Meeting Helena
Extract from the Diary
by Elisabeth Ullmann
We are given a warm welcome by the SOS mothers and children of the SOS Children's Village Daegu. A number of sweet old ladies also welcome us and we are told that there is a home for retired SOS mothers in the village. The SOS Children's Village Daegu is celebrating its fortieth anniversary in 2003.
In Helena's house we introduce ourselves and the project in more detail. Helena would like to have a copy of our programme, but we tell her that we would like to organise it together with her.
Starting the interview: to begin with, Helena is very reticent. She does not say much and waits for my questions. She explains that it is a strange situation for her with the translator and anyway… a proper interview like this. Normally, Korean women can chat or talk for hours in tremendous detail, but this is a bit different. As time passes, she gets used to the situation and the ice is broken.
Karaoke is on the cards for the evening: Helena and a few of her colleagues are on their way and we are invited to join them. The women are having a great time and are singing their souls out. The disco ball is sparkling in all colours, the monitors are showing beautiful pictures of landscapes from all around the world and the women sing and sing and sing. It is a piece of daily life in Korea.
A visit to Helena's family: we travel for four hours on the bus. Her nephew picks us up and we are taken straight to the nearest restaurant. Food is very important in Korea and, to our tastes, it is extremely good! Following this is a visit to the "old lady". Helena's mother is ninety and lives with her son and daughter-in-law. She is quite weak, has problems walking, but is obviously delighted at our visit. Helena has borrowed a traditional dress which she puts on, in order to pay her respects to her mother, according to tradition. She kneels down before her and puts her forehead on the ground. Then she gives her a present. Michaela, who is accompanying us and is our translator, explains later that this form of showing respect normally takes place at least once a year, usually at New Year.
Helena's Story will be published here soon
All these mother's stories come from SOS Children's Village Hermann Gmeiner Academy. Copyright is reserved and no unauthorized use permitted. Use for non-commercial purposes may be requested. The interviews telling about the lives of some SOS Mothers form part of an interesting study on being a replacement Mother to children in need in SOS Children's communities worldwide.