Creating a "Dream Study Room"
Public Officials Take the Lead in Participation
Seo-gu, Gwangju (Mayor Kim Ikang) held a unique bazaar, the 'MBTI Donation Challenge,' in which public officials directly participated to present a 'Dream Study Room' to children living in poor housing conditions who do not have a place to study.
Kim Ikang, mayor of Seo-gu, Gwangju, is looking over the employee donation items booth and the food booths selling items such as Cheonwon Guksi and Gimbap at the 'MBTI Donation Challenge Bazaar' held on the first floor of Seo-gu Office on the 4th. Provided by Seo-gu, Gwangju
According to Seo-gu on July 4, the event was designed so that public officials could freely participate according to their own preferences, by dividing donation participation methods into four types inspired by MBTI personality types: Monetary Donation, Buying Donation, Talent Donation, and Item Donation.
The Monetary Donation type involved participating through a donation kiosk on the first floor of the office building. The Buying Donation type consisted of purchasing items and food at the bazaar. The Talent Donation type involved directly participating in hosting, performing, or managing the event. The Item Donation type consisted of donating goods such as daily necessities, books, and clothing.
Since the first half of the year, Seo-gu has been carrying out various support projects in cooperation with Seogu Honors, a group of high-value donors, to eliminate welfare blind spots. This bazaar was organized as an extension of those efforts, as a public official participation-based sharing project.
In particular, the event was meaningful because it represented a practice of solidarity, with public officials responding to the positive influence of Seogu Honors, which is working to achieve 'zero welfare gaps.' Seo-gu Office employees themselves proposed ideas and took the lead in all aspects of the event's operation.
A total of 710 items across 157 categories were collected during the approximately 10-day donation drive that began on June 17. On the day of the bazaar, Seo-gu Office public officials served as sellers, operating 25 booths.
Local self-support centers, senior job program participants, sponsoring companies, and community residents also participated, selling a variety of items such as potatoes, cherry tomatoes, Gim Bugak, and summer pajamas. Seo-gu's representative brand, Cheonwon Guksi, was also served on-site, adding to the vibrant market atmosphere.
All proceeds from the bazaar, totaling approximately 12.4 million won, will be used to support children living in poverty who are in urgent need of a study space. Seo-gu plans to select children who require substantial improvements to their learning environment?such as desks, beds, storage furniture, and wallpapering?and create customized study rooms for them.
Mayor Kim Ikang stated, "This bazaar is a new form of sharing, in which our public officials sincerely responded to the private support of the warm-hearted Seogu Honors. The message is that sharing in Seo-gu is not just for residents, but is practiced together with public officials. I hope this small act of solidarity will become a source of real hope for children who need a place to study."
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