The number of South Korean senior citizens affected by poverty in old age is growing. Since the 1980s, a modern, performance- and success-orientated lifestyle has taken hold in South Korea, causing traditional family cohesion to dwindle. The younger generations are often forced to work far away in the big city. Many old, poor and lonely people are left behind.  They do not benefit from the recently introduced pension insurance.

House visits to poor people

Elderly people living on their own are often in great need in Korea. They often have no social network and they need medical and financial assistance. This need is shared by families who fall into poverty. These are mostly single parents, multicultural and refugee families. The Diakonia Sisters care for these people at their homes, together with a network of volunteers. They are usually out and about in the poor suburbs of the port of Mokpos, bringing rice to senior citizens or paying for expensive medication or medical treatments. They have also built several welfare centres together with the city authorities.

During their house visits, the sisters often find grandparents who are still bearing the financial responsibility for their grandchildren. Their parents have died, emigrated or are unemployed so the children stay with their grandparents. But most of them need money themselves to be able provide their grandchildren with financial support. The sisters therefore assume the cost of the grandchildren's education with a scholarship programme and counsel the young people when they have problems at school. With their warm and friendly nature and open ear, the sisters are good counsellors for the young female and male pupils and their grandparents.