World Vision wins three at Korea Public Interest Activity Impact Awards for work supporting children and refugees

[Financial News] World Vision won three awards at the Korea Public Interest Activity Impact Awards for supporting children’s career development in Korea, helping refugees in Kenya become self-reliant, and running a campaign to engage donors.
On the 15th, World Vision, an international relief and development NGO, said that its “Dreaming Children Dream Support Project” won the Minister of the Interior and Safety Award at the inaugural ceremony, held on the 14th at the Grand Ballroom of FKI Tower in Seoul. The Kenya refugee and community support project and the “Finish the Job” campaign received the iM Social Contribution Foundation Chairperson’s Award and The Better Future Representative’s Award, respectively.
The Korea Council of Charitable Organizations, the Ministry of the Interior and Safety, the Korea Council of Volunteer Organizations, and The Better Future organized the awards for the first time this year to highlight the impact of public-interest activities in addressing social problems.
“Dreaming Children” is a program that helps children and young people with limited opportunities to explore career paths because of financial hardship. It began as a pilot project in Gyeonggi and Gyeongnam in 2013 and expanded nationwide in 2018. Since then, it has partnered with 891 social welfare organizations. The program provides career activities, scholarships, and mentoring by experts, as well as coaching for parents and guardians.
In “Dream Designer,” one of the program’s components, children write a personal growth plan, set their own goals, and work to achieve them. They also explore career information through “Vision Expedition,” which consists of job experiences and interviews with people in various professions.
World Vision’s 10-year impact study report estimated that the program generated 44.8 billion won in social value—about 3.9 times its annual budget of 11.6 billion won.
Since 2022, World Vision and the Korea International Cooperation Agency (KOICA) have been carrying out a five-year project to strengthen resilience among refugees and host communities in Kalobeyei, Kenya. The project is helping refugees and local residents facing drought, food shortages, and resource conflicts by building water supply facilities and communal farms, and supporting income generation through agriculture and beekeeping. It is also working to manage conflicts through peace committees.
“Finish the Job” is a fundraising campaign running from 2023 to 2028. It aims to support access to drinking water and education in Africa, promote economic self-reliance, and address problems affecting vulnerable children in Korea. Major donors and others take part in regular meetings and field visits, working together to explore solutions.
Separately, the “Baemin Vacation Lunchbox” program, jointly run by World Vision and Woowa Brothers, also received the Korea Council of Charitable Organizations Chairperson’s Award. The program provides meals to children at risk of going without food during school vacations.
World Vision Chairman Myung-Hwan Cho said, “We will work to create a structure in which children design their own futures, communities overcome crises, and more people take part as agents of change in solving problems.”
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