UNICEF Receives South Korean Movie Star

Tuesday, April 07, 2009

The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) in The Gambia on Sunday 5th April received an eight member delegation from South Korea. The delegation was led by the Korean Committee for UNICEF (KCU) and its Goodwill Ambassador, Mr. Kim Do Jin, a movie star and celebrity better known by his artist name Won Bin, for an official country visit to The Gambia.

Other members of the Korean delegation also include a professional photographer, Mr. Kwon Yong Ho; two producers from MBC (Munhwa Broadcasting Corporation), a public service multimedia broadcaster in South Korea, Mr. Lee Young Baek and Mr. Park Jung Nam; an art gallery curator and KCU sponsor, Ms. Lee Hea Mi; and two KCU staff members, Mr. Park Young Jin, Director of KCU and Ms. Hyun Woo Lee, Communications Officer in KCU.

The Korean delegation will be visiting The Gambia from

5th to 12th April, 2009. “The purpose of the country visit is to mobilize resources and advocate for investing in children and to verify progress made within a school construction and rehabilitation project funded by KCU,” a statement from UNICEF indicated.

As part of the Schools for Africa Project, the Korean Committee for UNICEF has provided funding for the construction of a three-classroom block in Wellingara Yareh and the rehabilitation of three-classroom blocks in Waliba Kunda and FassBajongLowerBasicSchools in URR. Part of this funding, according to the UNICEF statement, has been used to match the Gambian government funds to construct a six-classroom block in TallindingLowerBasicSchool.

Much progress has been achieved in the construction and rehabilitation works since the receipt of funds in early 2008. The delegation will visit the construction and rehabilitation sites in KMC and URR, conduct interviews with children and communities, and produce a TV documentary that will be broadcast by MBC for viewers in South Korea and abroad. The delegation will also offer school supplies mobilized by KCU and Goodwill Ambassador Won Bin as donation in kind to the schools visited.

The visit will introduce KCU and the Goodwill Ambassador, Won Bin, to the Gambian national education system and its challenges, especially for access, equity and quality in basic education. The TV documentary produced with footage from the country visit will highlight some of the challenges and needs for child survival and development, education and protection in The Gambia, which will appeal to the South Korean and international viewers for solidarity and support to help children in The Gambia survive and thrive.

The visiting Korean delegation will also meet with the Vice President of The Gambia, the Speaker of the National Assembly, the SOS for Basic and Secondary Education, the Governor of URR, community leaders and Regional Education Staff in URR, as well as the UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador of The Gambia, Mr. Jaliba Kuyateh.