Sisay Arega (26), an Ethiopian refugee called South Korea “my second country.” His grandfather fought in the Korean War. He said South Korea and Ethiopia had a close relationship, one that was tied by blood. He came to South Korea in hopes of political freedom and a warm welcome. “In Ethiopia, there’s nothing you can do other than play football, because of political problems. I am grateful to South Korea for allowing me to live in freedom.” Arega and other Ethiopians residing in South Korea have stepped forward to help the people suffering from COVID-19. On March 1, they began gathering online volunteers and blood donors among the foreigners residing in South Korea. They are also raising funds. They wrote, “Now is the time to show action in support of South Korea, which gave us a warm welcome.” They also wrote, “Once a warrior, always a warrior."

They wanted to express their gratitude to South Korea, for letting them, foreigners, stay here. Zenebe Abera, a former journalist from Ethiopia met with the Kyunghyang Shinmun in a cafe in Dongjak-gu, Seoul on March 3. He said, “I want to start by saying thank you. I was able to think freely living in South Korea. I will probably leave the country someday, but while I am here, I would like to help South Korea.” He said, “In Ethiopia, we have a culture where people come together to help when a problem occurs. Even if we don’t have any special relationship, we think we need to act humanely.” Jo David, a naturalized South Korean interpreted the interview.

In two days since they asked for volunteers online, over thirty people volunteered to donate blood, volunteer and participate in the group’s activities. They came from various countries. People with experience in medicine, such as a nurse, contacted them to say they would help. One person even sent a prayer, “God Bless Korea.” As of the previous day, over ten people donated 560,000 won.

Bereket Alemayehu (41), a photographer and human rights activist said, “We asked people to send 1,000-5,000 won, but one person even sent 100,000 won.” They are collecting the funds through an account opened by the Red Cross to ensure credibility.

These people experienced discrimination as immigrants and refugees, but they still wanted to help South Korea. Arega said, “Any country you go to, they all have people who are good and who are not good. I think we can face challenges in any country.” Alemayehu said, “Foreign workers experience difficulties due to language problems, but the human rights situation in South Korea is gradually improving.”

They thought it was a bigger problem that South Koreans were facing discrimination because of COVID-19. Alemayehu said, “I feel sorry because Asians are being discriminated against worldwide. We need to overturn this groundless discrimination. Since we know what kind of country South Korea is, we have the obligation to change the image of South Korea.”

When they finish collecting applications, they will submit the list of volunteers and blood donors to the Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. They also said they wanted many foreigners to take part. Arega said, “Immigrants in South Korea think South Korea is their country. After all, we live here. Let’s help each other with all means possible.” Alemayehu asked us to deliver this message to the South Korean government. “Contact us any time. We will send people to help when needed. Many people who want to help South Korea are waiting.”