This article is based on an original essay by Eunsung Lee from Samsung Electronics’ Mobile Communications Division,
and was edited by Samsung Newsroom

Last February, Samsung Electronics announced its vision for its global citizenship program – Enabling People. The company has been running numerous volunteer youth education programs for over a decade, and since the recent announcement has been strengthening the programs it offers in the interests of enabling young citizens the world over.

For Samsung’s employee volunteer initiative OneWeek, around 200 Samsung employees traveled to six different countries – Cambodia, Indonesia, Thailand, Kazakhstan, Nepal and Hungary – to engage in collaborative activities with local communities.

I was part of the second volunteer team to travel who visited Kazakhstan, a country 27 times the size of my native Korea but with less than half the population. There, we participated in activities like showing children how to use computers and teaching them about coding. I was pleased to have been given the opportunity as, in order to take part in Samsung OneWeek, employees have to be ready to use up five days of their annual leave – but competition for the program was still fierce.

Getting to Know the Kazakh Community

Despite extensive preparation and constant review of our education materials during the long journey to Kazakhstan, we were still inevitably nervous once we arrived to greet the children we would be volunteering for and spending time with.

At first meeting, they appeared cautious, but even as we formulated the best way to introduce ourselves, they quickly broke out into boisterous cries of welcome.

Following that, the local students entertained us with songs and dance performances they had prepared. Us OneWeek members provided snacks and toys to the mix, and quickly, our nervous first meeting had become a party.

One member of our team even broke into funny faces to make the children laugh, and soon enough we were chatting and having fun as if we had known each other much longer than a matter of hours.

Education Against All the Odds

After this opportunity to get to know the children, we busied ourselves with immersing ourselves in their daily lives. By contrast to the school start times we were accustomed to back in Korea, we learnt that these Kazakh children arrived to school around 10am.

In order to fully understand this daily routine, we traveled on the school bus that departs their area, a village near the border, at 6am every morning. Having traveled along a dirt road for hours to reach the Mynjylyk area, we encountered a military barrack complete with guard checks, an obstacle in this daily journey that is due to the proximity of the border. Having gone through this sobering experience, we were happy to finally greet the children and join them as they began the school day.

Technology for Good

Once at the childrens’ school, our volunteering activities began in earnest. We taught children how to use Scratch, a universal coding methodology. Despite the difficulty of the subject, the language barrier and the resulting slow rate of progress, the children were enthusiastic and eager to learn throughout – we found ourselves often conveying key messages to each other through body language alone.

Given that a primary means of employment in this mountainous area of Kazakhstan is livestock rearing, we also held educational IT sessions for local nomads, many of whom had never even seen a computer before but who approached the task with just as much enthusiasm and determination to learn as the children had.

Experiences from the Heart

Our time in Kazakhstan was a gift to all of us who went, but we were especially touched when, upon the conclusion of our time with them, one child brought us a gift of hand-milked local horse milk. Such generosity inspired us to return, and to work harder at our next volunteering opportunities to give back and share as much as we can.

Every member of the Samsung OneWeek in Kazakhstan team had a great time sharing their knowledge to the best of their abilities and engaging with the local community despite obstacles. We hope that the Kazakh people we met will remember us, the teachers in blue, just as we will never forget the heartfelt gifts and experiences they gave us.

Samsung Electronics Taiwan employees volunteered to help repair the eco trails at Hehuan North Peak in the Taroko National Park

“Samsung Electronics Taiwan is committed to environmental conservation in Taiwan and giving back to society through community engagement,” said Randy Lee, Head of Innovation Group, Samsung Electronics Taiwan. “The adoption program went through nearly a year of internal planning and preparations before we began negotiations with the Taroko National Park Management Office. In mid-July, the first Samsung volunteers went to Hehuan North Peak to repair the eco trails by hand and thereby make a small contribution to environmental conservation in Taiwan.”

Samsung Taiwan Joins Forces with Taroko National Park to Help Maintain Its Wonderful Mountains and Forests

Hehuan North Peak is ranked as one of Taiwan’s most beautiful mountains and is considered a “friendly” entry-level peak. The breathtaking scenery can be seen from winding mountain paths which pass through groves of arrow bamboo. Due to high tourist numbers, the canopy has sustained severe damage, resulting in serious erosion to the hiking trails.

“On certain stretches of the Hehuan North Peak hiking trail the soil has become compacted and worn due to repeated trampling by hikers,” Mr. Teng-Wen Chang, Deputy Superintendent, Taroko National Park Management Office, commented on the issue. “The added impact of rainwater erosion has led to the formation of numerous gullies, which has created a dire need for repairs, education and management. Handmade eco trails represent an environmentally friendly solution. We are deeply grateful to Samsung Electronics for adopting the Hehuan North Peak in a pioneering move to promote environmental sustainability through concrete action.”

The number of employee volunteers repairing the hiking trail at Hehuan North Peak is expected to grow as Samsung Electronics Taiwan and Taroko National Park agreed to a two-year “Hehuan North Peak Trail Adoption Agreement”

Starting May 2018, Samsung Electronics Taiwan began to implement the two-year “Hehuan North Peak Trail Adoption Agreement” with the Taroko National Park Management Office. In addition to the joint promotion of environmental education activities, every two months Samsung Electronics Taiwan will send volunteers on a six-day visit to repair and maintain the hiking trails at Hehuan North Peak, clean the area around the “Little Valley” campsite, and inspect and report facility damage.

Volunteers Make Valuable Contributions to the Repair of Hehuan Hiking Trails

Each step of the trail takes roughly one hour to repair. Suitable stone and mud are collected locally and transported to the construction site on foot. The stone has to be chiseled and combined with mud to build edged paths that will help combat water damage and soil erosion, taking into account the direction of the slope to provide appropriate drainage for the repaired trail surface. As every aspect of the repair project is intricately connected, Samsung Electronics Taiwan’s employees underwent pre-trip training and complete altitude acclimatization, making sure they were effective in their volunteer activities.

The rocks and soil used to mend the Hehuan North Peak hiking trails were collected locally and manually transported to the repair sites

“The construction of a handmade eco trail requires great physical effort,” said Wei-Hsiung Chan, culture researcher and hiking enthusiast. “Though these trails will not last forever, it is through our interactions with the mountains that we develop a respect and love for nature. We find ourselves less self-centered and humbled before Mother Nature.”

The original story, in Chinese, is available at Samsung Newsroom Taiwan.

Additional Images

Employees underwent pre-trip training and altitude acclimatization prior to taking part in the volunteer activities at Hehuan Mountain

The eco trails at Hehuan North Peak were hand-repaired using local materials

Summary

• Samsung Electronics Italia collaborated with Retake Milano to renew Robert Baden-Powell Park, a park located in the middle of Milan, Italy, in an initiative called SAVE (SAmsung Volunteer Employees) for Milan
• SAVE for Milan was carried out as part of Samsung Electronics Italia’s 27-year on-going effort to contribute to the communities it operates in

Volunteers for ‘SAVE for Milan’ vigorously restored Robert Baden-Powell Park to its former beauty

On July 12, 2018, more than 250 Samsung Electronics Italia employees gathered to ‘retake’ Robert Baden-Powell Park in a volunteer campaign called “SAVE for Milan.” The idea was to clean up an abandoned park and present it to the citizens of Milan as a renewed public area.

Reviving a Park That Had Seen Better Days

Robert Baden-Powell Park is located in the center of Milan, Italy near the Naviglio Grande, a historically important canal. It was built in 2005 to brighten up an area previously characterized by run-down shacks and warehouses. However, park fell into a state of despair over the years – mainly due to vandalism.

SEI employees work to remove the graffiti from the walls, entrances, pergolas, benches, light poles and the children’s area of the park

On the Thursday morning, Samsung Electronics’ employees who work out of the Milan office gathered at the Navigli District to revive the park. Divided into numerous teams, the volunteers removed graffiti that defaced all facets of the estate.

AMSA, a waste management service, joined the initiative. Not only did they help clean the garden prior to the paintwork, but also organized waste disposal, divided by type, in special containers and with dedicated vehicles at the end of the event.

Parco Robert Baden Powell before the volunteer event (left) and after (right)

Working with the Community

Being part of the wider “SAVE” – short for ‘SAmsung Volunteer Employee’ – initiative, a company-wide program that encourages employees to play an active role in giving back to the community, this project was carried out in collaboration with Retake Milano, a non-profit association that aims to “improve the quality of life through the enhancement of the Milan metropolitan area”; AMSA, the waste management service; and the Municipality of Milan.

After the park was successfully renewed, a roller and brush were handed over to Samsung Electronics Italia‘s management in the presence of Roberta Guaineri, Councilor for Tourism, Sport and Quality of Life; Eugenio Petz of the Department of Participation, Active Citizenship and Open Data; Santo Minniti, President of the area Municipio 6; and the citizens’ committee – as a symbol of the new cleaned Baden-Powell park.

“We are very grateful to Samsung employees who, with their SAVE project, have made such an ambitious project possible,” said Andrea Amato, president of Retake Milano. “A year ago, when the residents had reported this problem to us, it was unthinkable for us alone to make such an extensive intervention. I replied that an army would be needed. We found that army of volunteers in Samsung.”

Commitment to Communities We Operate In

Samsung Electronics Italia employees celebrate the renewed Robert Baden-Powell Park

“During our 27 years of operation in Italy, we have committed ourselves to innovations in various fields – from art to school, from safety to professional training – endeavoring to enhance digital technology to support specific local needs,” said Mario Levratto, Head of Marketing & External Relations, Samsung Electronics Italia. “Today we are pleased and proud to be able to make our contribution, though more physical than digital this time, for the enhancement of Milan, a city we are very much attached to.”

The SAVE for Milan initiative consolidates Samsung’s ties with Milan and its commitment to help transform it into an innovative and avant-garde metropolis. This commitment started with the creation of the Samsung District, where Samsung hosts meetings and conferences, which brought more than 200,000 visitors just in 2017.

Additional Images

A volunteer writes #SAVEforMilan, the title of the initiative, before painting over it with the rest of the graffiti

A team of Samsung Electronics Italia employee volunteers focus on their task of repainting park facilities

One of the groups celebrate in the park after completing their role in cleaning it up

Inspired by SENA’s Corporate Citizenship team’s efforts to utilize Samsung technologies to benefit local communities, over the last few years, Daniel has donated his expertise – and more than 100 hours of his spare time – to help equip teachers and students across Sweden with the digital skills they need to succeed.

These efforts – part of Samsung’s Smart School initiative – have seen Daniel travel to schools in remote locations across the country and provide hands-on support for upwards of 80 teachers and 380 students. By helping these individuals learn to use Samsung tablets, mobile devices and services like Knox to enjoy more enriching and interactive learning experiences, Daniel has played an integral role in promoting digital skills in Swedish schools, and in helping more teachers and students realize their full potential.

Daniel’s quest to help Swedish schools foster digital learning has taken him from Upplands Väsby, near Stockholm, all the way down to Kävlinge, at the country’s southern tip.

According to Daniel, the best part of volunteering is his face-to-face interactions with Smart School participants. Witnessing the teachers and students’ excitement and passion firsthand has motivated him to continue his work with the schools, and led him to truly believe in technology’s potential to inspire children to dream big.

To illustrate his point, Daniel recalls his work at one school in particular: Vålbergsskolan, in Vålberg, a rural area near Sweden’s border with Norway. Before participating in the Smart School program, the school had very limited access to digital tools, students’ grades were lower than average, and many students dropped out of school after the ninth grade.

To help address these concerning trends, Daniel worked closely with Vålbergsskolan’s teachers to integrate Samsung technologies into their lessons, and helped students learn how to utilize digital devices and solutions to study more effectively. Now, the headmaster of the school is happy to report that students are thriving in their inclusive and interactive learning environments, have gotten more involved in their lessons, and their performance as a whole has significantly improved.

As Ms. Amelie Wahlström, the headmaster of the school, explained, “Some of these students have had difficulty writing and reading in Swedish. Now, thanks to this project and the new skills that our teachers have acquired, we’ve seen the students flourish. And the opportunity to use devices like tablets in their lessons has made our students excited to practice reading and writing.”

Through his work with Samsung’s Smart School initiative, Daniel Johnsson (seated at center) helps schools in remote locations across Sweden foster immersive and engaging digital learning experiences.

Teachers, too, have greatly appreciated Daniel’s help. The digital skills that Ms. Therese Öberg, a teacher at Runby School in Upplands Väsby, acquired helped her earn a nomination for the 2017 Golden Apple Awards’ Teacher of the Year award, which recognizes educators for excellence in teaching and leadership.

Ms. Öberg guides her class through a fun and engaging lesson powered by Samsung devices.

Daniel’s efforts have earned him the 2017 Samsung Global Citizenship Awards’ Outstanding Volunteer honor, while his dedication and enthusiasm have inspired many of his SENA colleagues to volunteer their own time and talents to support Samsung’s corporate citizenship initiatives. Through their participation, they’ve come to appreciate the tremendous impact that promoting digital learning can have on their community.

Daniel believes that Samsung’s technologies and leadership in innovation can provide invaluable help in addressing social challenges in Sweden and around the globe. He is determined to continue his volunteer work, and hopes to see even more of his colleagues join him in affecting positive change.

See for yourself, in the video below, how incorporating digital learning and Samsung devices into the lesson plan has helped Ms. Öberg’s class study more effectively and have more fun.