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Donations

from

"down under" really

make a difference

Head of the ANZ Social Group, Ms. Lyn Neal, third left, stands with other members of the group. The group invited the Garden of Hope to speak at its regular coffee morning, and made a very kind contribution to our work!

Australia is often called the "lucky country," and in April, Aussies and New Zealanders shared some of that wellbeing with less fortunate women and children in Taiwan with generous donations to the Garden of Hope.

First, a big thank you to all the members of the Australian and New Zealand Social Group and Chamber of Commerce for another generous donation to our work.

The ANZ Social Group's Ms. Lyn Neal heads a caring group of individuals, and while they are not all from "down under", they are all willing to make a difference in the local community. With this latest donation, the ANZSG provides funds for several months of services for disadvantaged women and children in Taiwan.

Also, we received generous support from two private donors in Australia. Thank you for a very thoughtful gift.

The Garden of Hope welcomes all donations and enquiries. We can offer one-time or long-term sponsorship opportunities for groups or individuals who would like to get involved in the local community, or for special events.

For more information on corporate or group donations, please contact us!

The annual U.S. State Department report on Human Rights was released earlier in the year, and outlines findings on the situation for women and children in Taiwan. The report had positive comments for local efforts to address violence against women and children, including sexual harassment, assaults, and child prostitution. However, the report notes that serious problems remain.

Unfortunately, the report agreed that Taiwan remains "a significant transit point and, to a lesser extent, a destination for trafficked persons," with young women and some minors duped into believing they are traveling for legitimate jobs or arranged marriages, only to find they have been "sold" to brothels here or in a third country. Others agree to work as prostitutes, but when they arrive are forced to "repay" huge "fees," threatened with violence, and end up in modern-day sexual slavery.

While the report found that, "the practice of aboriginal families selling their children into prostitution no longer existed," it also noted that "child prostitution was a problem, particularly among aboriginal children," that "most child prostitutes ranged in age from 12 to 17 years," and that "legal loopholes and cultural barriers remained obstacles to enforcement."

So, our work continues. As our CEO, Ms. Chi, says, "Sometimes the path is difficult - then we just go one step at a time."

Click here to read the full report.

Please note: The link above will transfer the viewer to an outside site. This link is provided for general information only, and we  take no responsibility for the content of any outside site. 

Learn more about No Hitting Day!

April 30th was No Hitting Day and to mark the day, one of the Garden of Hope's counselors sent an open "letter to the editor" to raise awareness on child welfare around the island. Visit our media page or click here to read her letter.

Every year in Taiwan, reports of child abuse are increasing. We hope that this is due to better reporting channels and an increased openness to respond to the problem, rather than an increase in abuse itself. Still, we encourage all parents, teachers and child carers to learn more about nonviolent discipline for children, or seek help if they are having parenting difficulties.

The Center for Effective Discipline is the group, which works for No Hitting Day, and they have a site on alternative discipline for children. Visit their site at: http://www.stophitting.com/spankOut/

Please note: The links above will transfer the viewer to outside sites. The Garden of Hope is not connected in any way with The Center for Effective Discipline. These link are provided for general information only, and we  take no responsibility for the content of any outside site.