Korea Overseas Volunteers Is Still Actively Moving Forward in 2009, Even Though World Economic Crisis

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News Release-Translated from Local Newspaper

Raksmei Kampuchea Daily Newspaper

Year 17, volume 4906; Friday, May 29, 2009

Korea Overseas Volunteers Is Still Actively Moving Forward in 2009, Even Though World Economic Crisis

Phnom Penh, Cambodia, May 27, 2009: Even though worldwide economic crisis, the Republic of Korea still maintains the position to support the Kingdom of Cambodia that is one of the main development partners through Korea International Cooperation Agency (KOICA) office in Cambodia.

Korea Overseas Volunteers Program (KOVs), one of KOICA development schemes for partner countries, has been encouraging the social and human resource development between the two countries.

According to news release of KOICA office in Cambodia, KOICA has recently dispatched 16 KOVs, 12 females, who will start their work on May 29, 2009. The KOVs were dispatched through 4 ministries: Ministry of Education, Ministry of Labor and Vocational Training, Ministry of Health and Ministry of Rural Development to work at local communities and certain governmental institutions in Phnom Penh city and other provinces like Koh Kong, Takeo, Prey Veng, Svay Rieng, Kampong Cham, Battambang, Kampong Chhnang, and Kampot.

Korea Overseas Volunteers (KOVs) is a program of the government of The Republic of Korean, through which Korean nationals have been sending to partner countries to share expertise, knowledge, and experience in various sectors in order to make practical contributions to socio-economic development. Not only to provide human resource support to governmental organization, most KOVs also implement organizational development activities by conducting need assessment of thier host organization or target areas and propose the project proposal to KOICA.

The same news release added that Since the start of KOVs program in Cambodia in 2003, 22 groups of KOVs with 173 volunteers were dispatched to several government institutions in 16 provinces and city. For 2009, around 40 KOVs were planned to come to Cambodia to work mainly on rural development, lower level of educations, and health service sector at community level in the more remote provinces in the hope that KOVs have direct contact and provide directs support local people.

With their skills and mission, the 16 volunteers as well as the other volunteers who are working actively in Cambodia are playing role as the important catalysts to contribute to Korea's grant aid program and assistances for socio-economic development in Cambodia through encouraging the exchange of human resources and strengthening the impact of Korea's foreign aid, and enhancing mutual understanding between the two countries.