By Han Sang-hee
Staff Reporter
Perhaps it is because of the chilly season, but many people tend to donate more during the winter. Korea has not been one of the foremost donating countries, but according to Cynthia Jones, the chief of donor relations in Asia at the United Nations World Food Programme (WFP), Korea is helping out more than before. ``(Korea) is coming along. It can do more, there is no doubt about that, but it’s true that donations have been increased,’’ she told The Korea Times during a phone interview Monday.
Jones has been working with WFP for 14 years, 10 of them in Africa. She went looking for this type of work when she was young, willing to go where she is needed and to work on the front line.
``There is a realization of what you are doing. It doesn’t hit you every day, but something will happen that will make you realize the impact. (It’s) not necessarily something you might expect, but it can be very rewarding,’’ she said.
The WFP, the world’s largest humanitarian agency, fights for the ultimate goal: fighting and stopping global hunger. There are basically three main streams: the emergency operations, the protracted relief and recovery operations and the development projects. The first deals with natural and man-made disasters, while the relief and recovery operations satisfy the proper needs in protracted crises. The last helps those who suffer from poverty and malnutrition with specific programs like school feeding and specialized mother-child programs.
The Asian division of WFP serves 45 million children, and covers 14 different countries, from Afghanistan to Pakistan, all the way to the Philippines and North Korea.
The interesting aspect of Asia is the difference in wealth, according to Jones.
``Asia has unprecedentedly (sic) produced many millionaires and billionaires for the past years. The whole gap between the rich and poor is growing,’’ said Jones.
But it is not all about just getting richer as many better off people and nations are helping out.
``Over half of the starving population are in Asia. I would say most in Asian donors are in the emerging donor category. India has been donating to Afghanistan and Japan is one of our largest donors in the world. They all have been very generous,’’ she said.
Korea was one of the countries helped most back in the 1960s and 1970s, but now it is assisting others, hoping they will overcome poverty as it did in the past.
``We now have an office in Seoul to raise awareness and funds,’’ she explained of the current role of the Seoul branch.
Seoul has also been excited about the organization recently after actor Jang Dong-gun was appointed as the goodwill ambassador.
``What we discovered is that the choice of well-known ambassadors in a region can be a powerful way in communicating with people. We needed a well respected figure in Korea, somebody who is respected for his acting abilities and the impression that he is respected as the person he is,’’ she said.
Jones also added that Jang’s works will not be limited to Korea, although his heart may be focused on Korean issues. And with his popularity throughout Asia, it will be a great way to acknowledge Asians with WFP.
Anyone can donate to WFP, and the organization has prepared various programs to make the donation more fun and interesting.
Visit the ``Wall Against Hunger’’ Web site at https://wall.wfp.org/donate/thewall and you can donate and have your photo and message posted on a virtual wall with fellow donators from around the world. Another way is to play local online company NC Soft’s new game for adolescents, which explains the purpose of WFP and what people can do to help. Visit https://food-force.plaync.co.kr. There is also an online quiz site called Free Rice, where players are allowed to donate 20 grains of rice per correct question. Visit www.freerice.com.
``I have definitely been privileged to work for WFP, which was a really enriching experience. You feel like a more global citizen,’’ Jones said.