Most people think of volunteer work as helping unfortunate neighbors or the elderly who live alone, or working at an orphanage. A volunteer is someone who does work without being paid for it because they want to do it. Volunteers also help not only psychologically and materially but also sharing knowledge through teaching. Lately, the cost of private educational institutes is increasing and the enthusiasm for education in Korea is really high but these things weigh heavily upon the childern of lower-income families. So, in Seoul, there is one volunteer service called the “Dong-haeng project” which is very helpful for these people.
The Dong-haeng project stands for "Younger brother happiness guide°Ø. Undergraduate volunteers teach main school subjects to students from elementary to high schools. This system can °∞killing two birds with one stone°± because, first, students can learn and second, they can close the educational gap.  Undergraduates can also get university credit for attending the project. There are 27 universities currently participating in the Dong-haeng project. At KMU, students can join and become volunteers during the semester and get credit. Undergraduate volunteers can select the area, time slot, relief recipient and program contents. They can also have many good memories, realize the importance of doing volunteer work and learn how to care for other people by attending this program.
Oh Eun Kyoung, team leader of Dong-haeng project, said, "Undergraduates can select subjects according to their major. They can then demonstrate their abilities by participating in volunteer work. It is a good chance to improve leadership, promote relationships and community spirit and enhance pride through recognizing the value of volunteer work. Students from elementary to high school can also improve their academic achievement by associating with undergraduates. Most of all, the greatest  effect is to create a learning environment and reduce the educational gap." She also introduced some heartwarming story to us. She said, "Han-sae Cyber Security High School used a temporary building during the construction of its school. There were so many cases of starving students but volunteers put food in a locker placed at the subway station and sent a message to the high school students, when they pass A-Hyeon, the nearest closing subway station from school."
 In the Dong-haeng project, there are 608 elementary, middle and high schools with a total of 50,053 students and 4,964 undergraduates attending. Among them, 269 Kookminians volunteered actively. Kookmin University Lee Seung Ki (Dept. of Electrical Engineering Major) leader said, "I used to get help from others but now I helped other people, so I felt proud and that it was worthwhile. Although undergraduates don't have the technical skills like an instructor, they can understand a student's heart better than anyone else. We try cheering and giving hope to students by counseling. Student can also improve their academic achievement through studying one-on-one. First of all, I am sure that it's  a valuable asset to meet many people doing volunteer work. Please, stay tuned for many more attractions about this program."  If you attend the Dong-haeng project, you can get a chance to go abroad at no cost for 2 weeks. It will be a great experience and you will receive a scholarship.
 Although the volunteer work time of undergraduates is short, it's a valuable time.  As the saying goes "The roots of education are bitter, but the fruit is sweet.°Ø Undergraduates may have trouble teaching lower-income children but the result will be very hopeful. Their teaching was a great encouragement to their students. We expects that in the future those students will also give help to someone else in return.