Students from Seoul Chungmu Elementary School wrote encouraging messages to Uganda on Tuesday as part of the 10th annual fundraising event of nonprofit organization Good Neighbors.

The Hope Letter Campaign began in 2009. This year’s event runs from March 2 through May 31 for students in elementary, middle and high schools nationwide.

The students are invited to watch a video on a 10-year-old Ugandan boy named Simon, who works at a dust-filled quarry to make ends meet. Simon’s father, who had also worked in the same quarry, passed away three years ago due to a lung complication he developed from the hostile working environment. Left with three younger siblings and a bedridden mother, Simon dropped out of school to work full time in the stone pit that took his father’s life.

The aim of the event is for Korean children to understand the virtue of sharing and put it into action as citizens of the world.

After watching the story of Simon, the children are encouraged to write letters to Simon and submit them to their school. A panel of experts will evaluate the letters based on their sincerity and originality, and present awards to the winning entries by the end of June. 

Photo by Park Hyun-koo
Written by Lim Jeong-yeo