Webzine

A dream restaurant built together with youths in Africa

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A dream restaurant built together with youths in AfricaEom Sohee, CEO of Kijami Table Kijami means Social in Swahili, a language used in East Africa. Kijami Table is a social restaurant that opened in Africa.Kijami Table is not a typical food service company, but a social enterprise that works with youths in Africa.A ray of hope after a prolonged despairRwanda is one of the countries with the highest unemployment. One of the factors is the genocide that occurred in Rwanda in 1994. It killed more than one million people in three months. Twenty-five years after the genocide, children who lost their families and relatives have now become young adults. Although the Rwandan government and people have put great efforts to recover since the genocide, many young people have grown up without educational opportunities and protection. That is why Kijami Table started business in Rwanda among many African countries. We didn t have to post any hiring announcements when we needed staff. Young people started to bring resumes one by one when the interior work for the restaurant began, and more than 100 resumes were piled up by the end of the construction. The employment situation in the country is so difficult that people have to do their own legwork to find jobs. A smart way to solve the problem of youth unemploymentEom Sohee s experience in overseas volunteer service has had a big impact on the decision to start a social enterprise in Rwanda, which is at least 15 hours away by air from Korea. While working for a nonprofit organization in the fair trade field in Korea, she became interested in the issues in developing countries and began volunteering overseas. There was a good reason that she selected Africa of all regions. The Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) that began in 2000 and lasted until 2015 had an intermediate assessment in 2008. The report said that it was difficult to achieve some goals in many countries in Africa such as ending poverty and hunger, and I wondered why it was more difficult in Africa. You can only see the numbers and assessments from Korea, so I wanted to go to Africa and experience it in person. It had both curiosity and a desire for experience. She spent one year in Kenya as a volunteer for an NGO first and then two years in Cameron as a KOICA volunteer. She implemented various projects with young people in Africa and saw the potential they have. However, not one person amongst the young people who worked with her got a job after graduating from college. She began to work for an NGO after returning to Korea, but she could not shake the feeling that she left something behind there. I thought it was meaningless to think that the three years that I spent there was just a good experience. I wondered if there was any way I can continue my relationships with the people I met there. She became interested in social enterprises and was getting trained when she met Co-CEO Ryu Hyeon-jeong who had spent three years as a cooking instructor in Rwanda. The two met in May 2016 and spent two years in preparation for the business. They finally opened Kijami Table in the capital city of Rwanda in September 2018.Meeting new people and a new worldFor six months after they opened Kijami Table in September 2018, there was not a single dropout. Instead, they hired four more employees this year, and so far 15 young people are working hard to fulfill their dreams by learning and growing together at Kijami Table.The core value of Kijami Table is not limited to providing jobs. Healthy food is also one of the most important values at Kijami Table. Most people do not think of healthiness when they imagine local African food. Instead, they are more likely to think it s unsanitary or too simple. However, we are always thinking with our employees about how to improve and develop African foods. I hope that the local people can be proud of traditional African food and culture. Most Rwandan restaurants have either European or Asian food. However, Kijami Table serves African dishes prepared by Africans. Although most people who visit Kijami Table are foreigners, the restaurant is also always preparing moderately priced menu so that locals can visit without feeling burdened. Moreover, Kijamii table is planning programs to use the place as an open space used by residents and local schools.Having succeeded in starting up a business and providing job opportunities to young African people, Eom Sohee confidently says that she has realized her dream thanks to her experience as a KOICA volunteer. I wholeheartedly recommend the opportunity of overseas volunteering. There are environmental limits in finding information or having idea of trying new things in Korea, but overseas volunteering gives you chances to meet new people and a new world beyond international boundaries.Overseas volunteering was a turning point that gave me a new opportunity in my life. It doesn t have to be limited to your expertise or region, there are many things you can do with your thoughts, experience, and people you met during volunteering. I hope that the people who have experienced or will experience overseas volunteering can develop their future through that experience. Written by Kang Naeun ∥ Photo by Lee Sung-won

We support the infinite dream of youths in Jakarta! KOICA - ADRF “Dream Center Project”

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Although Indonesia is ranked no. 16 in the world in GDP in 2018, the gap between the rich and the poor and social polarization are severe in the country.Its capital city, Jakarta, is the largest metropolitan city in Southeast Asia, but more than 100,000 jobless youths, raised in hostile environments and did not receive a proper education, wander around streets and are often seen begging.The youths in Jakarta, lacking the access to education, often fall into deep despair without knowing the endless possibilities they have.KOICA decided to help the Indonesian youths, who live in despair, to have a better future.KOICA and the Africa-Asia Development Relief Foundation (ADRF) are carrying out the Dream Center Project to help youths on the street by providing vocational trainings.KOICA operates computer and woodworking classes at the Youth Rehabilitation Center run by the Indonesian government to train the youths to obtain skills to help them get jobs.The skilled instructors who came all the way from Korea transferred skills to the students each day.Youths who used to wander around the streets without control learn not only occupational skills but also social skills at the Dream Center.They were awkward at first but gradually started to open their hearts and eventually began to build confidence in themselves.As a result, more than 150 youths completed courses offered by the Dream Center.More than 90% of the graduates of the Dream Center are working at a Used Electronic Product Recycling Center or Woodworking Factory which are social enterprises run by the Dream Center, or local businesses.Rizki, who turned 18 years old this year, developed woodworking skills at the Dream Center, and now he is a bona fide carpenter.Now he dreams to become a woodwork maestro like the teacher who taught him.He will work hard to make money for his younger sibling's school tuition.Rizki has hope that his sibling can also have a bright future through education as he did.The Dream Center is busy everyday. The youths are working hard each day for their dreams.The raw and rough materials transformed into a wood cutting board in the kitchen to serve good food and a comfortable chair that provides comfort to the weary.The youths who lived on the streets of Jakarta without a dream or hope for the future are now drawing blueprints for their brighter future.Written by Nam Jiyeon ∥ Photos by KOICA

How could a Filipino farmer who had been raising crops in a harsh environment transform into an agriculture entrepreneur?

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About KOICAHow could a Filipino farmer who had been raising crops in a harshenvironment transform into an agriculture entrepreneur?Panay Island Upland Sustainable Rural Development ProjectPanay Island is an island within the Visayan Islands in the central Philippines. With an area of 11,515 km², it is the sixth largest island in the Philippines.The major industries of Panay Island are rice and sugar production and fishing. Although rice, sugarcane, cocoa, and leaf tobacco are actively cultivated in the plains, the upland regions are geographically isolated, and the living environment is poor due to confined farmlands and frequent landslides. The region has a shortage of the necessary transportation means for the supply of and transport of agricultural products, which are essential for the cultivation of crops, and the unsanitary and unsafe toilets that are improperly installed show the poor living conditions for inhabitants.Farmers in Panay Island face challenges to produce and sell agricultural products due to outdated farming skills in addition to such environmental reasons.As such, KOICA has carried out the Panay Island Upland Sustainable Rural Development Project since 2015 to improve the living conditions of residents and increase income through improving agricultural production and building distribution bases.Phase I of the project implemented from 2015 to 2017 distributed sanitary toilets, improved roofs, kitchens, and exterior walls, developed drinking water, and educated residents on regional development. The highest priority was on stabilizing the residents' living environments.Phase II of the project implemented from 2017 to 2018 supported the development of livestock to lay the foundation to increase residents' income, constructed agricultural infrastructure in villages, and provided vehicles and agricultural machines to improve farming skills.Lastly, Phase III implemented from 2018 to 2019 constructed the Local Food Terminal (LFT) and Local Food Center (LFC) to expand the distribution foundation to secure sales channels for produced agricultural products and established a foundation to help farmers to grow from producers to agricultural entrepreneurs. Thanks to the truck donated by KOICA, we could transport agricultural products directly to the LFC without the margins of middlemen and thus reduce distribution costs and increase income, said Rosenio, a farmer in Tobias Antique in Panay Island.When the current Phase III is completed, the quality of agricultural products including corn, bananas, and coconuts will be improved, and farmers will be able to receive prices 28% higher than current ones.It is expected to lead to an increase in income for more than 20,000 residents.As such, the Philippines Department of Agriculture selected it as the Best ODA project of 2018 in August 2018. Through this, it is proved that the project was successfully established in the Philippines and helped to improve the living environment and increase the income of residents.The project established the Local Food Trust Fund that can be expanded and reproduced. The Fund has 11 local financial institutions (banks and cooperatives) as the local trustees and designates one of them as the master trustee to support enterprises and individuals intending to purchase local food. The support includes providing preferential loans to distributors, farmers, and merchants. The interest rate is very high when you get a loan from another lender or enterprise, but thanks to KOICA I could get a loan at a reasonable interest rate, which was extremely helpful, Charlie Castro, a farmer in Tapas, said with a bright smile.The Panay Island Upland Sustainable Rural Development Project by KOICA supported the residents of Panay Island to produce high-quality agricultural products continuously (SDG 2) and helped them to be self-sufficient by providing aids in basic living environments, finance,and markets. This results of this project contributes to the sustainable and inclusive economic growth that leads to achieving Sustainable Development Goal #8). Based on the success in Panay Island, we expect this project can spread to other regions.Written by Nam Jiyeon ∥ Photos by KOICA

KOICA’s healthy efforts to keep green health worldwide by producing healthy and fresh food

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KOICA s healthy efforts to keep green health worldwideby producing healthy and fresh foodWhen the balance breaks in the supply and demand of agricultural and marine products, which is a directly related with human s eating and drinking, threats can arise in various aspects such as hunger and poverty problems as well as food security and economic growth. Therefore, problems in agricultural and fisheries are challenges that we must solve. KOICA strives to improve agricultural productivity by building production basis, distributing technologies, and strengthening the marketability of agricultural products.This section reviews the results of KOICA projects in agriculture and fisheries. KOICA hopes to help agricultural communities around the globe to enjoy a healthy life through high-quality agricultural products and sustainable rural development projects.KOICA projects in agriculture and fisheries in 2017Trends in the proportion of projects in agriculture and fisheriesto total projects by KOICATop 10 countries with largest support from KOICAin agriculture and fisheries※ Total amount for 1991-2017(Unit: KRW 1 million)KOICA Project support by type in agriculture and fisheries in 2017(Unit: KRW 1 million, %)