Paul Lien (
Lien applied for the alternative military service program and was sent to Burkina Faso in November 2001 as a military surgeon.
During his 20 months there, Lien helped build an orphanage which now houses 100 children, as well as collecting more than 70,000 articles of clothing for people living in poverty in the country.
"It was a learning experience," Lien said at the seminar.
"Since high school, I have thought a lot about `higher values' rather than just focusing on academic life," he said.
"The experience in Africa was a starting point for me. I wanted to make the best of those two years," Lein told the seminar.
Lien said he told himself there was nothing to lose before applying for the job.
"I thought that there wasn't any risk to my life and that I could learn French there," he said.
Lien did more than that, winning praise and appreciation from people in Burkina Faso and the Burkina Faso government.
"Coming from a middle class family where I didn't have to worry about anything in life, I thought I needed to show my appreciation by helping the less fortunate," Lien said.
"Life there was not easy, and there were so many obstacles in the way when I tried to help people," he said.
Lien said that his time in Burkina Faso, where life expectancy is only 42 years, made him think about life and death at a younger age than most Taiwanese.
Lien was awarded a medal of distinction from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs after returning to Taiwan in 2003 for his work in the country.
He has also published a book depicting his time in Africa.
The Central Weather Administration (CWA) today issued a "tsunami watch" alert after a magnitude 8.7 earthquake struck off the Kamchatka Peninsula in northeastern Russia earlier in the morning. The quake struck off the east coast of the Kamchatka Peninsula at 7:25am (Taiwan time) at a depth of about 19km, the CWA said, citing figures from the Pacific Tsunami Warning Center. The CWA's Seismological Center said preliminary assessments indicate that a tsunami could reach Taiwan's coastal areas by 1:18pm today. The CWA urged residents along the coast to stay alert and take necessary precautions as waves as high as 1m could hit the southeastern
The National Museum of Taiwan Literature is next month to hold an exhibition in Osaka, Japan, showcasing the rich and unique history of Taiwanese folklore and literature. The exhibition, which is to run from Aug. 10 to Aug. 20 at the city’s Central Public Hall, is part of the “We Taiwan” at Expo 2025 series, highlighting Taiwan’s cultural ties with the international community, National Museum of Taiwan Literature director Chen Ying-fang (陳瑩芳) said. Folklore and literature, among Taiwan’s richest cultural heritages, naturally deserve a central place in the global dialogue, Chen said. Taiwan’s folklore would be immediately apparent at the entrance of the
Speeding and badly maintained roads were the main causes of a school bus accident on a rainy day in Taipei last year that severely injured two people and left 22 with minor injuries, the Taiwan Transportation and Safety Board said. On March 11 last year, a Kang Chiao International School bus overturned inside the Wenshan Tunnel (文山隧道) on the northbound lane of the Xinyi Expressway. The tour bus, owned by Long Lai Co, exceeded the speed limit after entering the tunnel, the board’s investigation found. Sensing that the rear of the vehicle was swaying, the driver attempted to use the service and exhaust
“China is preparing to invade Taiwan,” Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Francois Wu (吳志中) said in an exclusive interview with British media channel Sky News for a special report titled, “Is Taiwan ready for a Chinese invasion?” the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said today in a statement. The 25-minute-long special report by Helen Ann-Smith released yesterday saw Sky News travel to Penghu, Taoyuan and Taipei to discuss the possibility of a Chinese invasion and how Taiwan is preparing for an attack. The film observed emergency response drills, interviewed baseball fans at the Taipei Dome on their views of US President
RSS