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NEWS RELEASE – Oct 26, 2006
Jerry Yan to Visit Mongolian Sponsored Children
The World Is Not Detached
Child Sponsorship Connects Us
 Jerry Yan (言承旭), Asian pop star and lead actor in the popular
TV series Meteor Garden (流星花园) and Taiwan’s phenomenal boy band F4, has been appointed the first Asia Regional Child Sponsorship Ambassador by eight World Vision offices in Asia.
In his first inaugural trip as a regional Child Sponsorship Ambassador and as part of his journey to speak out for the world’s poorest children, Jerry will be visiting World Vision supported programmes and communities under its child sponsorship
programme in Mongolia from 24 to 30 October 2006. He will also be visiting his three sponsored children during the trip.
Thereafter, Jerry will commence on World Vision’s Child Sponsorship Asian tour starting from Taiwan, Japan, Malaysia, Singapore (29-30 Nov 2006), Hong Kong, Korea, Philippines and Thailand from November to December 2006 to
promote child sponsorship.
Jerry now joins more than 3 million other World Vision child sponsors to support needy children all around the world.
When asked what propelled him to take up this role, he knitted his brow before replying, “Becoming a World Vision child sponsor has changed me. I began to grasp a better understanding of the children living in poverty around this
part of the world and the dire circumstances many are living in.”
Coming from someone who used to work as a part-timer during his 4th to 5th grade in primary school, Jerry could fully empathise the economic hardships and struggles many children living through extreme poverty undergo.
Despite knowing that he will be battering a bitter winter where temperatures can drop to as much as minus 6 degrees Celsius in Mongolia, Jerry agreed without hesitation to the visit and remains undaunted and focused on the task ahead, that
is to ‘see for myself, the conditions the children dwell in.”
Remarked Jerry,” I’ve learnt from World Vision’s workers that winter temperatures in Mongolia are harsh and can fluctuate to as low as minus 44 degrees. Lots of livestock die from the severe cold and many children therefore
have little food to eat, and have no heating at home. Some street children can only get warmth in the underground tunnels where extreme heat of the city’s heating system could cause serious injuries and even deaths. Winter is the most
difficult time for many Mongolian children.”
 “Many street children in Mongolia are also abused because of poor economic situation. The reason why they are wandering in the streets is partly because they have no place to dwell. They have no other choice but to experience
this kind of suffering,” he added.
Back from being a distinguished guest at Jolin Tsai’s concert in Australia, Jerry looks fresh and is looking forward to this trip. In a pre-trip briefing held earlier this week in Taipei, he observed,” I believe
this world is still filled with loving people who are merely not aware of the ways to give. I hope that through this visit, the public in Asia can now know more about the children’s plight and extend their hand to help bring hope to
these children.”
In conjunction with the visit, Jerry’s fan clubs have collectively sponsored 29 impoverished children through World Vision, 5 of whom are in Mongolia. The eight World Vision offices will also be posting on their websites more information
of Jerry Yan’s trip to Mongolia.
Log on to www.worldvision.org.sg for more information to this visit and to find out more about child sponsorship.
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