“Cheer up everyone!”
COVID-19 has struck the whole world.
As of May 7, the number of confirmed cases has surpassed 3.5 million, while claiming the lives of more than 250,000 people. While medical staff in many countries are struggling on the front lines, government officials are devoting all their resources day and night in response to the COVID-19 outbreak.
Furthermore, individuals are fulfilling their roles during this time of crisis, including patients who are battling the virus, international students following quarantine orders due to immigration restrictions, and those who are following the social distancing guidelines.
When the virus reached its peak in April, ASEZ carried out the “Cheer Up Campaign.”
Through this campaign, members of ASEZ delivered handwritten letters and heartfelt kits to medical facilities, local government officials, quarantine service organizations, and individuals quarantined due to the virus.
About one hundred regions in eleven countries, including Korea, the United States, the United Kingdom, Mexico, Brazil, Peru, India, Thailand, and the Philippines participated in the campaign.
Our hands are tools which can express our feelings.
By using our hands, we can show our affection to encourage others.
However, because of COVID-19, we can no longer hold each other’s hands. So, ASEZ members showed their support through handwritten letters instead.
“Cheer up! You are our heroes.”
Although the letters were a small gift, the encouraging messages delivered with sincerity by the university students strengthened both those who received the letters and those who wrote them. They also prepared heartfelt kits that contained vitamins, chocolate, fruits, and nutritious snacks. Although they are not extravagant gifts, they packed it one by one wholeheartedly with love.
In Brazil, they delivered one hundred handmade face masks to a nursing home.
“I was overwhelmed by the handwritten letters and every single gift that you have prepared for us.” “These students are the reason why we fight the coronavirus. Thank you so much.”
The letters conveyed the heart and encouragement of one person to another who truly needed it. A worker from a health center who received the letter shed tears while reading it.
Filled with appreciation, the worker said, “Every day, we worked overtime until late at night and encouraged each other. However, as the crisis extended and the time for us to endure prolonged, it seemed like no one noticed our efforts. I became exhausted because we didn’t know when this would end. But after reading the letters the students wrote for me, I could feel that many people are supporting us even though we cannot see it. It allowed me to feel a sense of responsibility and gain new strength.”
The participation of the ASEZ university group inspired the students, female adults, and male adults to stretch out their hands as well. Each of them continued to write encouraging letters to those who are struggling because of the coronavirus.
Moreover, the healthcare workers and the public health officials also wrote back with handwritten letters, and each organization presented letters of appreciation to ASEZ.
The Director of the Dankook University Hospital expressed his gratitude, saying, “Thank you so much for giving us great support and consideration though we were only performing our duty to treat people. Your support will provide renewed strength to the medical staff who are dealing with a matter of life and death to treat patients with their utmost effort as part of their ethical sense of duty.”
Although COVID-19 created a physical distance between us, our hearts are still close to each other.
ASEZ delivers a message of encouragement to everyone who is exhausted from the pandemic.
“Let’s overcome COVID-19 together! ASEZ supports all of you!”
