Dear All,
This article written by a 15 year old Korean boy whovisited Nepal.
Nepalese complain about the caste system and corrupt officers. They openly vent their anger against the government. But have they everthought About Nepal's real problems? I believe that they have not. I want to say that Nepal's real problems are lack of patriotism among the people and lack of love for one another. This is the conclusionI have reached during my stay. This summer, I did voluntary work from July 5 to July 30 at FHI Ever Vision School, Matatirtha,Kathmandu. Let me first tell you about my country, Korea. This might help youunderstand my point. Just after the Korean War, which claimed lives of more than 5 million Koreans, Korea was one of the poorest countries in the world. Without natural resources, Korea had nochoice but to desperately struggle for its survival by all means.Under this gloomy situation, Koreans envied other Asian countries like Japan, Taiwan, and Nepal. Korean government officials werehorribly corrupt. With the dual classes of Yang ban (nobles) andangnom (peasants), Korean society was sickening day by day. However,Koreans, having determination to become rich, overcame the unfair social structure and put the country onto the track of development.When the former president Park Jung Hee took over the government,there were few factories in Korea. Korea could not attract loans or expect foreign investments. Under these circumstances, PresidentPark 'exported' miners and nurses to then West Germany . The salaries that they earned were used to building factories and promoting industrialization of Korea. In 1964, when President Park visitedthen West Germany, the miners and nurses asked the president whenthe Koreans would become rich. The president replied, crying with the miners and nurses, that someday the Koreans would become rich.Many of Korean scientists and engineers, who could just enjoycomfortable lives in the United States, returned to Korea with onlyone thing in their mind: the determination to make Korea the most powerful and prosperous country in the world. They did their besteven though their salaries were much less than what they would havereceived in other countries. The Koreans believed that they have the ability to change their desperate situation and that they must make the country better, notonly for themselves but also for the future generations yet to come. My parents' generation sacrificed themselves for their families and the country. They worked 14 hours a day, and risked their livesworking under inhumane conditions. The mothers, who went to work in factories, fed their babies while operating machines in dangerousenvironments. They always tried to teach their children the truevalue of 'hard work'. Finally, all of these hard works andsacrifices made the prosperous Korea that you see now. Nepalese, have you ever cried for your country? I heard that many of Nepali youth do not love their Nepal. I also heard that they want toleave Nepal because they don't like caste system, or because theywant to escape the severe poverty. However, they should be the first ones to voluntarily work for Nepal's development, not the first ones to complain and speak against their country. I have a dream thatsomeday I would be able to free the souls from suffering from the underdeveloped countries, anachronistic customs and the desperatehunger. My belief has become stronger than ever after seeing thereality in Nepal. A child with a fatal disease who doesn't haveenough money to buy a pill; a child living in what seems like apre-historic dwelling and not having the opportunity to receive education; and a student who cannot succeed, no matter how hard hestudies, just because of the class he comes from. A society, in which wives not only take care of children but also work in thefields, while their husbands waste their time doing nothing; asociety in which a five-year-old must labor in a brick factory tofeed herself. Looking at the reality of Nepal, I was despaired, yet this sense of despair strengthened my belief. I already know that many of the Nepalese are devout Hindus. However, nothing happens ifyou just pray to hundreds of thousands of gods while doing nothing. It is the action that you and Nepal need for the better future. For Nepal and yourselves, you have to show your love to your neighborsand country just as you do to Gods. You know that your Gods will be pleased when you work for the development of your country andimprovement of your lives. Therefore, please, love your neighborsand country. Teach your children to love their country. And love theworking itself. Who do you think will cry for your Nepal? Who do you think will be able to respect the spirit of Himalayas and to keepthe lonely flag representing it? You are the ones responsible forleading this beautiful country to a much brighter future. Thisresponsibility lies on you.
(The writer is a 15 year-old student of Hankuk Academy of ForeignStudies, South Korea).
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