Unique partnership for students from India and Korea to participate in community development
Hyundai Motor India Foundation (HMIF), the philanthropic arm of Hyundai Motor India Limited (HMIL), the largest exporter and second largest passenger car manufacturer in India, as part of its Corporate Social Responsibility program is running the ‘6th Happy Move Global Youth Volunteers camp’. As part of the initiative, students from India and Korea are working together towards a common cause of community development.
A group of 91 Korean student volunteers between the ages of 18 to 22 years are participating in this camp. The activities in the camp are focused on education and renovation activities in Delhi, over a period of 2 weeks. Nineteen students from Birla Institute of Management Technology (BIMTECH) and the NIILM Center for Management Studies have participated in the camp across project sites at different locations in Delhi – Hope Centre in Tughlakabad, Nirmal Chaya Children’s Home & Women Short Stay Home at Harinagar and Aanchal School in Chanakyapuri - where they have built and repaired toilets, done area cleaning, constructed childrens’ parks, donated school supplies and various other construction & repair tasks. The ‘Happy Move Global Youth Volunteers Camp’ is also supported by Field Services and Intercultural Learning (FSL), an Indian NGO India, and International Workcamp Organisation (IWO), an NGO from Korea.
Speaking on this initiative, H W Park, MD & CEO, HMIL, said, “As one of the leading automobile manufacturers in the country, we are committed to doing our bit for the community that sustains us. These initiatives will directly benefit the students of several government schools as they will have access to a conducive learning environment. It’s also very heartening to see our happy volunteers raring to go and reinforcing our commitment to the society”.
Volunteer Team Leader, D.G. Lee, added further, “We have had a great learning experience here in India. Through our volunteer work, we have had the chance to make a small contribution towards the local communities, and also understand the Indian culture and community life. This camp has also helped us recognizing our responsibilities as a global citizen”. The Happy Move volunteers had recently organized similar camp at Chennai where they were engaged in various CSR activities related to education, environment, renovation and cultural exchange.
The first such camp was held in July 2008, and since then has been held every six months. Volunteers in the past have included doctors and medical specialists from Korea who conduct medical camps in schools, villages and primary healthcare centres. Other activities undertaken by the volunteers are construction of play courts, kitchens, libraries, water harvesting systems etc. In addition, a street play will be performed on February 13, 2011 at the India Gate by these volunteers in association with the NGO YUVA (Youth Unite for Voluntary Action). The theme of the play will be environment awareness and sensitization towards traffic rules. It will sensitize the local people of Delhi on these serious issues, and make them more aware and responsible towards environment protection and traffic regulations.
