Thailand is a popular backpacker destination, but for a group of Taiwanese university students, the southeastern Asian country is more than just a tourist spot. It's a place they go to utilize their talents and contribute something to the world.
"Before becoming a volunteer, the only kind of lifestyle I knew was taking tests, attending a good college, getting a decent job, and making a living," said college student Hsu Ming-chang (
"But now I realize there are many different ways to live your life," Hsu said as he shared his experience of spending one month volunteering near the Thai-Myanmar border this summer.
Hsu is one of the seven students from Youth E-Service, a non-profit organization that focuses on providing computer and information technology services to people in developing countries. The group also promotes international volunteer work among Taiwanese youth by organizing volunteer trips abroad. Since 2000, over 50 students have traveled to Thailand to participate in the project.
This year the group went to Mae Sot, a busy town in the northwest of Thailand bordering Myanmar. Because of its close proximity, the town has become a haven for thousands of Burmese refugees to escape from their oppressive military government.
The YES volunteers hope to bring the refugees out of poverty by teaching them basic computer skills and providing educational training for teachers.
Lin Yi-ming (
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