政大國際志工暑期服務隊將大愛傳送到育幼院

國立教育廣播電台

由中華育幼機構兒童關懷協會和政大外語學院一同舉辦的育幼院國際志工團，將在暑假期間、分別到高雄縣基督教山地育幼院、和屏東縣信望愛育幼院服務。有4名外籍學生犧牲暑假返鄉探親和畢業後可以立即返國的機會，搭配7 名台灣同學負責翻譯、溝通和活動執行。預備將中美洲的馬雅文化和東南亞的多元文化，介紹給育幼院的孩子，並且提供英語學習的機會。政大外語學院院長陳超明表示，希望後續有更多大專院校加入國際志工，讓「真愛無國界」的理想，在本土開花結果。

(2007/6/22 下午 03:03:08趙經邦)

Students volunteer to aid foster children in south

`THINK GLOBALLY': The '2007 Summer for a Better World' program is the first step in an initiative bringing students to Taiwan primarily to help in foster homes
By Max Hirsch
STAFF REPORTER
Saturday, Jun 23, 2007, Page 2

National Chengchi University (NCCU) and the Chinese Children's Home and Shelter Association, a local nonprofit organization that helps foster children, are teaming up to send volunteers to inject a bit of life and learning into two rural orphanages in the south, university and association officials announced yesterday.

Beginning next month, 20 local and foreign NCCU students will venture deep into sweltering farmland in Pingtung and Kaohsiung counties to stay in orphanages throughout the summer.

Their mission: to expose foster children to foreign cultures, and teach them English and soccer.

Titled the "2007 Summer for a Better World," the volunteer program is the brainchild of association officials and complements the university's tradition of community service by students, said association secretary-general Hung Chin-fang (洪錦芳).

"These foster kids have very few opportunities and resources to learn English and understand the outside world," Hung said. "So, we're bringing the outside world to them."

NCCU freshman Elio Rash, a business student from diplomatic ally Belize, is among a handful of international students who will "sacrifice" his summer vacation to interact with orphans, organizers said.

"Do not think that our diplomatic allies just secure resources from Taiwan," a university press release said. "They're eager to interact and understand `Formosa' through community service here, too."

For Daniel Park, an NCCU student from South Korea, helping foster kids is the perfect way to give back to his adopted community. The business student lost his father when he was 12 years old, and has a personal mission of helping other parentless children, NCCU official Connie Chang (張瓊齡) said.

"I know what these kids are going through," Rash said yesterday at a press conference touting the program. "When I was younger, I faced [similar circumstances]."

The students and association officials will stay for three weeks at a Pingtung orphanage sheltering 100 Aboriginal children next month before moving to a smaller Kaohsiung orphanage in August, Hung said.

"The students won't live in hotels or experience better conditions than those of the children," NCCU president Wu Se-hwa (吳思華) said.

The summer program is the first step in fostering a community service initiative the association hopes will grow to the point where foreign students will come to Taiwan primarily to volunteer at foster homes, Hung said.

For NCCU, the program is part of its "Think Globally, Act Locally" community service program, which aims to channel students' skills in bettering the community, said Chen Chao-ming (陳超明), the dean of the College of Foreign Languages and Literatures.

The university hopes to spur other tertiary education institutions to encourage their students to volunteer in the community by leading by example, Chen said.

"Learning doesn't happen just in the classroom," he said.

Children's Homes in Shouther Taiwan

by Elio Rash
National Chengchi University
(International Undergraduate Program, Business Department.)
Taipei, Taiwan


First of all I must thank the director of the program that organized the trip to Kaoshiung and Pingtung children homes in southern Taiwan. I heard about this program from the director of Business Department and also from advertisement so I thought it was a great opportunity for me to know more about Taiwan’s surroundings. In addition I devote my heart to children because sometimes in our lives we all go through different challenges and for a better future of today’s children we must put our efforts today for a better society in the future. Being a Freshman at National Chengchi University and new to the Taiwan society is quite challenging but my parents planted that thinking in me to be happy and to be willing to give in order to succeed. I am glad to say that in order to live a happier life is to keep an attitude that if I can have what I want , that’s good but if I can’t that’s fine too . To begin with I must say that our trip to southern Taiwan will be impossible to erase from my memory. I really appreciate the kindness of Taiwan’s people, and all the kind friends I met, visiting the night market at Kaoshiung and Hakka aboriginal culture was great but one of the greatest is one of the main purpose of our trip which was to Children’s homes.

When I was asked to write this it seemed like I could never give the real answer about how I felt, how was the trip? The real answer is in my heart. Perhaps typing it out might be easier. How was the trip to southern Taiwan? I can truly say its one of the greatest moments of all since I came to Taiwan, learnt a lot, learnt how to be a better person, how to be a calmer person, how to accept the reality and how to escape the fact and face it with courage. The kids in the children’s homes are our future so we should devote whole-hearted effort to them. We should treat each other with compassion and that our value as human beings does not depend on how long we live but on how much we contribute to society and the real value of life is in giving. I didn’t think before that this would be a turning point in my life. At first I thought I was just going for the trip and come back to Taipei. But it isn’t so, it turned out to be one of my motivators. Which is to finish this semester and be happy to know that I can accomplish a dream that I have in mind and that is to return to children’s homes and assist in whatever way I can. I thank all the great friends I met during this trip without them this moment wouldn’t exist and I thanks to all who organize these programs especially ”Weichen keep working hard.”

What are Our Beliefs to Launch "2007Gap Summer World Better" - Children’s Home International Volunteer Summer Program?

“The 2007 Gap Summer World Better- Children’s Home International Volunteer” summer program is organized by CCSA (Chinese Children’s home & Shelter Association) and the College of Foreign Languages and Literature of NCCU (National Chengchi University).

As estimated by the Children’s Bureau Minister of Interior, R.O.C, now 1,997 children and young people in Taiwan live in children’s homes. 35% of them had suffered from physical, emotional, or sexual abuse or being neglected in their biological families. Also around 35% of them are out of family care due to financial crisis. 23% of them were facing a family breakdown and 7% of them are orphans. Do these children deserve only to have shelters to live in? Are they deprived their opportunities to be persons with international perspectives due to their family backgrounds? Personally, I do not agree with it. I believe that they deserve to have the same opportunities to build up their global hearts. Not only social welfare organizations can contribute to this program but also every individual can put his own efforts in it.

Truly speaking, the institutional-setting living environment is more closed compared to the family-setting particularly, in interpersonal connection. These young people in children’s homes have less personal support network even though they have family units, uncles or aunts. In addition, it’s a popular trend to talk about “globalization”, issues either in the schools or in the families. However, children in children’s homes do not have opportunities to expose themselves in various nations to learn different cultures customs.

As a result, our association, CCSA, has been calling for international students from NCCU to join this volunteer program. International volunteers will work with children and young people in Taiwan children’s homes for five weeks in terms of culture sharing, language exchange and friendship buildup. Through international students’ eyes, children and young people in Taiwan children’s homes will learn a wide range of exotic cultures, and by means of day-to-day interaction with them, these internationals will be able to learn some Taiwanese culture as well.

Program Location:

The Mountain Children’s Home of Kaoshiung County

Taiwan Christian Faith, Hope. Love Children’s Home of Pingtung County

Program Period:

July 3rd to August 6th

Program Coordinator:

Conni Chang

Wei-Chen Lee +886-2-2528-9119 Ext.23

Journey to a Children's Home

by Daniel Park

It was 4:00 pm on Saturday, March 31st, 2007 when the bus with student volunteers from National Chengchi University arrived at Taiwan Christian Faith Hope and Love Children’s Home in Ping-tung. I was very excited to meet the children and nervous at the same time.

My name is Daniel Park. I am a third year business student majoring in accounting and marketing in Simon Fraser University in Canada, and I am an exchange student to National Chengchi University in spring 2007. I didn't actually know about ‘Warm-up for 2007 Gap Summer World better Volunteer Service’ until three days before the registration deadline. One of the other exchange students told me about this program and suggested that I should participate. Initially, I couldn't decide because I already had my own busy plans for spring break. I saw a post later that day describing this activity as below.

It’s you, who brings difference perspectives to them.
It’s you, who makes them embrace their dream.
It’s them, who touches your heart.
It’s them, who make it an awesome experience.’

I do not know why. Somehow, this paragraph and the children's photo on the post kept coming back to my mind. As a result, I submitted my application to children’s home the day before the registration deadline.

We, student volunteers, visited two very similar and yet different children’s homes. One was located in Ping-tung city. Another one was located in Kao-hsiung city.

After we arrived at children’s home in Ping-tung city, we had a dinner with the children. During the dinner, we introduced each other and asked each other’s interests. After we were done our dinner, we arranged all of desks and chairs and started a program prepared by Group A. (We divided into two groups; group A and B) Group A prepared a couple of games, including musical chairs. Both we and children jumped and slipped during the activity. I could read children’s happiness from their face. After the activity, some of us had a chance to hear songs from one of the junior-high school students in children’s home. The student actually composes the songs. It impressed me a lot. Furthermore, the student added that he has never learned from somebody else how to play a guitar and how to compose, and he acquired that knowledge by himself. Although he is good enough, I felt he could be much better if there is someone who can lead him playing a guitar and composing a song into a deeper level.

Leaving behind good memories in Ping-tung city, we headed for the other children’s home in Kao-hsiung city the next day. As soon as we arrived, we started our activities first by learning how to make bracelets with teachers and children in children’s home. After the dinner, group B leaded an activity. Group B brought a number of water balloons to play with children. As a result, some of us and children totally got wet, but still every one of us had a big smile on our face. After the activity, we continued our activity at a church in children’s home, and we worshiped and spent time together.

That was our two day’s activities in children’s home. In my opinion, the children’s home in Ping-tung city has strong educational atmosphere. By contrast, the children’s home in Kao-hsiung city has strong artistic atmosphere. However, they also had things in common. Both of them have children who need a friend who can hold their hand and share their life just as all of us need. Throughout this great opportunity, I believe I gained more than I gave. I thought I would be the one who would share my love with the children. However, the children were the ones who actually filled out my heart with love. I thought I would be the one who would touch their heart. However, they were the ones who actually touched my heart. This experience truly enriched my spring break, and I can not wait to see children again this coming summer break.