POSCO crèche in Zimbabwe celebrated its 3rd Entrance Ceremony! The crèche started this year with 30 new kids between 3 and 4 years old, and includes 80 kids in total.

More than 100 children applied to enter the POSCO Children Development Center in Zimbabwe this year, which reflects the changes of thought and lifestyle in Zimbabwe, especially regarding education and common health. The 30 new students were selected by interview with parents and kids and took into account home environment and location.

The children receive free lunch meals and snacks. They follow the fundamental course on numbers and letters, as well as various activities such as presentation and sports games. POSCO crèche in Zimbabwe was founded in January 2012, fully supported by POSCO family. By now, they have 612 general patrons and 229 temporary ones. Donations are used for kids who have limited access to education and also for the overall improvement of common health in the country.

In celebration of the second year of POSCO’s efforts in Zimbabwe, POSCO Family with KFHI (Korea Food for the Hunger International) plan to distribute ‘The Warm Postcard’ in Korea. To send a message to contribute to this campaign, you can send a text message to 070-7790-9003.

Check out the video below of our students in Zimbabwe singing ‘We shall never forget Beautiful POSCO’.

At the awards ceremony organized by the Sharing Korea Campaign Office and hosted by the Ministry of Health and Welfare and KBS, Vice President Hwang Eun-yeon received the President’s Award on behalf of POSCO.

POSCO received the President’s Award for carrying out various social contribution projects and for the strength in depth of its employees’ participation in the sharing activities.

Ever since its foundation, POSCO has never stinted in its support of ways to grow together with the local community, look after neglected neighbors domestically and internationally, and foster global talent. Indeed, 98% of all company employees participate in volunteer activities with the average employee volunteering 36 hours, making POSCO a leader in social contribution activities.

POSCO Family employees and families participate in volunteer activities on ‘Sharing Saturday’ once a month, while a ‘Global Volunteer Week’ is in operation whereby POSCO Family employees participate across the globe in volunteer activities for one week. This year, over 55,000 POSCO Family employees from 22 countries participated either in looking after the socially marginalized or in environmental cleanup activities.

In addition, emergency relief kits were made and provided to victims of natural disasters, while clean ocean volunteer activities have been carried out to cleanup marine ecosystems. What’s more, sister relationships with 240 organizations and villages nationwide are helping neighbors in need throughout Korea.

The Global Saemaul (New Community) Movement has been promoted in developing countries to support the fight against hunger and help in the battle to overcome poverty. The POSCO Children’s Center established in Zimbabwe, Africa, provides education for children aged 3~5 along with children suffering from aids, and is operated by support funds from POSCO Family employees.

Not only that, but POSCO employees have been participating in the ‘1% Sharing Activity’ by donating 1% of their wages to neighbors in need. The sharing activity, which started in October 2011 among 930 POSCO and POSCO family company officers and senior managers, has been extended throughout the company exceeding a 96% participation rate in just 18 months since it first started at POSCO, and with 90% at investing companies. POSCO established the 1% Sharing Foundation to utilize funds more meaningfully, and plans to carry out systematic social contribution activities.

Meanwhile, following the Sharing Korea awards, the 4^th Annual Sharing Korea Festival was held at the Seoul World Cup Stadium Peace Plaza for two days starting on the 5^th. POSCO participated and operated a booth that showcased POSCO’s social contribution and sharing activities.

Actively unfolding global Saemaul Movement, the new village movement, in poor areas of Africa and Asia, POSCO has been carrying out infrastructure construction projects, which are conducive to economic development ,including developing rural villages, improving housing environment and building agricultural training centers, where farming techniques are passed down and agricultural leaders are made, thereby helping them grow and become independent.

As part of this global Saemaul Movement, POSCO has been carrying out the ‘Mongolia Agricultural Leadership Training Program’ in Mongolia in partnership with Global Civic Sharing, an international development NGO.POSCO established a Local Development Training Center in Jargalant Mongolia in 2002, and has been conducting training every year for 120 of the agricultural leader candidates selected throughout Mongolia since 2010. The agricultural leadership training project is to provide skills to Mongolia which will substantially contribute to enhancing incomes for local rural villages. Such skills include the practice of greenhouse agricultural and the building of cattle sheds.

The project is also designed to promote communal spirit for the empowerment of leadership qualities and abilities. So far, POSCO has conducted 14 different agricultural leadership trainings along with5 lots of the leadership camp, and 667 trainees have completed the training course.

Among them, POSCO selects some 10 outstanding trainees each year and provides them with a study tour to S. Korea which includes a field trip to ‘Eco-Farm’, an eco-friendly agriculture support center operated by POSCO in the city of Pohang. 11 outstanding trainees have been selected this year.

They arrived in S. Korea on September 29, and were given with advanced agricultural techniques of the country. For four days from September 30, the Mongolian trainees received practical training necessary for improving agricultural techniques, including pasturage plants cultivation, potato cultivation, agricultural machinery and eco-friendly material manufacturing, as well as residential leadership training on how to convince residents, local issue solving techniques, economic development strategy, and more.

While paying a visit to the memorial hall in the birthplace of Saemaul Movement, Pohang steel mill and POSCO center, they also had a time to appreciate and experience S. Korea and POSCO, which have accomplished a great deal in developing the economy based on the Saemaul Movement. After visiting Pohang steel mill and the forestation memorial forest in Goryeong-gun on October 4, the trainees will move to Seoul where they have time to explore and experience the culture of S. Korea, before returning to their country on October 6. While spreading the Saemaul development model to African and Asian countries, POSCO has demonstrated a variety of accomplishments.

In Mozambique and Zimbabwe of Africa, POSCO built Saemaul agricultural training centers, teaching specialized knowledge and techniques about agriculture and stockbreeding, while increasing agricultural production and contributing to solve Africa’s famine problem. In Ethiopia, meanwhile, the Saemaul Development Project is under way, with overseas volunteers including the retirees of POSCO along with their family members stepping up their efforts to improve village environments as well as enhance the income of their neighborhoods. When it comes to Asia, POSCO is promoting Dream Village project to develop a village for non-homeowners in Vietnam, and carrying out the global Saemaul Movement in Indonesia, Nepal and Mongolia.

From 2011, POSCO brought the famous economic movement back from the past and utilized its know-hows and spirits in order to tackle poverty shadowing certain areas in Africa and Asia. ‘Hello, POSCO’ gives you POSCO’s exciting journey as a missionary of New Community Movement.

POSCO’s customized global CSR activities for different countries

Every country has different industries it needs to develop upon. For instance, Mozambique needs specialized agriculture technologies while Zimbabwe requires tailored education for the next generation farmers. New villages should be constructed for Ethiopia and New Community Movement is being adopted by the communities in Vietnam and Mongolia. POSCO listens carefully to the voices and has been giving helping hands for those who need appropriate measures to overcome currently facing difficulties. For this reason, POSCO is carefully designing New Community Movements so the communities can genuinely benefited from the corporate’s social responsibility activities in Africa and Asia.

Supporting next generation farmers’ training in Mozambique and Zimbabwe

In cooperation with the KOICA (Korea International Cooperation Agency), POSCO is managing Agriculture Training Facilities in Mozambique and Zimbabwe, supporting those who dream of becoming proud farmers to revitalize the nations’ economy. Mr. Nelson, who is amongst the first graduates of the program, expressed his gratitude for the training he received as it changed the course of his life completely.

Before coming to this training facility, I was like a piece of white paper, with no knowledge or skills whatsoever. Now, I know how to do farming and breeding livestock. I’ve become confident of getting paid for the works I do.

Since the facilities opened their doors in February, 2012, the number of people achieving new dreams and futures is increasing in Africa. POSCO has continuously been supporting the registered students with educations for New Community Movement spirit and advanced agriculture technologies so they can economically stand on their own feet.

New Community Movement Leaders build new villages in Ethiopia

POSCO, the KOICA and Gyeongsangbuk Province jointly dispatched a volunteer group, the New Community Leaders to Ethiopia. They are visiting local villages with poor surroundings to build new fire pots and chimneys. In 2012, the News Community Leaders built about 150 fire pots in three Ethiopian villages to improve their quality of life. Also, they are teaching the people to learn how to farm, sew and breed livestock so they can have competences to earn their own livings.

Myeong-ki Hong is one of the New Community Leaders in Ethiopia. For ‘Hello, POSCO’, he shared his experience and sentiments from volunteering for the initiative.

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Q. Can you tell us about your mission in Ethiopia?

[dropcap style=”1″ size=”3″]I[/dropcap] mainly work with the locals on teaching sewing skills. The sessions are headed by an Ethiopian tutor and my job is to prepare necessary kits and set regulations for the education program. I am also in charge of accountancy to deal with banking issues. In Ethiopia, the system is not at the level you would expect and sometimes it takes more than three hours to have your turn. But, I find it quite amusing because the people working in banks are really friendly to me. Maybe they find me interesting because I am a foreigner.

Q. When did you find your stay in Ethiopia most worthwhile?

[dropcap style=”1″ size=”3″]T[/dropcap]he village and our basecamp are quite far away from each other so we need a car to move from one place to another. When we are travelling by cars, the villagers wave their hands with welcoming sentiments. It wasn’t like that when we first got here because they were not familiar with foreigners like us. The locals, who used to be uncooperative, are now working with us really well with great enthusiasm. Whenever I see this, I feel a great joy with a thought that “We are genuinely living with the locals.”

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Asia, improved living condition and quality of life

POSCO is also engaging with various parts in Asia wherever our helps are needed. POSCO is introducing a series of social responsibility activities in order to help the locals to improve their quality of life and ability for self-reliance. In Vietnam, POSCO, POSCO Vietnam, POSCO Special Steal and POSCO ICT are closely working together to construct ‘Dream Village’ in Bà Rịa–Vũng Tàu Province since 2011.

We have also established a local development education center in Jargalant in Mongolia to help nomads living in the area to maximize their profits from farming. A remote village in Indonesia was also reached by POSCO as we worked together to repair an old school and the surroundings to improve their living condition.

POSCO’s global New Community Movement has also been selected as the superb case for CSR activities. As we have witnessed above, POSCO’s kind and loving hands are embracing Africa and Asia, delivering hopes for everyone. POSCO is planning to expand New Community Movement to other regions and ‘Hello, POSCO’ will follow the track.

Until recently, five year old Ritchell and his friends spent their days no different as explained above. As Ritchell’s father left his family long time ago, his responsibility became helping around the farm and household. Ritchell’s family was unable to provide a proper education for him, as well as the least amount of necessary food for the day.

POSCO Children Development Center built in Ritchell’s village

Before the POSCO Children Development Center was built, the concept of kindergarten was vaguely known to a large populous of the children and families of Zimbabwe. Now that the center has opened, children like Ritchell, along with more than eighty other friends are able to learn, write, sing, draw and play together as a whole.

Ritchell’s gloomy days have totally changed. Going to kindergarten helped Ritchell gain weight, allowing his health conditions to improve overall. His talent of drawing has exceeded as he loves to draw chickens, chicks and other various objects that surround him. Ritchell turns six next year, and assures he will most definitely continue into elementary school, in which POSCO is able to help him with donations from our employees.

This is how Ritchell’s day changed to. Let’s take a look.

At six o’clock sharp, Ritchell wakes up. In a heartbeat he runs to the POSCO Children Development Center where from 8am to 1pm are the most precious and exciting moments of his entire day. Once children arrive at the kindergarten, our partner organization, KFHI(Korea Food for the Hungry International) staffs take care of the them with much affection and care. KFHI is POSCO’s partner NGO that manages children development center and agricultural center in Seke, Zimbabwe.

What’s even more exciting is that Ritchell’s attitude has certainly changed after attending the kindergarten and so has his mother. Ever since Ritchell’s father left home a typical day for his mother would be to stay home and not go out. Today, however, she joins Ritchell by visiting the center where she helps to cook and clean. Ritchell’s mother became proud of her son, showing tears of joy as Ritchell recently learned how to spell and write his name for the first time.

POSCO, Hope for Children

Most children of Seke, Zimbabwe are AIDS-positive. During a time of necessary vital cares, these children were neglected and left to starve out of parents’ ignorance and irresponsibility, but most of all poverty. In addition, rarely are these children given a chance to learn or even have a proper meal due to poor conditions.

POSCO provided parental care to the children aged between three to five years, by building a Daycare Center at the village of Cashel. The operating expense for the center is entirely covered by the voluntary donations of POSCO employee’s. About 900 employees are sponsoring the center with their own money, preparing gifts, and sending cards for the POSCO Center children from time to time.

Both the Cashel children and many families were able to escape from a severe poverty thanks to POSCO employees and their small help.

POSCO is continuously funding places like Africa where help is desperately needed. There are countless children around the world who need such support. POSCO wishes that you may share this common goal with us. A small interest from you can change these people’s lives, more that you know it.