Hong Kong’s Korean International School celebrates different cultures while raising money for charity
- The school’s Cultural Fair, organised by the primary section, had 12 booths, each representing a city or country
- The secondary section also held a Christmas Market fundraiser; half of the proceeds from ticket sales of both events went to Operation Santa Claus
Students and teachers at the Korean International School (KIS) in Hong Kong organised two events ahead of Christmas to raise funds for worthy causes. Photo: HandoutStudents and teachers at the Korean International School (KIS) in Hong Kong worked together and had a good time at two events ahead of Christmas to raise funds for worthy causes.
Half of the proceeds from ticket sales went to Operation Santa Claus (OSC), the annual fundraising drive organised by the South China Morning Post and public broadcaster RTHK.
The school’s Cultural Fair, organised by the primary school section on December 14, featured 12 booths, each representing a country or city. The booths offered food, games, or information about the place represented.
Students, teachers, and parents learned about different cultures by visiting or helping to run the booths. They also enjoyed a range of cultural performances, including Indian dance, K-pop dance, African drumming and Chinese fashion shows.
“Our school student body comprises 26 different countries, so we saw an opportunity to come together as a school community of staff, students and parents to celebrate our school’s diversity,” said Rosemary Van Heerden, the teacher who led the organisation of the fair. “We believe in offering our students every opportunity to develop their understanding and acceptance of others and in making our students more prepared to collaborate and participate in a global society.”
Good food for a good cause at DSC International
Jenny Nam Ji-woo, the Year Six Korean student who was in charge of the US booth, found the experience thrilling and rewarding.
“I’ve learned more about other countries and regions, like Europe, Australia and Canada,” she said. “People are having fun and donating at the same time.”
The secondary school section also held a Christmas Market fundraising event on December 8, featuring food, games and photo booths.
“I enjoyed the whole process,” said Catriona Mannion, a Year 13 student who ran a few booths at the market.
“I enjoyed the planning and organising, and I learned how to communicate with people of different ages and communicate more effectively,” said the Scottish-Filipina student born and raised in Hong Kong. “That most of the proceeds go to a wide range of charities definitely makes it more worthwhile.”
KIS has supported OSC since the early 2000s.
“It’s [been] more than 20 years of collaboration with OSC. It’s ingrained in the fabric of the school,” said school principal Daniel Hilton.
Small community raises big funds for Operation Santa Claus
He explained that organising OSC-related activities gave students an important learning experience that helped develop their sense of purpose and empathy.
It also enabled them to learn how to care for the wider community, understand what charity was, and how they could make a difference.
“It gives young people leadership opportunities as they have a chance to lead projects,” Hilton said. “It helps them understand it is important to ensure that the money goes to reputable and trustworthy causes, like OSC.”