Speak Loud and Listen with Heart – Their Overseas Volunteer Stories

2017 Youth Overseas Peace Volunteer Group Sharing & Presentation Ceremony

2017-12-20

(Reproduced from the photo taken by Youth Development Administration)

The “2017 Youth Overseas Peace Volunteer Group Sharing & Presentation Ceremony” of Youth Development Administration, Ministry of Education was held in Huashan 1914 Creative Park on 17th day of this month. The Ceremony honored 16 outstanding youth overseas volunteer groups and organized the first youth overseas volunteer exposition, invited multiple groups dedicated to promoting overseas volunteer services, and installing 40 presentation booths. Meanwhile, it also invited 8 volunteer service experts to attend the Ceremony to share their overseas stories, in hopes of closely interacting and exchange with the youth dedicated to promoting the overseas volunteer service.

Vice President, Chen Chien-Jen, arrived at the Ceremony personally on the same day to honor the outstanding youth overseas volunteer groups. When giving the speech, he mentioned that the youth overseas peace volunteer group is founded in order to encourage the youth to stand out and engage in the overseas volunteer service, do what they are good at, and help more countries who need the services. He revealed that though the overseas volunteer service is definitely not a simple mission, he still sees that Taiwanese youth “leap into the world and show fearless love”. Vice President Chen recalled his experience in co-founding the Kind Kids Club of NTU with his classmates when he was young, and mentioned that “volunteer service” should be a required course for students, as it reflects the heartwarming, bright and beautiful side of human nature. He also hoped to share his own experience to encourage the youth to join the overseas volunteer service group, so that Taiwanese youth’s strength may be seen by more people in the world and the youth volunteers may make more friends for Taiwan.

The 16 groups that won the award this year have engaged in the service in Thailand, Myanmar, Cambodia, Nepal, Salvador and Swaziland, et al.. Among the other things, about 80% of these countries refer to the countries included in the New Southbound Policy. Therefore, we hope that this may facilitate the exchange of Taiwan with the countries of ASEAN and South Asia and inject new vitality to the New Southbound Policy. The “golden” prize, “silver” prize and “bronze” prize winners announced today were those outperforming in the competition attended by 58 youth volunteer groups. Each group’s enthusiasm for service moved everyone. The two groups winning the “golden” prize included Taipei Medical University’s “Fong-Xin Overseas Swaziland Medical Team” and CYCU’s “Love for Cambodia Team”.

Taipei Medical University’s medical team arrived in Swaziland this year. As it realized that the medical resources were poor locally, it provided the services for both medical treatment and education, offered the dentist’s volunteer clinic service, and engaged in the health education to communicate the most correct medical knowledge to the local people. Meanwhile, it extended the service to child students and taught them about preventive health care in order to reducing the requests for dentist’s treatment. They upheld their original intention and did their best in the environment with limited resources!

This year, CYCU’s “Love for Cambodia Team” worked with the local NPO in Cambodia, KAKO, and also promoted the long-term “Village Seed English Teacher Workshops” plan together with Department of Education (DOE) of Polk County, in hopes of training more local seed teachers to benefit more local students, root the English education soundly, upgrade the strength of Cambodia village teachers step by step, fulfill the program dedicated to getting rid of poverty through education and contribute something to the next generation in Cambodia.

In addition to the award ceremony, the first youth overseas volunteer exposition was also held in Huashan 1914 Creative Park, West Building 2, which invited many groups dedicated to promoting overseas volunteer service to set up the exhibition booth. Meanwhile, the AIT Spokesperson Sonia Urbom, and Secretariat of Global Action Lai Shu-Sheng, were also invited to give speech and share their own stories about overseas volunteer services, who also encouraged the students to change the world at the same time when they contribute themselves and take actions to make the world see Taiwan’s love for service.For the details about Youth Overseas Peace Volunteer Group, please visit the website of Youth Development Administration, Ministry of Education (https://www.yda.gov.tw).

Source: https://www.101newsmedia.com/news/43447