Harmony Project Group of the Yeonsu-gu Multicultural Family Support Center
Happiness is finding the workplace of your dreams!
Whirrrr~ Whirrrr~
The whirling cacophony of the sewing machine. Women’s busy hands stitch up the day to early morning. It is the sight of Harmony Project Group’s workshop located on the 4th floor of the Topion Building, Yeonsu-gu. Topion building is where Yeonsu-gu Multicultural Family Support Center is housed. Let’s listen to the hopes of married immigrant women who are realizing their dreams of making a new home.
[interview]
Married immigrant women came to this unfamiliar country after getting married to Korean men. The day starts again with the workshop that helps and supports their lives in Korea. The Harmony Project Group is a multicultural & mutual workshop located in Yeonsu-gu Multicultural Family Support Center. At the workshop, the hands of women are very busy.
Harmony Project Group mainly manufactures home-fashion products. From bags and sitting cushions to aprons and pouches carried inside a purse, the products are premium handmade goods that surpass the standards of ordinary products.
Hwachaidol Gorma (age 33), who is head of the Harmony Project Group, says, “In Mongolia, I made most of the clothes that I wear by myself. Before I got married, I picked up how to sew from my mom. Such quickness in visual learning helps me a lot here with my work.”
Like Hwachaidol Gorma , most of the women who work here are originally from Mongolia. They moved to other countries, such as China, and married their Korean husband before coming to this country. Although the home life of married immigrant women is happy, many of them suffer from financial difficulties.
The work they do to overcome such difficulties is usually limited to restaurant work or part-time jobs. These workplaces are often unstable and have a high turnover rate, which only amplifies the financial risks. That is why the Harmony Project Group is the most desirable workplace for married immigrant women.
Work satisfaction among the women of the Harmony Project Group is very high. They work for about 4~5 hours a day and receive about 700,000 KRW a month. Most of the wages are used as educational expenses for their children, but they also use the money to send gifts to their parents in distant lands.
Although the Harmony Project Group’s fixed salary is attractive, the most important benefit that the women gain by working there is the pride of becoming a professional with expert skills. The group’s home fashion products, the main items for this year, are already recognized for their good design and quality fabric. Many organizations in Yeonsu-gu, including the Senior Resource Development Center, gu-offices, and nurseries are in love with the products, which has increased sales.
Father Seo Seong-man of the Yeonsu-gu Multicultural Family Support Center is in charge of Harmony Project Group. He says, “In Yeonsu-gu, there are about 700 families with married immigrant women. Among them, about 500 were registered at the support center as of last year. Most of the women learn the Korean language, share information, and receive job development support here.”
During the past two years, 71 married immigrant women in Yeonsu-gu learned skills from the Harmony Project Group. With the dream of becoming a professional, the women of Harmony Project Group work hard to be a good mother and a skillful worker. The products of the Harmony Project Group can be purchased directly or by mail order.
