From Jul 14 to Aug 12, 2007, 105 volunteers from Eden Social Welfare Foundation (ESWF) worked as summer teachers in Xi’datan Middle School of Gansu Province. They also brought donations from Taiwan to local students and people. Journalists of Taiwan DaAi TV interviewed their activity for three days.
Ms. Liu Hsia, the initiator of Eden Social Welfare Foundation, a female wheelchair writer suffering from rheumatic arthritis, witnessed the discrimination against people with disabilities in Taiwan. In response to God's calling and with a great love for people with physical and mental disabilities, she decided to create a place where the disabled are truly cared for and loved - The Garden of Eden in Dreams. She donated her income from publishing and initiated a group of Christians who shared her vision to bring people with disabilities out of their isolation. On December 1, 1982, Eden Social Welfare Foundation was founded to serve people with disabilities as well as other socially marginalized groups. The foundation has expanded significantly over the years. Starting with only two part-time employees, today Eden has a staff of over 1,200, nearly 40 percent of which are people with disabilities.
In the morning of Jul 15, with accompany of teachers from Xi'datan Middle School, ESWF volunteers went to visit a wheelchair boy-Hekun. They donated a new wheelchair to him, learned his illness carefully and taught He’s grandma about the key points of doing physical recovery. Seeing the bedsore on He’s buttock, the volunteers couldn’t help weeping. They promised to contact doctors to solve the boy’s difficulty. When returning to school, Mr. Zhu Yong-xiang, the leader of volunteers sent another new wheelchair to Mr. Yang Bao-lin, the principal of Xi’datan Middle School and committed to transfer it to the needy disability.
In the afternoon of Jul 16, “Love Care Pencil-box Distribution” ceremony was held in Class Two Grade Eight classroom of Xi’datan Middle School. Ms. Liu Fang-yu, the journalist of Taiwan DaAi TV, on behalf of Taiwan Ciji Foundation, sent 100 pencil-boxes and handy cards made by Taiwan children to poverty students. All the pencil-boxes were bought by children’s pocket money. The students of Xi’datan Middle School expressed their determination to help others and pay back society. At the same time, journalists of Taiwan DaAi TV sent 5 basketballs, 4 volleyballs and 1 pump to the school.
In order to make Xi'datan Middle School more popular, the journalists of Taiwan DaAi TV produced a series of six TV programs and broadcasted in Global News for six days. In nearly one month, the number of volunteers’ courses reached 480, and they assisted self-study courses for more than 160 times. Before the course, they deliberately prepared course plan, and made teaching tools in Taiwan. In the course, they adopted multi-teachers method, which was warm welcomed by students. What' more, they donated $2410, 400 pencil-boxes, 40 suits, 20 volumes of books, 10 video disks, 50 flutes, basketball, volleyball and other teaching tools to that school.
ESWF’s activity was greatly supported by Wuwei government. The leaders, including Mr. Yang Qi-lian, the director of Taiwan Affairs Office of Wuwei, local education bureau, and Township leaders went to visit volunteers, and guided the principals of Xi’datan Middle School to properly arrange volunteers’ living room and their schedule.
In spare time, Taiwan volunteers drank Qingke Wine, tasted milk tea and Zangba, tried Tibetan clothe, picked wild mushrooms, took photos with white yaks, sang and danced in party. They were pleasant and moved by the beautiful scenery and lovely people of Xi’datan.
ESWF and Town and Talent Technologies (TTT) have cooperated for three years. In the first year, they visit TTT member schools in Inner Mongolia, and donated books and bags to disabilities. In the last year, they organized Taiwan college students to work as teachers in Xi’datan Middle School, and also they donated money to build website for that school. This Apr, they visited four member schools, including Xi’datan Middle School, Sangongdi Town Primary School, Badaogou Middle School, and Beishicao Middle School. They got to learn the basic situation of member school, especially about English subject, to prepare for the summer volunteer activity.
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