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Chen lauds kids with perseverance

President Chen Shui-bian shakes hands with his ``godson'' Wu Yueh-ting while attending a presentation of awards that were given by the Taiwan Fund for Children and Families at the Presidential Office yesterday. PHOTO: CNA

Thanking the Taiwan Fund for Children and Families for its years of work in helping children and their families, President Chen Shui-bian (陳水扁) met yesterday with the 10 recipients of this year's Perseverance Award.

Awards were given to children from all over Taiwan based on recommendations from the fund's local centers.

The children were given a scholarship and an electronic dictionary in order to recognize them for their optimism and determination in the face of financial, personal and family difficulty.

One such story is that of Han Chai-yun (韓佳芸), a girl from Kaoshiung who escaped a home full of abuse and neglect and took her mentally challenged brother with her.

Currently living with her mother, who is both working and going to school, Han is responsible for the care of her brother. He is slowly making progress in feeding himself and saying simple words.

Others winners included young orphaned Aboriginal artist Chien Tzu-chiang (簡自強) and physically-handicapped Kang Yao-wen (康耀文).

Speaking to the children, Chen said that the 10 winners and their stories are worthy of admiration.

Although the winners are children, Chen said, they are role models from whom adult society should learn.

The fund, a major non-profit focused on children's issues, provides academic support, financial help, counseling and other services to needy children and their families through centers located throughout the nation.

Also attending the meeting was Chen's "godson," Wu Yueh-ting (吳岳庭).

Wu, a seventh grader in Tainan, gave the president a get-well card he had made with his family. The card wished the president a quick recovery from the wound he suffered in the assassination attempt against him and asked that Chen heal the ailing economy in order to help the people. It also expressed Wu's hope that Chen would be a "president of the people."

When asked by Chen about his grades in school, Wu, who hopes to become a lawyer like Chen, said, "I'm going to keep working on it."

Wu was "adopted" by Chen at a fund event last year in Tainan. After reading a letter written by the fatherless Wu, Chen publicly told Wu that "A-bian (阿扁) is now going to be your father."

Since then, Wu has been referred to as Chen's "godson" by the media.
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