I felt many things while I was studying in Empower House. One of them was that the fact I was born in North Korea was not a curse as it has often seemed, but at times it rather strengthened me and helped me realize who I really was–discover my identity. There are of course times when it is hard having been born in North Korea, but I also know that it has invited more care and love from other people because I was born in North Korea. As one example, there are so many miracles that happen to me through people who have been like angels in my life. Even in North Korea, where I was born, opportunities for learning were limited, and it had been a while since the word, “study”, was erased from my vocabulary. Through Empower House, however, everything changed. For the past year and two months, I was able to study English through Empower House with the help of teachers and others who have supported us in various ways. Believe it or not, when I first joined Empower House, I could not read, write, listen, or translate any English. However, now, a year later, I am able to express myself in English, albeit in a limited fashion, and understand 70 percent of what I hear. I could not have achieved this without everyone’s help. How much I learned and improved my English at Empower House is obviously important, but more meaningfully, I would never forget the support from all the volunteers and donors who made this achievement possible.
Empower House can be the effective program that it is, thanks to all the people who offer what they can in their present circumstances: some of them share their knowledge by teaching; others share their resources by donations, and; still others sacrifice their precious time so that we can focus on our own development. We cannot thank them enough, and I will never forget their loving care and dedication for us–for me. Everyone who was involved with Empower House was like each brick that builds the foundation of one person’s new life after resettling in a new country. For all of this, I would like to thank everyone again.