전남대학교 학생들의 재능기부 활동

 

▲ The Orchestral Club members providing talent donation at the Sonjung Middle School 

  Talent donation recently popularized, has become a trend for people in Korean society. This trend is making university students take an interest in donating their talents and skills to people around them. Talent donation takes a variety of types in different fields including education, music and medicine. It provides valuable experience for students to improve themselves personally and even advance their academic performance outside the classroom. Chonnam National University (CNU) has many students that have participated in talent donation activities individually or in groups. In this article, the Chonnam Tribune met some students who make talent donations and share their talents or skills with others. 

A New Paradigm of Donation

 

  The term “talent donation” originated from the Latin phrase ”pro bono publico (pro bono)” that means ”for the public good”. It signified only a public service of professionals without payment and it is voluntarily. But now its meaning has been extended to voluntary works of ordinary people who have a special talent or a skill in a particular field. Therefore, it is also called ‘talent-based volunteering work’ or ‘skill sharing movement’. It makes the new conception of donation to do some kind of volunteer work with one’s talent, skills or specialties for someone in need. For example, people who are good at singing can contribute their talent by singing in front of the public, and people who are good at teaching can teach others.
  Unlike traditional material-based donations, which are mostly connected with donors and beneficiaries indirectly, talent donation directly connects the donor with the beneficiaries and it may develop into a lasting relationship between them. For that reason, talent donation comes into its own as an advanced form of donation. You may think talent donation is more difficult than other donation forms because it needs special talents or skills. But, it does not require professional or special abilities. It just requires simple skills from daily life and your sincere mind. You can share your simple talent with others while participating in a talent donation program operated by organizations.

Sharing Knowledge and Talent by Teaching

▲The members teaching the late learners at Heemang Yahak.

  Students can donate their knowledge and musical talents by participating in teaching activities. In case of a night school Heemang Yahak, CNU students as teachers have been sharing their knowledge with adults who have not received formal school education or started studying late. It is an intercollegiate club of the same title in Gwangju and it has operated educational programs to teach late learners all subjects from a basic Korean alphabet and elementary courses to high school courses according to the regular curriculum of the Korean public education system. Sometimes they go on a picnic and have a party as part of extracurricular activities. A sub-principal of the night school, Yang Hun-ho (Sophomore, Dept. of Energy & Resource Engineering) said, “At first, my roommate asked me to join this night school and I started teaching for the elderly without any plans. However, now we are strongly connected and interacting closely with each other. I realized I am teaching the elderly students but learning from them at the same time. It is very valuable to share my knowledge with the elderly people and to make a relationship with them.”
  A classical music club “Orchestral Club” at CNU has participated in a talent donation program named the ‘Shouting Sound Project’ supported by the Korea Foundation for the Advancement of Science and Creativity. 11 club members have visited Songjung Middle School, located in Gwangsangu, every Saturday since last August. The middle school first and second graders have been learning how to play instruments from the club members. One of the club members, Lee Sung-hak (Sophomore, Dept. of Physics) said, “We mainly teach them how to play the instruments. I really hope that the students realize the feeling of joy as we do while performing the instruments in front of the audience.” Park Sun-hye (Sophomore, Dept. of English Language and Literature) said, “After participating in the talent donation activity, I feel like my mind is more open than before. I recommend this kind of talent donation to my friends. I am pleased that I can share my talent with others through this activity.”

Providing Medical and Dental Care Services
  There are students who have donated their major specialties by providing public services. Most students of the Department of Nursing at CNU have participated in volunteer work using their vacation time. Hwang So-mi (Junior, Dept. of Nursing) participated in the volunteer program for the marginalized people in nursing homes. “In my case, I started medical service by the recommendation of my professors. One group consisted of four or five members visiting nursing homes such as Bethel Nursing Home and Bitgoeul Senior Welfare Center. We feel there is no difference between my real grandparents and the aged people in nursing homes when we talk and spend time together. For me, this activity becomes not the simple volunteer work but just a kind of friendly meeting like a meeting with my friends,” She added.

▲ Social Medical Group in the CNU School of Dentistry were providing dental care services for the foreign workers.

  The CNU School of Dentistry also has several small groups that contribute their talents to neighbors in need. Among them, Love of God on Society (LOGOS) composed of Christians periodically provides dental service for neighbors in many places from Gwangju and Jeolla province to abroad such as Nepal or Bangladesh. Social Medical Group also runs free dental clinics for foreign workers on alternative Sundays at the Health Examination Center for Foreign Workers in Gwangju with dentist members of the Dental Association for Healthy Society. About 40 students in the master's and doctorate programs take a role of dental assistant and inform the patients correct directions to care for their teeth after receiving the treatment in the clinic. The 11th president of the group, Yoo Kyoung-ho (Sophomore, School of Dentistry) said, “It is a meaningful activity for me and the beneficiaries. I can experience the real treatment process directly with the seniors. At the same time, foreign workers who are marginalized in medical treatment can get practical help.” And he added “For me, I feel happy and rewarded when a patient says “Thank you” in Korean, even though they cannot speak well.”

 Sharing Artistic and Musical Talents

 

▲ Chungchoon Sketch team in the Dept. of Library and Information at CNU drawing pictures on the wall of Gwangju Buk-gu Multicultural Family Support Center

  Others include talent donation by painting murals and performing music concerts. A wall painting team of the Chungchoon Sketch project in the Dept. of Library and Information Science is one of them. All team members do not major in art but are interested in art, especially wall painting. They wanted to share their interest and talents in painting a picture on the wall with others. Last September, with children from multicultural families in Gwangju, they painted pictures on the wall of the Gwangju Buk-gu Multicultural Family Support Center located in Yangsan-dong. Beom Seo-hyun (Junior, Dept. of Library and Information Science) said, “It was our first activity as a wall painting team and a meaningful experience for each team member. We were pleased to share our interest with the children. I hope people be amused by the murals.”
  Wednesday Noon Concert Series, organized by the Office of Student Affairs and the College of Arts at CNU, is also one of the good cases of talent donation. It provides an opportunity for CNU members and residents around the university to enjoy classical music on campus once a month. The first and second concerts were performed by professors and alumni of the music department. Especially, CNU’s classic guitar club will perform at the third concert which will be held on November 19th.

For Whom Is Talent Donation Intended?
  Like the cases which we introduced above, talent donation is a good opportunity for university students to learn the value of sharing through social contribution. However, it is reported that some organizations or corporations take talent donation for granted, and using it in order to save money. It is more prevalent in art fields than other fields. Actually, some students have to bite the bullet and back down on the demand in order to get the certificate of the activities. On the contrary, other students regard talent donation as a career to write down on their resume without sincerity. It is the time that we have to doubt whether the term ‘talent donation’ is used only for its original meaning for the public good. It seems that there is the long way to go to build sound talent donation culture in our society.
  In spite of that, talent donation has positive sides that donors and beneficiaries can share their feelings and that talent donors are respected as an individual with abilities and kindness. Also, it has an important significance in the way that beneficiaries will be a potential talent donor, like the formation of a virtuous cycle. So, if you want to be a part of the cycle, donate your abilities for the people around us.

 By Oh Hee-su, Student Editor

저작권자 © Chonnam Tribune 무단전재 및 재배포 금지