[Taiwan] City social program helping children to escape from poverty

from The Taipei Times

By Mo Yan-chih

Looking at Fang (方, first name withheld) today, it is hard to imagine that this swarthy, optimistic physical education student spent part of his childhood in an orphanage.

Growing up in a poor family, Fang fought his way into college with the help of a financial aid program provided by the Taipei city government's social welfare department. Fang is now using his success story to inspire other disadvantaged children to go on to achieve better things.

Fang is one of about 20 college students participating in the "Big Hands Leading Small Hands" program designed to help children from low-income families break the shackles of poverty.

Education

"A good education provides the best chance for children from low-income families to escape the vicious cycle of poverty. Because the college students participating in this program come from similar backgrounds to the children they're helping, they understand how to guide them as big brothers or sisters," program designer Hsieh Yi-rong (謝宜容) said yesterday during a press conference.

The program, which was initiated last year, helped 16 children aged between 5 and 12 last year, and another 51 this year. About 20 college students, who are themselves receiving financial assistance under another social program, volunteered to help with after-school tutoring and extracurricular activities for the children during summer and winter vacations.

According to the Ministry of the Interior, there are over 360,000 children living in low-income families in Taiwan. These children, who come from mostly single-parent families or are children of foreign brides, seldom receive a good education. Without proper guidance, the department said, they may never escape poverty.

Poor

"I come from a poor background, and so I understand the difficulties these children face. I feel an urge to point them in the right direction," Fang said.

With his help, Fang said proudly, an elementary student with a reading disability had improved steadily in school.

The department called on the public to join them in helping more children to escape poverty.