With human influence, iron becomes a material of warmth, offering sustenance, shelter and safety. Here are a few ways how.

Fishing for a Solution: How an Iron Fish is Treating Anemia

Resource: http://www.luckyironfish.com/

Apart from being a useful material, iron is also an essential part of our daily diet.

Anemia, a condition in which there is a lack of red cells or of hemoglobin in the blood, often the result of an iron deficiency, can leave people feeling weak, cold and tired. It is the most common and widespread nutritional disorder in the world, affecting approximately 2 billion people globally.

Despite a significant international effort to fortify food staples and to provide iron supplementation programs specifically aimed at vulnerable populations, iron deficiency continues to increase worldwide.

But that may change soon, thanks to a solution created by a group of Canadian health workers in Cambodia.

In 2008, fish-shaped cast iron ingots were developed by the group to provide dietary supplementation to individuals affected by iron-deficiency living in poverty. When placed in a pot of boiling water, the ingots release elemental iron into the water and food being cooked.

The solution was considered such a huge success that in 2012 the Lucky Iron Fish Project was formed to develop the iron fish on a larger scale, promote the product in rural areas and distribute it to non-governmental organization partners.

The inexpensive iron lumps shaped like smiling fish are 7.5 centimeters long and have a lifespan of about five years.

The Lucky Iron Fish, which is said to release iron at exactly the right concentration to provide up to 90% of the recommended daily iron intake for an entire family, is now being used by thousands of Cambodians. In fact, more than 50,000 Lucky Iron Fish have been sold worldwide and the solution has helped to correct iron deficiency in about 90,000 people and more than 15,000 households.

Home, Steel Home

The power of iron is even more impressive when combined with love and goodwill. A perfect example of this is POSCO’s Happy Steel House—a project that helps those who have recently lost their homes get back to normal life as quickly as possible.

The Happy Steel House was first established by POSCO in 1996. These homes are built to be resistant to natural disasters like fire, earthquakes and storms, but more importantly can be constructed within two weeks.

Since 2015, POSCO’s Happy Steel House has become even sturdier and more aesthetically pleasing, thanks to POSCO C&C’s manufactured panels. In addition, POSCO’s Steel Solution Marketing Team developed an external material product through POSCO A&C’s unique Flow Coating—a technique that produces colored steel plates. The end result was a Happy Steel House with an entirely new look.

More significant than the improved design was the fact that the base of the Happy Steel House grew sturdier with every new home that was built, including those constructed for 16 Korean families who lost their homes to fires. This was achieved by applying the expertise of POSCO’s executives, staff members and global youth volunteers, as well as warmth and caring for those in need.

Building Bridges as Strong as Steel

POSCO’s mantra of volunteering and sharing is also playing an active role in other parts of the world. In Vietnam, where tropical monsoons are common, POSCO built a steel bridge for communities affected by floods.

Due to heavy rainfall six months a year, Vietnam’s bridges often become submerged under water during the wet season. This makes transportation a huge safety concern for locals.

What’s even more worrying is the fact that many young students use these bridges on a daily basis to commute to school. Since most of the wooden bridges do not have a handrail, it is even more dangerous for pedestrians, as they are unable to see where the bridges begin and end. As such, young children often trudge through flooded areas blindly in an effort to make their way across to get to school in time.

In order to secure safe traveling, POSCO built a steel bridge in Ba Ria-Vung Tau Province’s flood area, Da Bac, with the help and hard work of employees and affiliates.

The “POSCO Vietnam Holdings – Steel Bridge” boasts steel handrails to provide a safe and sturdy way for the students to walk to school.

POSCO’s steel bridge was successfully completed with the help of POSCO’s global youth volunteers, POSCO A&C’s design, POSCO SS VINA’s supplies and POSCO E&C’s handrail work and construction. Thanks to these contributors’ talent and love, students and local residents in Da Bac are getting around safely, even during the wet season.

From iron health supplements to the roofs that shelter us to the bridges that help us reach our destination, iron is keeping us warm, happy and healthy.

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From August 12th to 16th, volunteers from Daewoo International, Vision Care and the employees working at Daewoo International’s trade office in Myanmar teamed up to visit the city of Yangon. During the CSR activity, the volunteers provided medical supports for about 400 cataract and strabismus patients. They also shared bottles of clean water and snacks to accommodate the patients.

Park Jeong-hwan, the vice president of Daewoo International, appreciated the efforts by Daewoo International employees and volunteers and said, “Myanmar holds a significant meaning to us because we succeeded in developing the gas field after 13 years of exertion.” “Also, Daewoo International is operating CSR activities by building hospitals and schools, as well as providing disaster rehabilitation. Giving medial supports for patients at Eye Camp is very worthwhile and happy engagement,” he added.

Daewoo International is also planning to hold another Eye Camp in Indonesia in November to show compassion for the people in needs with free eye operations and treatments.

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Participating in Eye Camp – Worth More Than Anything

Written by Lee Jeong-seok (Thick Plate – Team 1)

Being away from my everyday routine at the office was a new experience. When I started volunteering for Eye Camp, I worked in a sterilizing room next to an operating room, not in front of my PC and monitor. I was very confused in the beginning about my tasks but everything came in order as time went by.

The cataract operations our medical team provided on the site were operated through removing blurred crystalline lenses and replacing them with new ones. It is an outdated method but also, it was the best commitment we could do under the local circumstance.

By looking at the medical teams who were sincerely doing their jobs for the patients in desperation, my heart was overwhelmed with warmth and my sincerity for volunteering at this program grew even bigger.

Volunteering is generally considered an altruistic activity and is intended to promote good or improve human quality of life. As I participated in Eye camp, I learned that when you hope to do voluntary work for other people, you don’t need to be better than someone else. All you need is just a strong enough will for helping others.

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This is my first commitment for the Global Storyteller project. I present to you, POSCO South Asia’s very own “Songkran” festival in Thailand!

For those who don’t know much about Thailand, we celebrate Thai New Year called Songkran on April 13th. The festival is widely celebrated not only in Thailand but also in several Southeast Asian countries like Laos, Cambodia, Myanmar, and Sri Lanka. Songkran is a national holiday in Thailand, and it’s also an occasion for family re-unions. Traditionally, Thai people perform “Rod Nam Dum Hua” ritual on Songkran day. During the ritual, the young pour fragrant water into their elders’ palms as a gesture of humility and respect, and also to ask for their blessings.

On April 12th, all Korean directors and Thai staff in Bangkok office gathered around President Kim Sun Won’s office, wearing Songkran festival shirts. Traditionally, flamboyant outfit is worn for the festival to add extra excitement for the traditional “Rod Nam Dun Hua” ritual.

President Kim was the eldest member in the office and we poured fragrant water into his palms with our warmest blessings. In return, Mr. Kim gave well-wishing remarks and appreciations back to the staff. It was a charming moment as everyone in the room was smiling at each other with joy.

It was a truly good opportunity for POSCO South Asia’s local and Korean staff to exchange our thoughts and cultures through this pleasant event, hosted with the courtesy of POSCO’s global mindset. Most importantly, we have developed a firmer relationship among the members of POSCO South Asia.

All of POSCO South Asia members would like to extend our warm wishing to all POSCO members around the world. Happy Songkran

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About “Songkran” and “Rot Nam Dam Hua”

“The Songkran” festival is celebrated from April 13th to 15th in Thailand and in many other countries in South and Southeast Asia as a traditional New Year’s Day.

“Rot Nam Dam Hua” is a traditional way to celebrate the New Year with the elder by pouring fragrant water into their hands. Most Thai people go back to their hometowns to meet their elders during the festival.

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POSCO has always been an active patriot of social contribution to help create a healthy and supportive welfare community for all its residents throughout the world, including support for multi-cultural families’ safe integration and stable settlement into Korean society. With the ever growing multi-cultural families going in Korea today, POSCO believed it was necessary for them to give out a hand upon these issues. POSCO and SESNET have both agreed to launch the social co-op project as there are a growing number of demands from women, who had come to Korea for marriage establishing their own businesses but often facing difficulties against giant competitors.

You might wonder now, what is Café Oasia and what in the world is “Social Co-Op Union”? Well, let’s find out.

Café Oasia Supports Work Opportunities for Multi-Cultural Families

Café Oasia is a type of “Social Franchise” brand which is a collaboration of nine small cafes. This new brand was constituted last December under the fundamental law on co-op had gone effective. Café Oasia is a work wonder to all its guests—it’s a place of safe employment for foreign women, a café with affordable yet authentic coffee to customers, and an important stepping stone for small cafes to become independent with increasing sales rates.

You can find amazing Café Oasia on the fourth floor of the POSCO Center, Seoul. Since last month Café Oasia went through a month long test operating where an average of 300 customers visited. The Customer satisfaction levels are very high, because they only serve the best quality coffee beans, ingredients as well as equipment of the best products provided from each social corporations. The prospect is to follow the idea of “franchise”, to continuing group purchase. marketing, management support, and consulting for newly establishing cafes. the agenda is also expanding upon union members for more branches.

Let’s hear from the two ladies who’ve been together since the establishment and during the entire test-operation at Café Oasia, Van Maly from Cambodia and Nam Antikar from Thailand, who also happen to have deep ties to POSCO. “Deep ties” meaning, both women have actually had their beautiful weddings on the same day, at the same spot due to the joint-wedding project sponsored by POSCO. Evident from both, POSCO is putting great endeavors to better multi-cultural families’ life and stable integration into Korean society. Some of our other efforts include offering language programs, call centers and personal consultants and teachers. POSCO hopes that families from different cultural backgrounds can live in harmony with Koreans as recognized members of Korean society.

Immigrant Women Begin a New Life with POSCO

The idea is yet difficult to grasp with such brief introductions of our aims and achievements. So we’ve prepared an interview with Nam Antikar, our almost a pro-like barista, serving delicious cup of coffees, and Van Maly, who’s welcoming all customers with her bright smile and awesome Korean skills.

Van Maly is enjoying her new job in the café  Oasia and is eager to learn how to make her own lattes and caramel macchiatos. We asked Van Maly about her future goals and she said “I really want the barista-certificate, which I will most definitely achieve when I find the time to receive a professional education.” “With the certificate in my hands, I’d feel confident to work wherever I go in the future,” she added.

Van Maly’s barista co-worker Nam Antikar started working at Café Oasia for the social co-op via Government’s Multi-Cultural Family Support Center, where she also found out about joint-wedding sponsored by POSCO. Although her 37-month-old baby was too young to enjoy the perfect cup of coffee she brew, Nam Antikar said she would love to make a café latte for her husband.

She advised other foreign women immigrating to Korea by saying “Rather than starting work right away, I’d encourage them to learn Korean first.” Nam Antikar also pointed out that the women should smartly utilize many opportunities they are offered with, as she did.

POSCO and Multi-Cultural Families Go Way Back

Since 2010, POSCO has been sponsoring joint-wedding services to multi-cultural couples who weren’t able to have a proper wedding ceremony. We choose our participants from letters they send, invite their families abroad to Korea, provide a wedding, and present a family vacation trip. This isn’t just a mere wedding ceremony that we offer, but a memorable and most beautiful memory between a couple and their families. Most importantly POSCO gives continuous support and concern to these couples to stand independently. POSCO’s ‘Multi-Cultural Support Program’ participates are increasing day by day which leads to believe POSCO is indeed doing a good job

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What is Social Co-Op Union?

Social Co-Op Union is a non-profit organization that provides employment opportunities and social services to socially vulnerable groups in the society. This type of corporate model has increasingly become popular throughout the world since it protects employees’ careers even during national bankruptcies and global depressions. As you may be familiar with, soccer team FC Barcelona, Sunkist Co. and AP Communications are all included in this social co-op union. In Italy, Social co-ops account for 60% of the total supply of the country’s social services. CGM Gruppo Cooperativo is one of the fine examples of the Italian social co-op movement. First established as a social enterprise in 1987, CGM engages with education, healthcare, environment and social entrepreneurship to pursue the common goal of building prosperity and development in the community. CMG supports other social co-ops to set up their own businesses and offers training for those who wish to work in co-op. They also monitor government social inclusion policies in order to boost employment of vulnerable members of society.

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