To celebrate all the amazing work that our Member Organisations have been doing to bring Free Being Me to girls and boys all over the world, throughout December we will be sharing success stories from MOs who have benefitted from the Free Being Me fund. We interviewed Girl Scouts of Korea to see how FBM has had an impact:
How has the Free Being Me fund benefited your MO?
We applied to the fund to support girls doing Free Being Me at the 15th Girl Scout International Camp in Korea. 3000 girls experienced FBM activities in our FBM booth- One of the most popular activities was ‘You’re my star’ where girls created a wooden star necklace with their positive message to present to their friends and share the FBM message.
We also used the opportunity to train Young Leaders and Senior Girl Scouts in running FBM before the event. This allowed us to develop a peer education network and deliver our message more effectively.
What has been the reaction to Free Being Me?
FBM has changed lives in Korea. One participant wrote the following about her camp experience:
“I felt stressed every day to lose weight, but after having participated in Free Being Me, I have decided to challenge the Image Myth for myself and keep in mind that I love my body and myself.”
Why is the issue of body confidence important in your country?
Over 50% of youth in Korea have their own smartphones. It means that the media is very much ingrained into their lives. The media encourages young people to follow the Image Myth, making them feel like they have to put on makeup or have cosmetic surgery. Even worse, some parents encourage their children to have plastic surgery. The Image Myth is rampant in our society so the issue of body confidence which FBM deals with is very important and interesting. This is why we will continue this programme to improve the lives of girls and change the world!
