliver toys to underprivileged children for the upcoming Children’s Day, so we are currently collecting toys for that purpose. Blood donations on campus used to be managed by the KAIST Student Welfare Council, but now we plan to take over. It has not yet been decided for sure, but for now we want to also plant trees on Arbor Day. Additionally, picking up garbage near Gapcheon river is planned as well. Except for some activities that require a high degree of consistency, many of the activities that RCY KAIST organizes are open for all KAIST students to participate, even if they are not RCY members.
Currently, there is already a club for volunteer activities, and students also volunteer individually as well. What sets RCY KAIST apart?
[Jang] Well, there is nothing more “special” about the volunteer activities that we do. The difference, however, is that RCY KAIST is founded on the Red Cross philosophy. It is no grand philosophy, but is one that champions humanitarian principles, emphasizes a strong sense of service to society and values devotion to social work.
What were your motives for taking your respective roles at RCY KAIST?
[Jang] I graduated both middle and high school in Canada, and during that time I did a lot of volunteer activities. Among them, I volunteered at a recycling center for four years and visited a nursing home almost every week. Seeing that many of the activities of RCY KAIST are what I had already done in Canada, I figured that I could do a good job executing those activities once I became the President of RCY KAIST.
[Lee] The same goes for me as well. I attended high school in the Philippines, and because it is a relatively poor country there were a lot of chances for volunteer work. In high school, I also participated in an organization that arranged volunteer activities for my school, and I hoped to utilize this experience to provide more changes for KAIST students as the vice president.
Do you have any last comments?
[Jang] RCY KAIST is not like a regular club that has limitations on receiving students, and is open to all students as long as they fulfill the necessary five hours of volunteer services prior to application. That is why I hope that one day all students at KAIST would be RCY KAIST members. You will know if you do volunteer work that there is more to gain from the experience than there is to give in volunteering.
[Lee] Whatever activity one does, it is always best to put one’s best efforts into it. I am sure there will be people who join RCY KAIST only for the volunteer hours, but I really hope that people would just enjoy volunteering itself. If you do so, you will surely accumulate more than enough volunteer hours before you even know it. A show of sincere effort during volunteer activities is all I ask for.