By Honorary Reporter John Axel Orencia from Philippines

Photos = Kim Soon Ok, John Axel Orencia

(Left) John Axel Orencia in 2013 and (right) 2022 receiving his award at the KOICA Philippines office

While in elementary school nine years ago, I lived in a poor area of the Philippines that was constantly flooded whenever a strong typhoon hit. Schools there were turned into evacuation centers in the event of a flood, thus education could be delayed at any time.

The Korea International Cooperation Agency (KOICA) came to the rescue. Volunteer workers helped us recover from the devastating damage and encouraged students to continue their education. I now realize the importance of acknowledging and appreciating those who helped us.

Photos of me back in 2013 at a class run by KOICA. (Kim Ok Soon)

After reaching adulthood, I decided to support KOICA by joining the We Are KOICA (WeKO) program last year. The purpose is to promote things related to official development assistance (ODA) and KOICA's operations and spread the influence of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) of the United Nations.

Initially comprising Koreans only, the program in its third year (2021) accepted other nationalities. As the first Filipino in WeKO, I felt honored but also a heightened sense of responsibility. In the five months I spent in the program, I gained a lot of knowledge about ODA, SDGs and KOICA's agenda. 

As a supporter, I got to take part online the 14th Seoul ODA International Conference. Our monthly missions greatly helped bring out our creativity like the Zero Waste Challenge and KOICA Global Run. At the end of the program, I produced a video explaining the SDGs and their subtopics. 

After completing the program, I was named "Best Global WeKO" among 17 other global members.

I earned the grand prize at last year's WeKO awards ceremony. 

kalhong617@korea.kr

*This article is written by a Korea.net Honorary Reporter. Our group of Honorary Reporters are from all around the world, and they share with Korea.net their love and passion for all things Korean.