Actress Hyun Hee Roh visits Philippines

with Miral Welfare Foundation and MBC ‘Happy when Sharing’

Actress Hyun Hee Roh visited trash village, which is located at Mandaue city in Philippines, to volunteer with Miral Welfare Foundation and MBC ‘Happy when sharing’ from December 17th 2013 for five days and four nights.

Mandaue village is where all of the city`s trash is gathered. Residents were living on the pile of trash and were maintaining their livelihood by selling scrap iron, plastic to scrap-metal dealer. Most of the children in that area couldn`t attend school regularly due to the difficulty in livelihood.

When Hyun Hee Roh saw this trash village, she said “This place is full of trash. I can`t believe that children actually play here. This place doesn`t look like livable place, but... children actually lives here.” While she was taking a look, she saw a little girl who was digging something from pile of trash and holding plastic bag firmly in her tiny hand. Her name was Kia. She has to go to pile of trash every single day at 5A.M. to support her pregnant mother, and five siblings. She was in charge of livelihood of her family members by digging trash every day.

When asked what was the most hardest thing, Kia answered that she misses her father who died suddenly. Kia said “If my dad was alive, it would have been really nice. I miss my dad a lot.” Kia`s father died suddenly because of unknown virus. Her mother said “I have to take care of seven children, including my unborn child. Nobody helped us. I feel safe to have Kia because she takes care of her five siblings. It would have been hard without her.”

Kia`s dream is to become a nurse. She also received medal for her performance in the academic field. But Kia is now in charge of earning money for her family and spends most of time in the pile of trash to find scrap iron. Nevertheless her time spent, she earns $1 per a week. Hyun Hee Roh took her to market and spent time together looking around and also buying her pretty shoes. Hyun Hee Roh also bought maternity items to Kia`s mother and her unborn child such as dippers, baby powder and so on. Kia was happy to receive shoes as well as maternity items. She mentioned that it was her first time to have new pretty shoes when receiving the gift from Hyun Hee Roh.

The video footage of Hyun Hee Roh and Miral Welfare Foundation visiting trash village, which is located at Mandaue city in Philippines, was broadcasted on MBC ‘Happy when Sharing’. Miral Welfare Foundation will support tuition to Kia so that she can fulfill her dreams and support food so that her family can maintain good health.