SEVENTEEN's Hoshi Builds Classrooms for 250 Students in Zambia

A public school in Zambia has new classrooms thanks to a donation from SEVENTEEN member Hoshi. The Community Chest of Korea, known locally as Fruit of Love, said on November 15 that a construction project funded by Hoshi's 100 million won donation was recently completed.

Hoshi gave the donation last year through the Fruit of Love branch in northern Gyeonggi province. The money paid for five new classrooms across two buildings, along with new restrooms. Existing facilities at the school were also repaired. School officials said students will now be able to study in a more stable environment.

The public school serves about 250 children from kindergarten through seventh grade. Before the project, the school had only two classrooms, which forced students from different grades to share the same space during lessons.

"I joined this project hoping the children could learn and grow in a better environment," Hoshi said. "It makes me very happy to think about the kids who will build their dreams in these new classrooms. I want to keep paying attention to places that need help."

His donation also covered repairs to aging facilities and electrical work at a child protection center in Kitwe, a city in northern Zambia.

Hoshi has been a steady donor since joining the Honor Society, Fruit of Love's club for major individual donors, in 2021. In 2024, he gave 100 million won to build a national orphan school in Laos. This past May, he donated to a South Korean army fund that supports fellow soldiers. He has also given money to support younger students from his hometown and former school, donated books to the Lee Seok-young New Media Library, and joined coal briquette drives for low-income households in winter.

Hoshi enlisted as an active-duty army soldier in September last year and is currently serving his mandatory military duty.