FROM: Daesung Group

Daesung Group gives hope to the children of Ethiopia

Funds the building of a new elementary school in Tijo, Ethiopia

with employee donations

The executives and employees of Daesung Energy, a subsidiary of Daesung Group, made voluntarily donations from their monthly salaries to fund the building of a school in Tijo, Ethiopia. These funds were donated through World Vision, which then executed the construction of the new school building. Desks and chairs have also been placed in the newly built classroom for the first time since this school opened. In the opening ceremony on November 3rd, three representatives from the labor-management council of Daesung Energy participated on behalf of the company.

2,000 school students, teachers and 500 parents attended the opening ceremony. The Korean visitors were treated as honored guests and danced and sang to celebrate the event with the enthusiasm of their hosts.  South Korean delegates who attended the ceremony received an embarrassingly kind welcome from the local people. The joint delegation from Daesung Energy and World Vision participated in the ceremony and also delivered gifts such as laptop computers and footballs.

Daesung Energy, which signed a sponsorship agreement with World Vision in October 2015, is supporting fundraising in the form of a matching grant, in which the company donates the same amount as the 15,000 won donated by each employee per month. First, they supported 242 children to improve the nutrition, health and drinking water condition of Magoye village in Zambia, Africa. Following this, it was decided to sponsor the creation of a self-sufficient town in Tijo, Ethiopia suffering from a chronic water scarcity and poor educational conditions, and Daesung Energy has continued to support projects such as the construction of classrooms in an elementary school, improvement of the restrooms, and the purchase of desks and chairs.

A representative of the labor-management council, Yu Taek Won, who visited Ethiopia on behalf of Daesung Energy, said, "We are glad that we could repay the brotherly affection of Ethiopia, which gave us help in making the Korea of today by sending about 6,000 soldiers from their elite troops to the Korean War. We hope that our support will be the foundation for Ethiopian students to grow their dreams and hopes.”

A Daesung Energy official added that they will continue to support the project of creating a self-sufficient town in Tijo, including the establishment of water fountains and water supply facilities as well as improvement of sanitary conditions and school facilities.

Meanwhile, as part of ‘Lighting Asia and Africa (LANA)’, Daesung Group completed an Ethiopian solar energy support project in 2011. With this project, Daesung Group helped improve the quality of life for Ethiopians by providing electricity and water to 1,100 households and two elementary schools in Bulchana and Boledena through this solar energy system.

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