All about the ‘Vietnam POSCO Village’ 

The Vietnam POSCO Village project, aiming to provide 85 houses for underprivileged families located at Tan Hoa Commune, Tan Thanh District, Ba Ria-Vung Tau province, was sponsored by POSCO 1% Foundation. Total 18 months, the process of the project is divided into three phases. Initially, phase 1 (from September 2014 to March 2015) will provide 26 low-income households with safe and adequate housing with water and sanitation facilities. Phase 2 (from June 2015 to September 2015) will support another 19 households and phase 3 will be other 40 houses (from November 2015 to March 2016). The aims of Vietnam POSCO Village are to support the underprivileged people of the local community and to improve their living conditions for a better life. Also, the project aims that employees of POSCO’s local subsidiaries to train occupations and farming skills to help them build a happy village.

Bricks of Sweats, Tears and Love for the Village

The main activity of the POSCO Beyond volunteers at this phase is to complete 11 houses among 85 houses of the Vietnam POSCO Village project. Hence, the poor households have decent place as they welcome the upcoming happy Lunar New Year holiday of 2015. The volunteers start their day by preparing personal facilities for the construction work such as helmets, gloves, safety shoes, and protection glasses. It is for a better protection at the build because the climate condition is extremely hot during the daytime. “I get up early in the morning to have everything prepared, make sure that I can have ensured safety, power and willing for another hard day waiting for me”, said Chanyang-go, Beyond 8^th.

As the volunteers get off the buses at the construction site, they stand in 10 lines and move to the houses where the materials and tools are available. There are various construction activities done by the volunteers and supported by builders of Habitat Vietnam and workers of POSCO-Vietnam. The activities are divided by each task, so the building work is not so burdensome for the volunteers; some volunteers are mixing cements, some are bringing and lifting bricks and mortars. Some are leveling the ground and some are digging holes to make toilets. All of them have a hope in mind that the houses will be completed on time. “These works make me feel stronger and stronger day by day. You know there is nothing as hard as this for students to do at schools. Lots of sweats are poured while working but when I see the smiles on the home owners, every fatigues disappeas”, said Pham Thi Tuyet Trinh, Beyond Vietnam.

The work is usually finished around the time of sunset; the volunteers clean up surroundings of the site and arrange tools in order for the next day’s work.

New Relationships with Local People

What do the volunteers do during the weekend? The weekend days of Jan 31st and Feb 1st was waited by everybody. Especially, people waited long for the activities after a hard week of working at the build.

On Saturday morning, the volunteers visited the Secondary School of Truong Cong Dinh, Chau Pha Commune, Tan Thanh District, bringing the warm welcomes and exciting atmosphere to the school. “This is the first time I meet Koreans in real life. They are so beautiful and friendly. I love the fashion styles they are wearing today. I am so excited about this”, said student Nguyen Lan Anh, 6 grade.

There was a wide range of performances done by the volunteers and students of this school. The volunteers performed Korean traditional dances and catwalk, wearing the traditional dress called ‘Hanbuk’. They also taught martial arts for the students at the event. Moreover, boys and girls of the school performed Vietnamese traditional songs and dances, bringing colors to the stage. “It’s a really nice performance; I think they prepared it very well for this culture exchange. The students are small and young but they sing and dance beautifully”, said Ms. Park Yu Jung, Beyond 8^th.

Sunday’s cultural exchange between 100 POSCO Beyond Volunteers and 70 members of the Youth Union of Ba Ria-Vung Tau province took place at an outside stage of the Culture House of Youth, Vung Tau City.  The cultural exchange program included various activities such as writing calligraphy, drawing portraits, fashion shows of Hanbok of Korea and Ao dai (long dress) of Vietnam, music and dance performances, bonfire and more. The Youth Union of Ba Ria-Vung Tau province organized this cultural exchange in order to introduce traditional activities and cultural custom of Vietnam to the volunteers. Also, it was organized to create comprehensive relationships, understand the culture and people between the two nations. “Through the cultural exchange program today, I can understand more about Korean traditions and styles. We use English and body language to exchange information for more understandings and we also write emails for regular exchange relationships in the future”, said Ms. Nguyen Huong Thao, a youth member of Ba Ria-Vung Tau.

Visiting the Centre for Social Protection of Children in Vung Tau City

On February 10th, teachers and children welcomed 10 POSCO family volunteers with enthusiastic faces to meet the sponsors, to play games and to receive gifts. It took some minutes for the volunteers to make acquaintance and introductions. After that, the volunteers brought gifts to the children. Some received teddy bears, sketch books, toothbrushes and some children were given daily necessaries for life. The volunteers also offered foods and oil to the center for better nutrition of the children. “Today, I received a beautiful teddy bear. I am very happy now for the gifts”, said Lan Huong, 6.

The Volunteers also cleaned doors and windows for better views of the center. Moreover, they hosted some intriguing games for the children like jumping ropes, drawing faces, playing soccer, and many other fun programs. “I wished to have a ball to play with friends for long, and to become a football player in the future. Today, I received a ball and learned how to play from a volunteer. I’ll practice every day. Thank you so much”, said Hoang Nam, 9.

The Centre for Social Protection of Children in Vung Tau City is taking care of about 130 handicapped and orphaned children. Babies born to impoverished mothers, sometimes illegitimately or in socially precarious situations, are seldom abandoned at the hospital or later at the center. Some of the babies received at the center suffer from a range of congenital or post-natal disabilities including hydrocephaly, blindness, deafness, or physical disabilities that will prevent or hinder their ability to stand and walk unaided. Moreover, for many families that are unable to support their children, it is common to put children to work instead of attending school. Although the visit of POSCO family volunteers was short, it brought bright joy to the children at the center.

Dedication Ceremony for the First Houses

In the morning of February 5th, POSCO-Vietnam, Habitat Vietnam and local authorities joined to organize a dedication ceremony of 11 houses. Held at the construction site, the ceremony was attended by local leaders, POSCO and Habitat’s representatives, 100 POSCO Beyond volunteers, 20 volunteers of Beyond Vietnam, 10 POSCO Family volunteers and the homeowners.

“It is indeed my great pleasure to make a few closing remarks for the POSCO Beyond Build 2015. One week ago, all we saw were only the foundation and four walls. Now, look at what we’ve done! 11 beautiful almost-finished houses and I’m proud to say that we made it!, said Ms. Kelly, General Manager of Habitat Vietnam.

“It’s very meaningful for us to be here to share love and tears when we join together for the volunteer activities to help the underprivileged people. I believe that it will become a solid foundation for a better close-knit relationship between Korea and Vietnam in the future”, said Mr. Yun Yang Su, General Director of POSCO Vietnam.

Unforgettable Moments about POSCO Beyond Volunteers

Interview Mr. Luu Van Bien, engineer of CAL Dept, POSCO-Vietnam

“I was excited when I heard that POSCO Beyond Volunteers are coming to do social activities in Ba Ria-Vung Tau province. So I registered to join the volunteer activity as soon as possible. This is the first time I’ve participated in a volunteer activity. For me, volunteer activities to help the poor for a better living conditions make me feel happy because I can share the burden of them together.”

Interview Mr. Yong Hwan Moo, POSCO Beyond 8^th

“There were a lot of laughs when I came to the building site and working together with the students of POSCO Beyond. They worked very hard in a rapid pace. I think that they are more than just students. They are almost like professional builders. The students are friendly, vivacious and helpful; therefore, I made lots of friends here. The volunteer activities are meaningful moments that I will never forget about.”

Interview Mr. Huynh Minh Thuan, Beyond Vietnam

“This is the 3rd POSCO Beyond that I’ve ever joined. It’s so great to me. I know that the Vietnam POSCO Village project is sponsored by the POSCO 1% Foundation (operating with one percent deduction from the wage of POSCO’s employees). This is a magnanimously deep and compassionate action of POSCO that no companies can do it in the world. After the village is completed, the underprivileged people will have decent shelters which are the foundations for them to do their business to raise their children.”

If you are interested in more detailed thoughts and experiences of the volunteers, read the next post of a university student who participated at the project.

What is Vietnam POSCO Village?

On November 27th, POSCO-Vietnam and Habitat for Humanity Vietnam (HFH Vietnam) held a ceremony for an 85-house project at Tan Hoa commune, Ba Ria-Vung Tau province. The ceremony was attended by local provincial leaders of Ba Ria-Vung Tau province, representatives from POSCO-Vietnam and about 100 local households. Consisting of low-income families, the households are mostly informal settlers by the river or on unclaimed lands. These groups of the underprivileged will restore hope by being helped into decent homes in the ‘Vietnam POSCO Village’.

“I am sure that local authorities and poor households are very happy since the POSCO-Vietnam has initiated as from today. This is a magnanimously deep and compassionate action of POSCO 1% Foundation. This will also encourage local authorities to implement agreements with POSCO for helping residents living under difficulties for a better life”, stated Mr. Huynh Van Danh, Vice-chairman of Tan Thanh District.

The 18-month ‘Vietnam POSCO Village’ project will be implemented in two phases. Initially, phase 1 (from September 2014 to June 2015) will provide 45 low-income households with safe and adequate housing with water and sanitation facilities while phase 2 (from July 2015 to February 2016) will support another 40 households.

“This is the most beautiful moment in my life because I am going to live in the house that I have wished for a long time; no one has supported me until POSCO.  Other poor households and my family are deeply grateful to POSCO for funding and constructing these houses for us. I promise I will teach my children to have a better awareness that POSCO had helped us, and we need to work hard to lead a better life to thank POSCO”, said in tears, elderly Pham Van Phuong, 83, one of the family members funded by POSCO.

What to Expect for the Future

“With the aim to increase the living standard of low income households, this project partnership will achieve the dream of a decent home to those without proper shelter. With the generous funding provided by Global POSCO, HFH Vietnam will oversee the construction and provide valuable construction technical advices.” said Ms. Kelly, Director of Habitat for Humanity Vietnam.

When the ‘Vietnam POSCO Village’ project is completed and comes to operation, the underprivileged families at Tan Hoa Commune will have stable and adequate homes for staying in and the homes are also bases for them to build a happy family, earn for living and have a better life for their children in future.

“I hope that this project will bring a home of their own to the local poor people. Just as the proverb, “Stable home, stable business”, I hope the project will support and enable them to rise and overcome difficulties. So that they can shape a life of adequateness, comfort and happiness”, said Mr. Yun Yang Su, General Director of POSCO-Vietnam.

Other CSR Activities of POSCO-Vietnam

Not enough with only building a village, POSCO-Vietnam has been putting efforts to maximize improvements in local community’s well-being. In links below, you can learn more about POSCO-Vietnam’s steps toward cultivating the better future that were introduced in our previous posts.

(1) POSCO-Vietnam to Grant Scholarships to Local Students

In academic aspect, POSCO-Vietnam is supplying scholarships for local student 

(2) POSCO-Vietnam Shares the Holiday Joy with Local Children

In social aspect, POSCO-Vietnam celebrates Vietnamese holiday with local children.

As a global social enterprise, POSCO is well-known for its numerous activities that have been contributing to social and economic development both at national and local level. Today, we would like to share the stories of POSCO-Vietnam’s scholarship programs.

POSCO-Vietnam has been providing scholarship programs for schools of Tan Thanh district in Ba Ria-Vung Tau province and for students of Korean Studies Department at University of Da Lat, in Lam Dong province. In addition, through POSCO Asia Fellowship in Vietnam, POSCO-Vietnam has granted the POSCO TJ Park scholarships to excellent students of Vietnam National University- Ho Chi Minh City.

Scholarships for Struggling Students at Tan Thanh District, Ba Ria-Vung Tau Province

Tan Thanh is a district where POSCO-Vietnam is operating its business. Across the district, there are 37 schools of which almost every student is studying under poor condition. Recognizing this situation, POSCO-Vietnam decided to launch a scholarship program as the branch initiated its business in 2006. Since then, POSCO-Vietnam annually grants around 130 scholarships and 10 bicycles to many students of impoverished conditions.

“POSCO– Vietnam has great contributions to local community, especially for poor people and students. I highly appreciated its support for its eight consecutive years of POSCO-Vietnam scholarships program”, said Mr. Le Van Xuong-Chairman of Tan Thanh District.

Living in Tan Thanh district’s Toc Tien village, a student named Nguyen Thi Hue, grade 8, receives a scholarship from the program. Her father is a xe om driver (motorbike taxi) and her mother is an amateur embroiderer. However, their combined incomes are insufficient to support and educate their three children. Every morning, she gets a bike lift from her friends or rides from her father to get to her school which is 3km away from her home. When she fails to get a ride, she needs to walk all the way to the school.

“Since today, I don’t walk anymore because POSCO-Vietnam gives me a bike and notebooks for school. Thank you friends for lifting me until now and POSCO-Vietnam for these precious gifts”, said Hue.

Around 1,000 students received scholarship with this program since 2006.

Scholarships for Students of Korean Studies Department at University of Da Lat

With the purpose of finding the best employees for interpreter positions (Korean-Vietnamese), POSCO has been maintaining a friendly relationship with University of Da Lat since 2009. For the past six years, POSCO-Vietnam has been granting 30 scholarships to the students of Korean Studies or Oriental Studies Department at university of Da Lat.

On October 28, POSCO-Vietnam scholarship was granted to five excellent students at a meeting hall of University of Da Lat. “We hope that these scholarships are encouragements for students to make their efforts in studying and pursue their own dreams, becoming the pioneers for the country’s development. We believe the scholarships of POSCO-Vietnam will be an initiation for the students’ future success”, said Yun Yang Su, General Director of POSCO-Vietnam.

As a response, Mr. Nguyen Duc Hoa, the principle of the university, expressed his appreciation to POSCO-Vietnam for its support and assistance during the past years. He also expressed his hope that the scholarship program would be a bridge for long-term cooperation between the university and POSCO-Vietnam to encourage students to build up their bright future.

POSCO TJ Park Scholarships in Vietnam

The POSCO TJ Park Foundation, a non-profit organization that nurtures prospective young talents in Asia, has been providing more than 150 scholarships to students of the largest and most distinguished university in Vietnam, named Vietnam Nation University – Ho Chi Minh City.

“POSCO TJ Park Scholarship played an important role in our lives for us by encouraging us and making us a step closer to our dreams.”, said the 4^th year student, Huynh Minh Thuan.

Representative for POSCO TJ Park Scholarship Foundation, Yun Yang Su-POSCO-Vietnam’s General Director hoped that the scholarship recipients would make their efforts in studying so that they could take part in the training courses for MA or Ph.D in Korea, sponsored by POSCO Asia Fellowship, and get a chance to learn about Korean culture as well. He also stated that recipients would prove their qualifications to become gifted leaders contributing for Vietnam’s development and Asian region as well.

The POSCO Asia Fellowship supports the prospective leaders of Asia by providing full tuition and living expenses to young talents from Asian countries as they enroll in master’s or doctoral programs at some of the most prestigious Korean universities or institutions and experience the Korean society and culture. So far, the fellowship has sponsored 39 Vietnamese students to take courses in Korea since its establishment. 

To Create Bright Future for Students
POSCO-Vietnam does not only offer occupations for parents but also supports their children for better academic circumstance through its scholarship program. As POSCO-Vietnam build POSCO Village for the local people living in poverty, the branch will continue to create an academic environment to educate the young generation for the bright future of Vietnam.

(This episode is provided by POSCO’s global storyteller, Mr. Nguyen Van Nam)

One of Vietnam’s poorest communities rings in the New Year with new classrooms, homes, and infrastructure for life.

In Tan Hoa Commune, they’re celebrating Tết—Vietnam’s New Year—in a brand new place.

“Even living to this age, I have never imagined that I would ever have such a beautiful house to live in,” says Mrs. Tran Kim Xuyen, 72. Mrs. Xuyen is the owner of a new 35-square-meter home with a kitchen, bedroom, and living room—a spacious change from her family’s former low-roofed abode.

As one of rural Vietnam’s poorest communities, Tan Hoa was selected by POSCO and Habitat for Humanity as the destination for a joint development mission. Located in the Ba Ria-Vung Tau province, the area is known for its developing petroleum, electricity, steel, and chemical industries. Now, resources for local residents are catching up.

On January 14^th, a total of 153 volunteers arrived in Tan Hoa Commune in Tan Thanh District. Along with 20 members of the POSCO Family in Vietnam and 3 of POSCO’s CSR team, the group also welcomed 80 Korean students as part of the POSCO Global Youth group, plus 20 Vietnamese students and 30 home construction specialists from Habitat for Humanity.

The group worked together for 5 days on construction of Tan Hoa’s new homes. All of the new houses were built under the supervision of Habitat for Humanity construction experts. Engineers were br

ought in to make sure the homes met Vietnamese construction requirements.

But for many, the physical labor involved in building a home was a new experience—especially given Vietnam’s humid climate. Heat and wind proved challenging for the volunteers, as did language barriers. Everyone was left bathed in sweat as they worked, carrying sand, gravel, and brick around the construction site and mixing cement for the bricklayers.

We interviewed one Korean student volunteer as he transported a block of bricks to the site of a new home. “It’s really hot here. But our team is working hard to make sure this house is completed before the new year, no matter how much we sweat or bleed,” he said. “The residents here are the poorest people I’ve ever seen, but they still are hospitable. They need these homes,” he added.

To the volunteers, the 72-year-old new homeowner Mrs. Xuyen expressed only gratitude. “Thank you very much for building this house for me. I will never forget the time you have spent and the help you have given my family,” she said.

Schoolhouse Rock

As the newly-laid bricks of Tan Hoa’s ten new homes settled, the volunteers moved to a different part of Tan Thanh District. This time, they set out to help out the students of Hac Dich Middle School.

The school is one of the most rundown in the area, as it has endured years of the unforgiving climate without any maintenance or upgrades. When they arrived, the volunteers split into six groups. Over two days, they carried out repairs on the school’s stairs, desks, and chairs, plus painting the windows and cleaning the school grounds.

After the hard work was complete, the volunteers gathered together with students from the school and the Youth Union of Tan Thanh District for a cultural exchange party. Celebrations came complete with traditional art, dance, and music from Korea and Vietnam.

“This is the first time I’ve met and had fun with students from another country,” said one Hac Dich Middle School student. With the enthusiasm of youth, the student added that, “I learned a lot about Korean culture and people. I will miss the volunteers. I hope to see them again someday.”

Labor of Love

For their final stop, the 100 students of the volunteer group headed south to Long Dien to visit some of the wisest residents of Ba Ria-Vung Tau.

At the Long Dien District Elderly and Lonely Care Center, the hard labor of previous days wasn’t needed. Instead, volunteers delivered food and New Year’s gifts—cooking oil, milk, noodles, cookies, and other daily necessities—for the center’s Tết celebrations. With the help of the Vietnamese student volunteers, the Korean students also made conversation and spent a bit of quality time with the center’s elderly residents, most of whom are homeless.

“New Year’s Day is coming. But we are always worried about daily living conditions during Tết,” explained one of the residents. “Thanks to the presents delivered by the volunteers, we have enough food for this Tết.”

A New Start

8 days, 10 houses, 6 groups, countless desks and chairs, and one New Year’s Day later, the volunteer project is over. In a ceremony to hand over ownership of the Tan Hoa houses, some of the new homeowners are moved to tears, while others are smiling, eager to start their new lives.

For the volunteers as well, the trip has been rewarding. “It was an amazing experience with the local people. The homeowners said thank you to us, and we also want to say thank you to them,” said POSCO Global Youth student Chang Ho Bin. “We are grateful they welcomed us into their lives. We hope they have a warm and happy New Year.”

What I learned from there is how we can true communicate with each other. It was really impressive to see kids in ‘home partners’ shy at the beginning but became friendly. Difference of language was nothing. Also, I’m very glad having participated in building their shelter.

–          Minji Kim

As a student in Hochi Minh City of Technology, it was great opportunity to participate in this activity. I was a bit worried about language problem and work itself, but all the friends from Korea were very kind and careful. I really appreciate their effort and will remember

–          Phan Cam Tu