The 1989 Ramon Magsaysay Award for Community Leadership

RESPONSE of Kim Im-Soon

It was November 1952. In the midst of confusion due to the North-South conflict on the Korean peninsula, I, as a twenty-six-year-old woman, after fervent prayer, made a promise to God. Since then I have pulled a heavy cart up the hill, utilizing all my strength. There were times when my work load overwhelmed me and times when people insulted me. Nevertheless, the wide eyes of the little children sustained my strength and their undivided pure love gave me new hope and courage.

Although at times I felt as if I were standing in the wilderness alone, I became a fearless soldier to protect their rights and a comforting mother to dry their tears and ease their heartaches. My endless prayers became hymns of praise as I kept pulling the cart.

These thoughts came to my mind when I heard the amazing news that I was chosen for the Magsaysay Award. However, a voice from within warned that the prize is not for me alone. It is for the many whose names are not known and who receive no glory, those who through thirty-eight long, hard years have supported, helped, and enabled me to pull the cart. I accept this totally unexpected honor as a representative of the many who have worked for the success of our endeavors; I also accept it with a deep and serious sense of responsibility.

I humbly offer this aging body and soul to continue to work for the betterment of mentally and physically disabled children. I pray that God uses the rest of my life to help me guide these children to live as dignified human beings and to utilize their God-given talents for greater happiness and hope. I see this award as a manifestation of God's grace and of his renewed promise for the disabled children at Ai Kwang Won.

We realize and truly appreciate how fortunate we are through observing those who are less fortunate, and we learn the precious lesson that their suffering and pain might have been ours. I appeal to all of you. It is not only a nation or government's responsibility but also the responsibility of churches, social groups, and individuals to reach out and provide assistance to the less fortunate. I consider myself an early-morning church bell, reminding the world that some of our neighbors need us and that we must share whatever we, as "normal people," have—our love, health, material gifts, time, and talents.

During my long years in this work, I have come to realize that the miracle in the Bible, of how Jesus fed the multitudes with five loaves and two fishes, was not only a miracle of two thousand years ago. I have personally witnessed and experienced this kind of miracle over and over all around me.

As I use this prize money to reconstruct the old school classroom buildings for my two hundred disabled children, I call on all of you to pray that the same miracle may happen again.