the IWF Lima branch in Peru Built Temporary Schoolhouses for Santa Ana Girls’ High School Damaged by Earthquake in Peru

The IWF members from the Lima branch in Peru built 15 temporary schoolhouses for the Santa Ana Girls’ High School in Chincha city damaged by the earthquake. 

- The future of Peru starts again from school -                               [11/05. 2007.]
                                                       
On August 15, 2007, a great earthquake with a magnitude of 8.0 struck Peru in South America; 500 were killed and 1,100 were injured. The damaged area was Ica state. When the earthquake hit Ica city, 200 people were in a mass at a Catholic Church and were buried. Pisco city and Chincha city were also severely damaged. Major high ways and 17,000 buildings collapsed, leaving over 80,000 refugees.

The IWF members from the Lima branch in Peru built 15 temporary schoolhouses for the Santa Ana Girls’ High School in Chincha city damaged by the earthquake. After the schoolhouses made of soil and straw collapsed, class was conducted in the tents given by international organizations from October 1. However the summer of the Southern Hemisphere made the classrooms hot like greenhouses and the students suffered from vomiting and dizziness. The IWF Lima branch in Peru was informed of this desperate situation from Anibal Luyo Del Risco the Deputy Mayor of Chincha City, and Hime Louis Uaman Akire the principal of the school. Immediately, the IWF Lima branch decided to build temporary schoolhouses. IWF Headquarters in Korea also heard about the news and raised funds to support them.

70 IWF members had visited the collapsed school first and thought over how to build the temporary schoolhouses. Then they themselves prepared all the materials, delivered them and constructed the schoolhouses for several days. They said, “Although it was extremely hot, we were able to work joyfully by imagining how happy the students would be when they studied in cool classrooms.”

On November 5 when the construction was completed, Anibal Luyo Del Risco the Deputy Mayor of Chincha City presented the plaque of appreciation to Chairwoman Zahng Gil-jah (장길자회장님)and the IWF Lima branch in Peru. On November 7, Principal Hime Loius Uaman Akire (51) delivered the plaque of appreciation to Lima Branch Manager Kim Wang-hyeon.

Principal Akire said, “The students lost everything in an instant and were trapped in despair, but now they’ve regained hope. You have constructed not only classrooms but also dreams for the future.” He added, “I give thanks to the IWF members in Korea for presenting us with valuable dreams and hope.” 

Lima Branch Manager Kim Wang-hyeon said, “I was very sorry to hear that the students were suffering from the natural disaster and absence of schoolhouses as well.” He wished them to overcome the trial and study hard in cool classrooms to become great citizens who care for their neighbors.

http://eng.weloveu.or.kr

intl. We Love U foundation - chairwoman Zahng gil jah

“We Feel the Love of Mother in Korea, Our Second Home”

 “Party for Foreign Workers in Korea to Share a Mother’s Love at Chuseok

[09/16. 2007] 

“Chairwoman Zahng Gil-jah(장길자 회장님) delivered the words of encouragement, saying, “Welcome, our family members from abroad. I can guess how difficult it is for you to live in a foreign country, because many Korean people also went abroad to work two or three decades ago. Pick yourselves up though you have difficulties. There’s a Korean old saying about the time of Chuseok (which is Korean harvest festival and also called Hangawi): “No more or less, but just be like Hangawi.” It means that all is abundant at Hangawi. We have prepared songpyon a special rice cake for Chuseok, and other festive food for you. Enjoy the food and be healthy.”

Various festive foods including songpyon, (which is a rice cake filled with various fillings such as beans, chestnuts or sesame seeds and steamed with pine needles) were set on the table together with the members’ warm heart. Just as Chairwoman Zahng Gil-jah(장길자회장님)called them “our family members from abroad,” there was a homelike atmosphere between foreign workers and the foundation members as if they had gathered in their home for a big traditional holiday. 

A few days ahead of Chuseok, the International We Love U Foundation [IWF] held the “Party for the Foreign Workers in Korea to Share a Mother’s Love at Chuseok” at the Ansan Cultural Center (located in Sa-dong, Sangnok-gu, Ansan-si) on Sunday, September 16, 2007. The IWF had held the “Love Sharing Event, Greeting National Holiday” every year, whenever a Korean big holiday drew near, and this was the 11th event. About 80 foreign workers who live in Ansan, where Sihwa and Banwol industrial complex are located, attended the party and it was a big success.

The party started from 11 a.m. and consisted of sharing festival food, experiencing Korean traditional culture and games, and gift presenting. On the third floor of the Ansan Cultural Center, the families of foreign workers and the foundation members enjoyed festive food. At an affiliated traditional thatched cottage, and on the lawn, events for experiencing Korean traditional culture—trying on Hanbok and making songpyon—and traditional games such as Tuho (throwing sticks into a barrel), playing shuttlecock with the feet and taffy-breaking game were prepared. The foreign participants enjoyed them with excitement. 

Foreigners, who live in a foreign country where language and culture are different from theirs, long for their hometown especially on a big national holiday such as New Year’s Day or harvest feast. Each country has their own harvest feast and people share love with their family members and strengthen their unity, so this party reminded the foreign workers from six countries—China, Vietnam, Mongolia, Philippines, Russia and Nigeria—of their country’s harvest feast and their home. They said that at the beginning they felt lonely and went through many difficulties in this unfamiliar country. They thanked the host, saying, “Now we feel a mother’s love as if we were in our own hometown with my family on a holiday. We’re very happy.”

The foreigners tried on Hanbok and practiced kneeling and bowing, saying, “Hanbok is very beautiful.” The IWF members took Polaroid of the families who wore Hanbok and it gave them special joy. Ralin, a Filipino mother of three children, had fun, wearing Hanbok for a bride. Tuya, a Mongolian woman, said that it was very interesting to experience Korean culture, being reminded of delightful memories during the Mongolian feast, Naadam. It was not only adults who were interested in Korean culture, but children also had a good time: a child bowed in Hanbok; a child was highly elated, holding an arrow for Tuho; and a kid had a mouthful of taffy or songpyon. 

After experiencing traditional Korean culture, each foreign family received a gift from the members with their best wishes for a happy holiday. Foreign children received more special gifts. At the 9th New Life Family Walkathon held by IWF in the past April, the children of the foundation members donated their valuables for children who are in remote islands and overseas, and some of them were delivered to the foreign children this day. The children smiled happily, receiving new school supplies and nice dolls. 

Jargal Saikhan, First Secretary of the Mogolian Embassy in Korea, attended the event with his family and thanked the IWF for holding the party to share a mother’s love with his people, saying, “I hope that you’ll keep spreading the source of family love, a mother’s love, to foreigners.” 
A mother’s love and the love for neighbors opened our eyes to the true meaning of Chuseok in this deep autumn.

WELOVEU - Awards Received

<Punjab Province of Pakistan>

Presented to:
 Chair Woman of IWF ZAHNG GIL JAH (장길자 회장님)

 Presented by:
 SYED NAFAY SHAH COORDINATOR UC 129(PMLN)


 Flood Relief Donation to Punjab Govt. of IWF From South Korea 


SYED NAFAY SHAH COORDINATOR UC 129(PMLN)

                                                         <Citation of Order of Merit>

The Cambodia government and citizens present the Order of Sena in recognition of your contribution to the establishment of water pump, donation of school supplies, and repair work for residents' houses at Kandoeng region, Takeo, Cambodia. We deeply appreciate your support. 

 No. 848
 Date of Issue: July 18, 2011
 List No. 372

Hun Sen, Prime Minister of Cambodia

WeLOVEU < clean - up>

Mutha clean-up gets global push 

http://m.indianexpress.com/ 

On Sunday morning, an army in white T-shirts and yellow gloves assembled at the Mutha river to carry out the 2012 Clean World Movement. From the Kalyani Nagar bridge, one could see the group hard at work.
Organised by the Korea-based WeLoveU Foundation, river cleaning activity was carried out simultaneously across the world. Right from Mutha in Pune to El Paso in USA, Bellecour Square in Lyon, France, Magat Salamat in Phillippines and Hara River in Darkhan — the initiative was a synchronous step towards a cleaner environment.

The event was also part of an agreement signed at the 2012 Seoul Nuclear Security Summit. In mid-March this year, Zahng Gil-Jah(회장 장길자), chairperson of the International WeLoveU Foundation and Ali-Ben Bongo Ondimba, president, Gabon, agreed to cooperate with each other to cope with environmental problems.

In Pune, 400 people from all walks of life went about town collecting garbage. Colin Fernandes, a 21-year-old student who has been volunteering with the organisation for a year now, felt this was a great way to create awareness. “It’s like a world movement. WeLoveU Foundation expands worldwide starting from the Representative of Korea. The clean up activities will be organised concurrently to send a stronger message.”

From 10 am to noon, spreading in various time zones, garbage was collected and the issue discussed. Several black dustbin bags stuffed with cigarette butts, plastic bottles and paper waste sat around.

On the side, volunteers emptied the bags to form a big mass of garbage that Pune had effortlessly discarded into Mutha.

Raghav Shelke, a volunteer said, “One is surprised by the kind of garbage dumped here. There are toothpaste caps, pen refills, used cans, a pair of jeans, a torn leather shoe and several other things here.”

The black bin bags stuffed with non-degradable waste signified how much the citizens take the river for granted.


http://eng.weloveu.or.kr/
<more>

40 Countries of the World Responded “We Love You”

40 Countries of the World Responded “We Love You”

Volunteer Services at the 13th World Soft Tennis Championships Anseong

[2007.09.07] 

The 13th World Soft Tennis Championships was held in Anseong-si, Gyeonggi-do, Korea, from September 7 to 13. It was the greatest scale championship in its history by the participation of 500 athletes from 40 counties including new members from 15 European counties. The International We Love U Foundation, which was renamed to work internationally for saving life and practicing neighborly love, volunteered to improve national and regional image by preparing the cultural events for experiencing Korean tradition and volunteering for interpretation service during the championships.

Park Sang-ha, the President of the International Soft Tennis Federation (ISTF), visits the booth of the Intl. We Love U Foundation to encourage the volunteers.



200 members of the foundation, who are fluent in foreign languages, volunteered to interpret for 14 languages used in 40 countries. They welcomed all the teams at the Incheon Intl. Airport and guided them both inside and outside of the gym. 20 university student members helped foreigners experience Korean culture. 

Although soft tennis has a world championship, it is, what is called, an unpopular sport and there is big discrepancy of ability between countries. So it was possible for the teams who dropped behind early in the game to be disappointed and return home. At this championship, however, the athletes who had lost the games and were in low spirits, got their smile back and had fun as if they enjoyed a festival. Monica Almasy, the Swiss team coach said, “I feel friendly towards Korea and Koreans. I feel like I’m in Switzerland.” The Dutch team coach Annette Decker wore a big smile, saying, “You are warm hearted people. I was deeply moved.”

The IWF booth, which was set up next to the Anseong City International Soft Tennis Court Main Stadium, had a constant stream of foreigners. People, who visited the place to experience Korean traditional culture, all said that they were deeply impressed with Koreans’ warm heartedness and the beauty of Korea. Especially, Hanbok which has beautiful color and style won popularity; foreigners were in line to try it on.

“A Korean dress is very beautiful.” A happy time together with the Belgian team


Jack Susa, the Dutch team coach, wore a Hanbok designed for a bridegroom and complimented it by saying, “Traditional Korean dress has beautiful color.” He also thanked the members who gave them a heartfelt welcome, saying, “We can know whether a man is sincere or not through his smile. I can see from your smiles that you truly welcome us.” The female athletes from India, who were happy to dye their nails with balsam flower leaves, made the volunteers admired, because their braided hair went very well with Hanbok. Among them, Sharfen Prit Kaur gave her special thanks to the interpretation volunteers, saying, “I was nervous to come to Korea because of the language barrier, but I feel easy because you help my communication.” 

Trying Korean games such as—playing shuttlecock with the feet, slapping match, Tuho (throwing sticks into a barrel)—and tasting Dalgona (Korean’s sweet cookie made with sugar and baking powder), the athletes from various countries said, “We’re happy regardless of game result.” They shared love and friendship, responding “We love you! We love Korea!” to the members’ message, “We love you.”

Foreign athletes enjoy traditional Korean games such as slapping match, playing shuttlecock with the feet and Tuho.


The board members of each team and guests visited the IWF booth and asked the members to come to their countries, saying, “I hope this kind of love-sharing movement will spread throughout the world.” Furthermore, the Scottish team thanked for enthusiastic and systemic support of the IWF and requested PR materials of the foundation, saying, “We will submit it to the National Assembly to make a foundation like IWF in our country.” The Minister of Sports of Mongolia, Naranbaatar, thanked the members, saying, “Our Mongolian team made a good score thanks to your cordial reception and support.” Park Sang-ha the President of the International Soft Tennis Federation (ISTF), and Lee Dong-hui the Mayor of Anseong city complimented the members, saying, “Volunteers are the driving force behind international events.”

The members, who finished all their volunteer work by interpreting at the farewell ceremony at the airport on September 14, said good-bye to the athletes, wishing them remember Koreans’ love towards the world.