Women - as powerful as you've never seen them before. It's all in Korea! They're called 'haenyeo'
"Haenyeo" (the sea women) are female divers in the Korean province of Jeju. What used to amount to as many as 15,000 haenyeo in 1970 has now plummeted to a mere third of that number; and most of them are over seventy years of age, meaning that haenyeo are fast disappearing. Nowadays, instead of the strenuous lifestyle as a haenyeo, many Jeju women are turning elsewhere for other possibilities of living. In light of this sad reality, The LA Times published a feature article on Korean haenyeo, including interviews with the youngest haenyeo in Korea (33-year-old Ms. Kim) who has chosen the harsh path so that the precious tradition could be preserved. Read the beautiful article here:
http://blog.naver.com/korea_brand/10097438137
What I find interesting about these women is the fact that they exhibit critical characteristics that have contributed in bringing Korea this far on the international stage. These include courage, skill, perseverance and optimism amidst adversity. These remain major driving forces of the fast advancing Korean society!
We all need some 'haenyeo' spirit in us. We need to keep pushing through, no matter how hard the choices life offer us appear. Developing countries need to continuously realize that it takes only such effort, hard work and positivity to turn on the light of prosperity; to open the door of social cohesion and invoke the cloud of political stability.
BRavO...the great haenyeo's of Korea!
