ICDF aid workers say the experience is worth the pain

Yang said the ICDF's investment and lending projects include providing small amounts of credit in rural communities to help them develop small businesses.

Aside from trained professionals, Yang added that volunteers and men who served in the Overseas Alternative Service -- as an alternative to military service -- are also among the individuals stationed at these missions abroad.

"Life in Africa is relatively uncomfortable in comparison to that in Taiwan," Wang said, pointing out the extreme scarcity of food supplies, medicines and living condition.

"But when you see those you've helped heal from sickness return to you with smiling faces, you are really filled with a strong sense of accomplishment and satisfaction -- that all the hard work was worth it," said Wang, who, prior to missions to Malawi since last year, spent four years, 1994-1998, in Guinea Bissau as a member of the medical mission.

Wu Shueh-ru (吳雪如), who served in the mission from 1996-1998,echoed Wang's remarks.

"My experience as a member of the ICDF's medical team to the Republic of Guinea Bissau had given me a whole dimension of what happiness means," said Wu, who explained her sense of deep satisfaction after her time of serving abroad.

She says she saw the scarcity of means and the difficult situations where bony-skinned children are threatened by malaria and other fatal diseases day in and day out, Wu commented that people in Taiwan have no idea how luck they are.

"I've learned to appreciate what I have so much more," she said, adding that if opportunity allows, she would like to go back and serve again.

Both Wang and Wu were not alone in expressing the sense of profound satisfaction that engulfed them after serving in the ICDF's overseas development programs.

As accounted in the recently released book entitled Sharing Our Fortunes with the World: Eight Stories of the Taiwan Spirit, individuals who take part in the programs, more often then not expressed their experience with the overseas missions as the most memorable experience in their life.

Indeed, emotional and spiritual lessons from the experience are so rewarding that many of those who had completed their service term expressed a desire to serve again if the opportunity allows.

For example, Fu Chen-chung (符振中), who was first dispatched to Liberia in 1989 and later to Guinea-Bissau as a member of a medical team to help treat locals as well as helped renovate and modernize local hospitals, said that, although he has now returned to Taiwan and is the deputy director of Chenghsing Hospital, he would one day love to return to Africa to serve again.

"To be stationed abroad means they run the risk of disease and other dangers, as well as the pain of being far away from their loved ones back home," Minister of Foreign Affairs Eugene Chien (簡又新), who is also the ICDF's president, was quoted as saying when speaking about the deeds of these overseas-mission members.

"Their courage and deeds are indeed impressive. They are anonymous heroes."