Teenager education and culture exchange workcamp

The workcamp organized together with Taiwan Fund for Children and Families.

Taiwan Fund for Children and Families (TFCF) has established its Penghu Branch in Ma-Gong City in December 1965. We aim to provide vulnerable children and families who have encountered sudden emergencies or poverty, services ranging from assistances on economics, education, medical care, entertainment and psychological counseling. Our service area is scattered around Ma-Gong City, Hu-Xi Township, Bai-Sha Township, Xi-Yu Township, Wang-An Township and Ci-Mei Township. Due to the distinctive geographical locations of the Penghu Islands, the available educational resources are scarce and less mobilized in comparison to those in Taiwan Island. In addition, the majour economic activities in Penghu Islands are fishery or temporary workers, the percentage of children being raised in families with foreign spouses, single-parent, cross-generational parenting or low-income is relevantly high. These parents frequently encounter difficulties in assisting their children in the school works, and they rarely arrange learning or recreational activities for the children in the summer break. Therefore, TFCF Penghu Branch will host a summer after-school program under the theme of “Multicultural learning” and other activities (e.g. after-school counseling program, exploring the local communities and other entertainment activities) to enrich these children’s life. It is also hoped that through these recreational activities, the TFCF sponsored children will foster their personal relationships and increase their learning opportunities.

Penghu Islands, also known as the Pescadores (Fishermen in Portuguese), are composed by a group of islands located in between Taiwan and
China. Penghu Islands have been famous for its rich marine resources (also considered as the most important natural assets) and natural landscapes, especially the pillar-like basalt rocks. Summer is the peak tourism season in Penghu. The local inhabitants are simple and warm-hearted with limited accessibility to jobs and income, and
Penghu has serious brain drain issues with its young workforce due to the insufficient educational and working opportunities. The children in Penghu not only have very scarce educational resources, but also have very few opportunities to access to international educational resources. Thus, TFCF Penghu Branch aims to facilitate more inter-cultural exchanges among the international volunteers and the local children and strengthen the global friendships among them through this unique workcamp project.

1) To host summer after-school programs for TFCF sponsored children in Penghu through activities such as international folklore music teaching, sports activities, painting the walls of the TFCF Penghu Branch and visit the local communities.
2) To enlarge the global perspectives of the TFCF sponsored children in Penghu and to promote cross-cultural friendship and solidarity between the volunteers and children.
3) To lead the children to explore the original features of their dwelling communities and appreciate the beauties of these communities.

1.International Folk Songs teaching - to promote international cultural exchanges between the children and the volunteers. International volunteers will be asked to prepare to teach a folk song from their
communities; each country’s volunteers will lead the song teaching along with some cultural facts in a session of 2 hours.

2.Sports activities - every afternoon we will bring the children to the playground of the neighbouring elementary school to play sports (e.g. football, baseball) as extracurricular activities. It will be highly appreciated that the volunteers can prepare one or two simple ball sports activities and the related regulations in advance.

3.Painting the Offices - through the discussion between the international volunteers and the children, the office area of TFCF Penghu Branch will be painted under the theme of diversified world cultures. It is hoped through such activities the children will increase their recognition of TFCF work and create positive civic participation effects on them.

4.Exploring the Local Communities - we will divide the international volunteers and the children in several groups and lead them to explore at least 2 of the local communities. We will lead the children to collect information on the communities and guide them to discover the original features of the communities, which might have been neglected in the past. It is hoped that we can strengthen the children’s understanding of their own communities.

TFCF will provide free accommodation with simple showering facilities. Sleeping bags are required! Food will
be offered by TFCF, and the volunteers will be divided into groups to take up the cooking tasks.

TFCF Penghu Branch and the nearby Communities in Ma-Gong City, Penghu Island.

Taoyuan International Airport (TIA)- then transfer to bus to Taipei Songshan Airport (TSA) for domestic flight to Ma-Gong Airport (bus for about 1 hour and TWD 130 one way). Ma-Gong Airport is located about 20 minutes away from TFCF Penghu Branch. The volunteers can take the local bus to Ma-Gong Market or the bus terminal and walk for 15 minutes to the TFCF Penghu Branch, yet the local bus schedule is not frequent. TFCF Penghu Branch will provide free transportation between the airport and TFCF Penghu Branch upon arrival (detailed information will be provided further in the info sheet).

Flight - direct flights from major cities such as Taipei, Taichung, Tainan and Kaohsiung. Flight time ranges between 30 to 55 minutes (app. 100 USD round-trip).
Ferry - direct ferries from Bu-Dai Township, Chia-Yi (90 minutes, app. 63 USD round-trip) or Kaohsiung City (4 hours, app. 50 USD round trip).

Basic knowledge in ball sports (e.g. football, baseball) and interests in painting/decorating spaces. Enthusiastic and
outgoing individuals interested in hosting children’s activities.

Volunteers need a motivation letter (no more than 500 words) and CGC (Certificate of Good Conduct) for this project as it will involve interaction with young people.

Siluo, one of the most famous places of the traditional Chinese Konfu, puppet show is also the mother town of Soy Sauce.
2010 Siluo workcamp, will be the first international workcamp host in Siluo Township, Yunlin County, Taiwan.

Louyoung Cultural & Educational Foundation, the local host designed plans for the workcamp after having been very successful in organising the Taishi workcamps. Siluo is looking forward to enjoy the changing power of voluntary service.

Siluo Township, which is located in the centre of Taiwan, has developed for more than 300 years. It is also the most northern place of Yunlin County and a very important agricultural city of Taiwan. There are 49,500 people living in Shiluo. Siluo is the nearest township by the great Zhuo Shui River. The Siluo Great Bridge is another landmark for 57 years here. Besides enjoying a peaceful sunset from Siluo Great Bridge, you can have pleasant walks in Yenping historical streets - these are the main reason why we invite international volunteers to live in such an historical place!

During the Japanese occupation period, Siluo was designed as a modern town, in order to cooperate with the street-widening process, architectural facades were removed and building heights were altered. During the 1930-1945 periods, there were many styles visible on Yenping Street, with various unique architectural styles. Within a few years, a 840 meters stretch of street saw the construction of hundreds of Art Deco houses, which contain the essence of Siluo’s history and culture.
Yenping Old Street, where 142 elegant houses have remained. Most of them were built 80 years ago. You can enjoy the typical Taiwan Culture in Yenping Street. Chinese Konfu, Puppet show and experience how the production process of soy sauce happens. In the past, Yenping Street was the town center, every shop was open and it was busy all the time, but now, most of the houses are empty, some are useless. The residents left. Yenping Street became silent, people have no confidence.

We will try to promote the Siluo culture and traditional articles from Yenping Old Street. We are suppose to improve the life quality and self-respect here. We want to keep the the street environment. It’s so classical and elegant. So, we need to keep the houses useful.

We have done some repair work for some old houses, but still have a lot to do yet. So, we would like to invite international friends come to join us. It is not only voluntary work but also Taiwan culture learning， joining and a different life experience.

Siluo workcamp is going to fix the 2nd floor at no.81 in Yenping Street. Cleaning, painting and repairing are necessary， setting up furniture and everything else for visitors. We are going to set up an accommodation place for visitors. The place will be very helpful to Siluo touristic developments.

Siluo workcamp also plans to make two public Art Deco chairs, the style will match Children Wonder Garden, a famous community art part, we will manage a tutor who will be the leader to teach volunteers how to make it. It will help children to rest and play， and also help to promote life quality in Siluo.

1) Repairing one historical house as community store and promoting the tourism of the Yenping Old Street.

2) Make two Artistic productions as landmarks in the main entrance of Siluo to improve the life environment.

3) We will arrange a welcome and farewell party for all participants. Make friends is important in a workcamp.

4) Both Chinese Konfu and Puppet shows are Siluo traditional folk art, you will know well about them.

Volunteers will clean, paint and repair one or two old artistic houses. After repairing the house, the community will use it as a new store selling traditional products. Volunteers will also make one or two decorative art objects in the main entrance as community landmarks. Volunteers will have the chance to join different cultural events to learn Chinese Konfu. Worktime will be betwen 09-12 and 14-17，Monday-Friday.

The future plans for Old Street.

In a local district civil building. Sleeping bag is required! Food will be offered by local people but volunteers still have a chance to cook in some cultural exchange events.

Siluo Township, a historical place in Yun-Lin County, located in the middle of Taiwan. 50 minutes to Taichung City by bus, 2.5-3.5 hours by bus from Taipei City.

After arriving at Tao-Yuan International Airport, volunteers need to take the bus to Taipei Bus Station first. Then, 2.5 -3 hours of bus away to Shilo (NTD$ 330, passengers need to take bus from Taipei directly-SOLARBUS, 30 minutes/per hour)

Excursion, cultural exchange parties with local people, Kong Fu exercise, Puppet show, Bike riding, Night market, eco-tourism (free day optional), etc.

High motivation for community adaptability and open minded. Basic Mandarin and artistic skills are welcomed!
Volunteers should cover the transportation and living expenses by themselves during free schedule.

Minority groups Teenagers education and culture exchange workcamp

The workcamp is organized together with Taiwan Fund for Children and Families.
Wutai workcamp will be the very first international workcamp held by Taiwan Fund for Children and Families (TFCF) in collaboration with VYA in Taiwan in 2010. After the observation of the successful international workcamp experiences in Taisi, TFCF and VYA will go hand in hand to initiate new workcamps themed on services to vulnerable children and communities in Taiwan in the upcoming year. We will host a children’s summer camp at Wutai Elementary School where we will share some international folklore music, dances and children’s stories in
school, socialize with the community and repair the aboriginal paintings on the school walls to help the local community to restore their unique aboriginal cultural images and promote global understanding and friendship.
Participants will also have opportunities to experience Taiwanese aboriginal traditions and beautiful Formosan beaches in free schedule, appreciate the richness of the Taiwanese aboriginal cultures, chat with the local people and be overwhelmed by their passion and hospitality.

Wutai, located in the mountainous area of Ping-Tung County, is a small, serene village in the southern Taiwan. Free from disturbance, Wutai is rich in its unique Rukai culture, one of the various aboriginal tribes in Taiwan. The altitude of Wutai is about 2,822 metres, which has kept this beautiful mountainous village away from the bustling
cities. Due to its distinctive geographical limitations, most of the children in Wutai area can only receive elementary school education in Wutai Elementary School, then move to the cities for higher education. Currently, there are 89 students in Wutai elementary school. Yet, the Typhoon Morakot in 2009 has damaged the road connecting Wutai and the other towns, prompted the students to be relocated to different school sites for schooling. Because of the scarcity and unequal distributions of resources, children have limited access to educational resources, especially the English and international education learning environment.
Through the workcamp held in Wutai, we wish to lead the school children to explore world cultures and further promote global understanding, trigger children’s learning interests and encourage the children to re-explore and value the richness of their own aboriginal culture through the teaching of the international folklore music, dance
and stories. Meanwhile, we would like to facilitate the interactions and cultural exchanges between local residents and international youths via the cultural night. Moreover, through the organization of this workcamp, TFCF expects to inspire the young volunteers who were once sponsored by TFCF to enhance their continuing interests in
civic participation and devote to community development work with new global perspectives.

1) To facilitate inter-cultural exchanges and encourage the children to appreciate and respect cultural differences through the sharing of folklore music, dances and stories for children.
2) To promote friendship/understanding/solidarity among school children, local people, TFCF youth volunteers and international volunteers.
3) To inspire TFCF youth volunteers to devote to community services and increase the international learning and participation experiences for the TFCF youth volunteers.
4) To restore the aboriginal paintings on the walls of Wutai elementary school to return a beautiful campus to the school children and to introduce the Taiwanese aboriginal cultures to the international volunteers.

We will teach international folklore music/dance/stories and play with children during the children’s summer camp at Wutai Elementary School, work together with local youth from TFCF to restore the aboriginal paintings on the walls of Wutai Elementary School. We would also like to promote international cultural exchanges between the local community and the volunteers through the organization of the Cultural Night. Local community members will be invited to participate in this event and enjoy the international folklore music/dance performance prepared jointly by the school children and the volunteers.

Participants are encouraged to share their living experiences in their native countries through pictures and
stories with the local children and TFCF volunteers (especially on volunteering and community services for TFCF volunteers), and to learn and appreciate the local aboriginal culture.

Local elementary school classroom. Sleeping bag is required! Food will be offered by TFCF but the volunteers
need to cook by themselves daily (on group rotation basis) and for the cultural exchange night.

A small aboriginal village in Ping-Tung County located on the southern mountainous region of Taiwan. The closest international city is Kaohsiung city, which is located about 2.5 hours drive.
T: Tao-Yuan international airport. 1.5 hours of THSRC (ticket price 35 USD) or 6 hours of public bus (ticket price 14 USD) away from Kaohsiung City, the meeting point of the workcamp. Kaohsiung International Airport 30 minutes by Metro to the meeting point of the workcamp.
It takes about 2.5 hours by bus from the meeting point in Kaohsiung to the workcamp site. Transportation will be arranged between the meeting point to the workcamp site, but the volunteers will need to share the
transportation expenses (about 60 USD p.p/ round-trip).

Cultural night with school children and local people. On the weekend the volunteers can choose to participate
in aboriginal handicraft making lessons or visit the nearby scenic spots (e.g. Kenting beach).

Fond of folklore music, dance and stories. High motivation for learning and respect the local culture. Chinese
language and artistic skills are welcomed but not necessarily required!

Volunteers need a motivation letter (no more than 500 words) and CGC (Certificate of Good Conduct) for this project as it will involve interaction with young people.

The transportation between the meeting point to the camp site can be arranged by TFCF but should be covered by the volunteers themselves.