SEVENTEEN member Hoshi (real name Kwon Soonyoung) has brought a heartwarming gift to children in Zambia: a brand new learning environment, thanks to his generous philanthropic efforts.
The Community Chest of Korea, also known as Love Fruit (Chairman Yoon Yeo-jun), announced on the 15th that the public school classroom construction project in Zambia, made possible by Hoshi’s substantial donation, has been successfully completed. This initiative has created a new and improved learning space for approximately 250 local children.
This impactful project was funded by Hoshi’s 100 million won donation, which he contributed last year through the Gyeonggi Bukbu branch of the Community Chest of Korea. According to Love Fruit, the beneficiary public school enrolls around 250 students from kindergarten to 7th grade. Previously, the school’s educational environment was severely constrained, with only two classrooms forcing multiple grades to share a single space for their lessons.
Through Hoshi’s support, a total of five new classrooms across two buildings, along with modern restroom facilities, were constructed. Additionally, existing school facilities underwent significant renovations. This transformation now allows students, who previously had to cope with overcrowded conditions, to learn in a much more spacious and comfortable environment.
Beyond the school construction, meticulous support was also extended to a child protection facility in Kitwe, a city in northern Zambia. This included essential renovations for outdated facilities and electrical work, significantly improving the living conditions for the children residing there.
Hoshi shared his motivation, stating, “I participated in this project with the sincere hope that children can learn and grow in a better environment. It brings me immense joy to imagine the children fostering their dreams in these new classrooms, and I wish to continue my interest and support for those in need.”
Hoshi has consistently demonstrated his commitment to philanthropy since 2021 when he joined the Honor Society, a distinguished group of high-value individual donors to the Community Chest of Korea.
His charitable endeavors in 2024 include a 100 million won contribution towards the construction of a national orphanage school in Laos. In May, he also donated to the ‘Army’s Patriotic Dedication, Comrade Love Fund’. Hoshi’s generosity extends further through donations to his alma mater and local juniors, book contributions to the Lee Seok-young New Media Library, and briquette donations, continuously aiding underprivileged communities both in Korea and abroad.
