It seems that the tragedy of the Sewol Ferry has gotten international charity attention. Sean H Ferrer, son of the legendary actress and humanitarian Audrey Hepburn, has announced plans to plant trees in honor of the victims.
Mr. Ferrer partnered with the Korean government and the non-profit Tree Planet to have 300 ginkgo trees planted in Jindo by the second anniversary. Ginkgo trees were selected due to their long life of a thousand years and the way that when they shed their leaves in the fall, they are always a beautiful yellow color and will serve to remind everyone that visits of the yellow ribbons that were put up in memory of the people that lost their lives when the Sewol Ferry sank.
There is also a plan to erect a monument in the memory of the children that died out of scraps of the ship once it is raised. An initial donation of $50,00USD was made to kickstart the project. Donations are being accepted to help fund this project on this Tree Planet page. Also included in the plans are memorial signs and placards commemorating the lives of the students lost, as well as the memories and commitment to life of the people left behind. On April 10th, the first 30 trees of this memorial were planted by families of the deceased. 100% of the money raised is going to the forest and monument, with the operational costs being covered by Mr. Ferrer and Tree Planet.
The hopes for this memorial park are that it will act as a source of living comfort for those left behind. Audrey Hepburn was an active humanitarian and active champion for the rights and safety of children around the world. A blurb from the website sums up Ms. Hepburn, her son and the motivation behind this heartfelt project best:
…When the MV Sewol tragedy took place on April 16, 2014.
Sean Hepburn Ferrer, the eldest son of Audrey Hepburn, was deeply saddened by the needless sacrifice of hundreds of children who lost their lives because of the tragedy and thought about his mother’s favorite poem by Sam Levenson:
“Remember, if you ever need a helping hand, you’ll find one at the end of your arm. As you grow older, you will discover that you have two hands: one for helping yourself, the other for helping others.”
Just as his mother would have done, he initiated the ‘Sewol Memorial Forest’ project in hopes of consoling the suffering families of the victims, the missing, and conveying a message of love.
“Instead of fading flowers sent for memorials, trees will be planted. Their living and breathing lives will stand as sentinels, watching guard over all of us.
We embrace each and everyone who have suffered a loss because of this tragedy and we dream of a future in which, like the trees in our forest, ‘our ways of the past’ shall grow and our roots connect with renewed clarity and wisdom, and lead us forever more to protect each and every life equally.”
Source: Tree Planet
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