COUNTRY DIRECTOR’S OPEN LETTER

Hello!

I am Park Dong Chul, Country Director of Good Neighbors International (GNI) in Vietnam.

First, I would like to thank our partners, government agencies, businesses, and sponsors, who have accompanied GNI over the past year.

I think the keyword for 2022 can be “new beginning” when Vietnam entered the recovery stage after the Covid-19 pandemic. However, issues like children’s mental health, child rights, climate change responses, or supporting low-income families still need attention. These are also issues that GNI has been striving to solve.

In 2022, GNI cooperated with the Ministry of Education and Training (MOET) to implement a nationwide pilot project - the “Development of social work and school psychology counseling in the period of 20222024” project based on previous projects since 2019. The Ministry of Education and Training also added this to the Ministry’s medium and long-term strategy. GNI has become a partner in implementing this strategy among NGOs in Vietnam.

Furthermore, GNI has continued to improve and expand the Environmental education programs for the students. We have also promoted the local people’s engagement by implementing environmental protection projects to respond to climate change, such as the “Green Light project” sponsored by the KIA Group, the “Improving access to clean water” project sponsored by the Korean Institute of Ceramic Engineering and Technology (KICET), or the “Improve the quality of Education and Safe Learning Environment for Children at Dong Loi Secondary School” sponsored by the KSFC Foundation, which will be inaugurated and handed over in 2023.

In addition, in 2022, GNI was honored to receive the Certificate of Merit from the Prime Minister for many positive contributions to preventing the Covid-19 epidemic in Vietnam.

Good Neighbors is constantly striving to make the world a better place. With the significant achievements in 2022, we will continue maintaining and developing our activities in 2023. Let’s join hands to take action so no one is left behind and everyone will have a better future. We look forward to your participation and support in our activities.

Thank you!

WHO WE ARE?

Good Neighbors International (GNI) is an international humanitarian development NGO founded in Korea in 1991. Currently, GNI is working in 48 countries across the globe, focusing on inclusive community development and child protection.

GNI officially opened its office in Vietnam on June 1, 2005. We are implementing Community Development Projects in 06 areas, including Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City, Hoa Binh, Tuyen Quang, Thanh Hoa, and Ha Giang with more than 17,000 sponsored children and over 200,000 beneficiaries. Additionally, GNI provides emergency relief and gives gifts-in-kind and necessities to 26 provinces and cities in Vietnam.

Mission

Good Neighbors exists to make the world a place without hunger, where people live together in harmony. Good Neighbors respects the human rights of our neighbors suffering from poverty, disasters, and oppression, helps them to achieve self-reliance, and enables them to rebuild hope.

Core Values

1. We serve people in need beyond ethnicity, religion, belief, and nationality.

2. We promote self-reliance in the sustainable development for individuals, families, and communities.

3. We implement the rights of the child as top priority.

4. We prosper global citizenship in mutual respect.

5. We organize local volunteers to contribute in developing their own communities.

6. We e cooperate with all people who understand our mission and program.

7. We work with professionalism and pursue financial and operational transparency.

8. We strive to induce more people to join our work as Good Neighbors members.