Hyundai advocates education, donates $70,000 through “Happy Move” project in Rizal

MANILA, Philippines - Hyundai Motor Company (HMC) donated US$70,000 to the Korean NGO Korea Food for the Hungry International (KFHI) for the 13th Hyundai Happy Move Global Volunteer Camp program as part of its campaign to fight poverty and promote education to impoverished communities. HARI Foundation, Inc. (HFI), the corporate social responsibility (CSR) arm of Hyundai Asia Resources, Inc. (HARI), supported Hyundai’s global CSR campaign by involving participants of the Hyundai New Thinkers Circuit (HNTC) program.

From July 21 to 31, 90 university students from Korea, together with officials from Hyundai Motor Company’s (HMC) corporate responsibility team, set off to San Isidro, Montalban, Rizal near Payatas to do volunteer work for the community. Their main activities included constructing a new school and conducting learning activities for children.

Happy Move is one of Hyundai Motor Company’s global CSR programs that advocate education and sustainable communities. Together with the NGO Korea Food for the Hungry International (KFHI), Hyundai aims to combat poverty by uplifting the lives of communities through youth education and health and nutrition campaigns. KFHI is also actively engaged in disaster relief operations.

Together with local residents, the Korean and Happy Move volunteers worked hand-in-hand to build and paint the two-storey elementary school, which will be named Grace Elementary School.

“The Hyundai Happy Move Global Youth Volunteer Camp expresses Hyundai Motor Company’s humanitarian campaign to improve the lives of people living in less-fortunate and impoverished communities,” explained Ho Seon “Sunny” Eo, Manager of HMC Corporate Social Responsibility Department. “This year, our strategy is to focus more on education as it plays an important role in improving the lives of people and its community. Thus, we helped in the construction of a new elementary school and conduct of educational activities in the area to create a new foundation for the community of San Isidro, one that is based on learning and the dynamic exchange of new ideas.”

“We thank Hyundai Motor Company, its Korean student volunteers, and members of KFHI for striving to create a positive difference in our country, one community at a time,” explained Ms. Maria Fe Perez-Agudo, President of HARI Foundation, Inc. “Like HMC, HFI is aware of the importance of education, more specifically climate science literacy, as the world needs a new generation of leaders that will not only face the problems, such as poverty, but also the threats of climate change.”

Also committing to help in HMC’s education initiatives are the student and teacher delegates of the Hyundai New Thinkers Circuit (HNTC) program, HFI’s flagship project that focuses on honing tomorrow’s climate scientists. The students and teachers will conduct climate science workshops within the community to complement the Hyundai Happy Move learning activities. The HNTC participants will also join the Korean volunteers in their build activity.