On the 31st of last month, Busan General Social Welfare Center's 'Children's Cafeteria' reopened after 4 weeks
Both children and parents satisfied: "Reduces caregiving burden"
Due to high inflation, second half budget borrowing started in June
"Sustained welfare is essential to build a trustworthy society"
On the 31st of last month, the Green Umbrella Children's Foundation Busan Comprehensive Social Welfare Center located in Sujeong-dong, Dong-gu, Busan, opened the 'Children's Restaurant' for the first time in four weeks. A child receiving a lunchbox. / Photo by Green Umbrella Children's Foundation
[Asia Economy Reporter Gong Byung-sun] "Can you carry this?" When a third-grade elementary school boy lifted a box containing a lunchbox, instant rice, canned ham, canned tuna, and seaweed, social workers worried and tried to help him carry it. The boy waved them off, slinging the lunchbox over one arm and carrying the box as big as his body. However, when he met his mother, the boy acted like a typical young child, whining, "My arm feels like it's going to fall off." After the parents took their children away and it reached 7 p.m., the social workers began cleaning up. They left work around 8 p.m., after the midsummer sun had completely set.
On the 31st of last month, the Green Umbrella Children's Foundation Busan Comprehensive Social Welfare Center in Sujeong-dong, Dong-gu, Busan, reopened the 'Children's Restaurant' after four weeks. To prepare for reopening the children's restaurant, which had been closed due to the risk of food poisoning, social workers were busy from early morning. The children's restaurant was established in 2019 to help children who do not eat properly and parents stressed by caregiving. Every Wednesday and Thursday, the Green Umbrella Children's Foundation welfare centers located in Dong-gu, Busan, provide quality meals to children selected after screening. A total of 21 children visit the Busan Comprehensive Social Welfare Center.
Busan Dong-gu, lined with high mountains. The population is gradually decreasing, and the area is also experiencing aging. /Photo by Green Umbrella Children's Foundation
Children from Dong-gu, Busan, have to navigate steep and complicated paths to reach the children's restaurant at the Busan Comprehensive Social Welfare Center. Dong-gu, Busan, developed as a major hub alongside Busan Port since the Japanese colonial period. With the establishment of Busan Station for transporting materials, it served as a transportation nexus. During the Korean War, people fled to areas like Sujeongsan in Dong-gu, Busan, leading to the formation of many households.
However, the area began to decline due to the limitations of its increasingly mountainous terrain. The population, which was about 210,000 in 1980, decreased to approximately 88,000 as of April this year. The area itself is aging. Among the total population of Dong-gu, Busan, children account for only about 11%. Despite being a metropolitan city, Jwacheon Elementary School in Dong-gu, Busan, was closed in 2008. Additionally, the basic livelihood security recipient rate in Dong-gu is 11.3%, exceeding the Busan average of 6.5%.
The Busan Comprehensive Social Welfare Center is also located at a high altitude of 97 meters. Nevertheless, young children come to the children's restaurant every week to receive lunchboxes. On this day, the lunchboxes the children took home were filled with pork kimchi stir-fry, seaweed soup, pickled cucumbers, chwinamul (wild greens), and seaweed crisps. The quantity is enough that even an adult man would find it difficult to finish. Chef Jo Mi-ja (64), who has 17 years of experience as an elementary school nutritionist, said, "When a child takes a lunchbox home, the food prepared is enough to serve a family of four for one meal."
'Children's Restaurant' Helping Kids Amid Care Gaps... Leading to a Virtuous Cycle
Chef Jomija (64) preparing food. She prepares nearly 40 servings by herself. Photo by Green Umbrella Children's Foundation
The children were satisfied with the children's restaurant. Not only was the food delicious, but they could also come an hour early to use the playroom before receiving their lunchboxes. In the playroom made of soft cushion material, children can run around energetically. In Dong-gu, Busan, where there are no proper playgrounds or kids' cafes, this space is like heaven for the children. A fourth-grade elementary school student, A, said, "I really like coming here. I can play with my friends, and they give us food that tastes good."
Parents explained that the children's restaurant gives them peace of mind. Parent Moon (43) said, "It's more than just saving on one meal a day; being able to easily provide one meal a day is a big help for working mothers," adding, "Rather than just receiving help, people come out to assist with meal preparation or greet and help other children and parents, creating a virtuous cycle."
Facing Challenges Amid High Prices... Young Adults Preparing for Independence Also Say, "Everything Is Getting Expensive, So I'm Worried"
Bae Geum-ye, manager at the Green Umbrella Children’s Foundation, shopping at a local grocery store in Dong-gu, Busan. Manager Bae repeatedly picked up and put down the increasingly expensive ingredients amid high inflation. /Photo by Green Umbrella Children’s Foundation
Although a virtuous cycle is forming, the welfare center faces a challenging situation. The cause is high prices. This year, the subsidy from Dong-gu Office for the children's restaurant was provided at 7,000 KRW per meal, but social workers say this is far from sufficient due to high prices. The Busan Comprehensive Social Welfare Center received 20 million KRW in subsidies from Dong-gu Office this year, accounting for about 23% of the total children's restaurant budget of 86.36 million KRW.
Social workers preparing the meals spend over two hours a day shopping for cheaper ingredients. They look around but often put items back after seeing the price tags. Since June, they have been using the budget for the second half of the year and other projects, so they need to save even more. Bae Geum-ye, director of the Green Umbrella Children's Foundation, said, "We have a policy to contribute to the local community, so we have to purchase ingredients from grocery stores located in Dong-gu, Busan, which means we cannot buy at very low prices," adding, "Every time we look for groceries, we end up spending more than planned, so we are worried about the future."
People visiting the Busan Comprehensive Social Welfare Center feel the same. B, a 20-year-old young adult preparing for independence supported by the Green Umbrella Children's Foundation, also feels the impact of high prices. Having lived in a care facility since age three and started living alone after entering university, B finds grocery shopping daunting. B said, "I maintain my food expenses at about 200,000 to 300,000 KRW per month, but everything is getting expensive, so I'm worried," adding, "For dinner, I keep getting by with instant rice, seaweed, and eggs."
Jo Yoon-young, director of the Busan Comprehensive Social Welfare Center, said, "We are trying to establish a children's restaurant model led by local residents, but it is not easy due to costs and other factors," adding, "Sustainability in welfare must be maintained for children and adults to trust society."
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