Joint Associations Coffee Morning

Listening to Father Vincenzo speak of his work with Seoul’s homeless children is a unique and touching experience. His enthusiasm, warmth and hope are infectious. On Tuesday, March 14th, 2017, the international community came together at Aston Hall for an insight into the lives of the street kids of Seoul and an update of Fr Vincenzo’s charity, the AGIT bus.
Four nights a week the AGIT bus, with its team of social workers and volunteers, goes out from 6pm til 1am to meet, dialogue with and help in any way possible, the boys and girls living on the streets. AGIT is the last bridge between the society and these run-away teenagers. Launched in July 2015, it aims to create a network of solidarity which welcomes them, supports them and attempts to re-insert them into the family and society. A beacon of hope in a no-mans land that attempts to rescue these children from all the pitfalls of life on the streets – the violence, alcohol, prostitution, theft, prison and the oppression.
Fr Vincenzo’s bus fills a void that has only recently been acknowledged by government administrations. And although he does receive some government funding, the amount covers less than 25% of his annual running costs. The rest is filled by associations such as ANZA, SIWA, Bass, AWC, Thrift Shop, SWEA, the Nordic Club and the generosity of individual and corporate donors. Fr Vincenzo would like to be able to do much more than is already being achieved; he feels that there is a great need for a professional counselor on his staff, not as a volunteer, and is looking to raise 29,000,000 KRW (the annual salary of a counselor) for the next three years, so 87,000,000 KRW. At ANZA we are aiming to raise at least one year’s salary from this year’s ball, we are sure that with your help we can get a professional counsellor on the AGIT bus.