Behind a family’s health and harmony, there is a mother’s meticulous touch. The Intl. WeLoveU Foundation (Chairwoman Zahng Gil-jah, hereinafter referred to as WeLoveU) has been taking care of all people living in the global village with a mother’s love, improving their health and delivering hope and happiness. The WeLoveU has been carrying out well-being activities since the 1990s, and by establishing the New Life Welfare Foundation in 2001, it began to help neighbors as a group by supporting children with heart diseases and vulnerable people. After renaming it as the Intl. WeLoveU Foundation in 2007, it has been helping people around the world who are suffering from disasters, diseases, poverty, and hunger. More than 155,000 members from 65 countries and people from all walks of life participate in the WeLoveU’s “Save the World” Movement for a hopeful future for humanity and the earth, contributing to the achievement of the SDGs which are the common goals of international society. The WeLoveU’s constant activities such as blood donation, environmental protection, emergency relief, poverty and hunger alleviation, clean water and sanitation provision, and educational support, are making changes in the global village.

Worldwide Blood Drive Becomes the Foundation of Sustainable Life-Saving

  The WeLoveU’s Worldwide Blood Drive has been held since 2004 with the heart of a mother who values the life of her family. This is a global life-saving movement with the intention that one person’s life-sharing practice will lead to two, then four people, and finally all mankind will achieve a virtuous cycle of sharing. In particular, the WeLoveU’s blood drive highlighted the importance of saving and respecting lives during the COVID-19 pandemic when many countries experienced blood shortages due to a decrease in donors.
  This year alone, 118 blood drives have been held in 34 countries since January. It was attended by more than 22,000 people, including the WeLoveU members, their families and neighbors, in the Rep. of Korea, the U.S., Chile, Brazil, Zimbabwe, Malaysia, Australia, New Zealand, etc. Kim Hee-jeong who participated in the 477th blood drive in Seoul, Korea, said, “My child was sick when he was young, but he recovered after receiving platelets through the WeLoveU. Then I realized the importance of blood donation, and today I’m participating in the blood drive.” Thus, the WeLoveU’s blood drive creates the virtuous cycle of love. At the 462nd blood drive held in Coquimbo, Chile, Alejandra Vera said, “I’m happy to help those in need of blood transfusion and deliver a mother’s love.” 
  In recognition of its selfless volunteer services to save lives, the WeLoveU was awarded many certificates of appreciation from local governments, hospitals, and blood centers in each country. “No one donates blood during the Carnival. But actually we need more blood during this period of time because more accidents occur during the Carnival. I’m grateful to the WeLoveU for its charitable work that saves lives,” said Osney Okumotu, Director of the Blood Center of Brasilia, Brazil. Until March of this year, the WeLoveU held 570 blood drives over the past 20 years; 98,253 people participated in them and 43,326 donations were collected. Since one unit of blood can save three lives, it means that 129,978 people have been saved.

WeLoveU Gives Hope to People in Difficulties

  The WeLoveU’s volunteer activity gives great comfort and encouragement to those who are suffering from sudden disasters. In early April, a large-scale work was carried out to select and pack the supplies donated by the WeLoveU members in the metropolitan area for the Turkiye earthquake victims. A total of 3,870 boxes were collected, containing 180,000 items such as tents, sleeping bags, winter clothes, and hygiene products for women. The donations in amount of seven 10-tonne trucks are expected to be delivered to the victims in cold weather and poor conditions. Gwak Hee-suk (53) said, “If someone helps my children when they’re going through such difficulties, there would be nothing more grateful for than that. I want to do everything I can to help the earthquake victims with a mother’s heart. I hope they will not lose hope.”
  At the end of 2021, the WeLoveU donated a total of 1,275 boxes of relief supplies (equivalent to 2 containers) to the hurricane victims in Honduras. During the COVID-19 pandemic, too, the WeLoveU did not stop helping people; the members conducted customized activities by providing coronavirus prevention supplies, groceries, and daily necessities to 29 countries.
  They said, “The greatest strengthen lies in a mother’s love, which helps and supports her family during difficult times.” Following the example of Chairwoman Zahng Gil-jah, who served others for her entire life, the members comforted and encouraged unfortunate neighbors by preparing meals whenever there were nationwide disasters, including the Sampoong Department Store collapse in 1995, the Daegu subway fire in 2003, the sinking of the MV Sewol in 2014, and the Pohang earthquake in Korea in 2017. Overseas members, too, made great efforts, carrying out numerous recovery and relief projects for victims of various disasters such as floods in Ecuador and Laos, hurricanes in the U.S., and earthquakes in Nepal. The WeLoveU also continues to help Syrian refugees who lost their homes due to conflicts and civil war, and internally displaced people of Iraq, and the climate refugees suffering from climate disasters.
  It has been fifteen years since the WeLoveU installed water pumps in countries in Asia and Africa, which were suffering from various diseases due to contaminated water. Starting with Ghana, it has installed 31 water pumps in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Kenya, Benin, Cambodia, India, etc. In Tuvalu, the country of climate refugees, the WeLoveU installed 20 water tanks with a capacity of 10,000 liters each to provide drinking water, and in May of last year, the WeLoveU contributed to alleviating the water shortage by installing water pumps by excavating 200 meters underground in Outhoumphone, Laos.

Supporting the Dream of Underprivileged Neighbors and Future Generations

  Last February, members of the Philippines chapter visited the Paranaque National High School San-Isidro. The WeLoveU donated school uniforms to 160 students from low-income families and cheered them on, saying, “We hope students will have great hopes and dreams even in difficult situations.” The WeLoveU has also provided various educational supports in Mongolia, Nepal, India, Cambodia, Benin, El Salvador, and Paraguay. These efforts include constructing and renovating school buildings, constructing libraries and gymnasiums, donating books, desks, chairs, audiovisual and electrical equipment, and providing emergency medicine. In 2021, the WeLoveU built a library in a secondary school in Maputo, Mozambique, providing a quality educational environment for 3,000 students. During the COVID-19 pandemic, the WeLoveU also contributed to reducing educational inequality by supporting low-income students in the United States with digital devices for online classes. Character education programs were conducted, such as lectures on developing healthy personalities and campaigns to prevent school bullying, in Korea, the U.S., and other countries.
  The WeLoveU makes every effort to support vulnerable groups, such as the elderly living alone, multicultural families, and families with disabled members. In March, the members donated 284 blankets to a children’s hospital located in Cleveland County, OK, U.S., and held the WeLo’s Winter Clothes Donation Event last year to provide winter coats, gloves, and hats to 770 low-income children. In Korea, they help vulnerable groups every New Year and Chuseok (national holiday). At the end of the year, they help with heating expenses, winter supplies, and home repairs through the “Preparation for a Warm Winter” Project.

Clean WORLD Movement & Mom’s Garden to Protect the Earth

  One of the characteristics that make the WeLoveU different from other welfare organizations is that it carries out an environmental well-being movement that combines the environment and well-being. The WeLoveU launched the Clean WORLD Movement in 2008 with the belief that “a clean environment is the basis of a happy life.” For more than 15 years, the WeLoveU has taken the lead in protecting the earth by purifying city centers, mountains, seas, and rivers. By March of this year, more than 303,000 people from 72 countries participated in Clean WORLD Movement for 2,006 times. Governments, local authorities, civil society, and residents in each country actively join to create a healthy and pleasant living environment, while also raising awareness about preserving the ecosystems and protecting the environment.
  Last year in Philadelphia, U.S., the WeLoveU transformed a crime-ridden area that had been neglected for almost 100 years into a safe and comfortable resting place. The members devoted more than 2,400 hours to planting flowers and trees, installing solar lights, and creating promenades to create the “WeLoveU Park.” The Pennsylvania State Senator Christine M. Tartaglione announced the provision of 50,000 USD government subsidy to support the WeLoveU’s project to enrich people’s lives all the more.
  Nowadays, when environmental issues such as large-scale wildfires and fine dust threaten our lives, the WeLoveU is carrying out a new project called “Mom’s Garden.” This is a project to plant trees around the world with the heart of a mother to reduce greenhouse gases, through which they aim to protect the global village, and create a happy future. The goal is to reduce 66,000 tonnes of carbon dioxide by planting one million trees by 2026. This year, the WeLoveU plans to plant 155,000 trees to absorb 1,023,000 kg [appr. 2,255,000 lms] of carbon dioxide.

  For this project, many countries, such as Korea, the U.S., Nepal, and Kenya, are making efforts. On April 26, about 180 people, including the WeLoveU members and their families, planted 4,000 shrub seedlings at Hope Park in Ulsan, Korea. Han Ji-seon, a WeLoveU member, said, “Earth is suffering from carbon emissions, and I’m happy to protect our planet by planting trees and hand down a clean environment to our descendants.” The next day, members from Busan, Korea, planted 7,000 azaleas trees on Mt. Seunghaksan. The WeLoveU’s year-round campaign “Clean Action in Real Life,” too, helps citizens voluntarily participate in environmental protection. Activities such as the Recycling Challenge and the Plogging Challenge are gaining high participation in various countries.
  The WeLoveU has been carrying out humanitarian activities for more than 3,800 times, including environmental protection. In recognition of these activities, the international community has supported and encouraged the WeLoveU by awarding it over 700 times, including The Order of Merit from the Korean government, The President’s Gold Volunteer Service Awards (the highest honor for a group, for eight times) from the U.S., The Royal Order from Cambodia, and The International Green Apple Environment Award, etc. Last year, the National Assembly of Ecuador awarded the WeLoveU with the Vicente Rocafuerte Medal in recognition of its contribution to the national crisis relief efforts through the support for the COVID-19 prevention.

Let’s Make a Happy Future Together

  All the current global issues require collective efforts from all people, not just one person or one country. To address these challenges, the WeLoveU has hosted events such as the “New Life Family Walkathon” and the “New Life Concert” every year since their establishment, creating opportunity for solidarity and unity. For other activities such as the “Kimchi-Making Event,” the “Worldwide Blood Drives,” and the “Clean WORLD Movement,” the number of participants has been increasing over time. Through events such as the “Exchange of Views on Global Welfare Activities” and “Save the World Global Forum” and by participating in the UN DPI/NGO conference, the WeLoveU discusses with experts from all walks of life. Moved by the global goals and activities of the WeLoveU, the Gabonese Republic and many other countries have formed partnerships with the WeLoveU, and the United Nations also continuously publishes the WeLoveU’s activities on its website. Wherever the mother’s love of the WeLoveU reaches, it creates a hopeful change-solidarity and unity without boundaries, bringing improvement not only to individuals and regions but also to the global community.