Children living in poverty are largely happy with their family life despite everyday hardships, but more aid is needed to keep their families from falling apart, the Taiwan Fund for Children and Families (TFCF) said.
The charity said that of the 10,429 households that it provides with regular financial aid, there are about 21,000 children that have at least one sick or absent parent.
However, a survey conducted by the fund and the Chinatrust Charity Foundation last month found that minors living in impoverished households do not worry about taking care of the sick family member, but fear that “one day, their only home will be gone,” fund executive director Betty Ho (何素秋) said.
“In the mind of those children, they feel happy as long as they get to stay in a family with a positive relationship. However, such happiness is fragile. It could crumble any time if there is a family problem, even a small one,” Ho said.
The survey, conducted between Dec. 14 and Dec. 25, found that 76.6 percent of responding children said they are happy just to be able to live with their family, even though it also found that 35.1 percent of the respondents go without breakfast at least once a week.
That is more than 10 times as many as the 3.5 percent of children in households that are not classified as poor, the fund said.
Another 49 percent of interviewed families supported by the fund live without air conditioning and heating, compared with only 11.1 percent of households overall.
Moreover, 63.2 percent of the families said they did not have learning tools or other materials for children, 36.1 percent lack an Internet connection and 32.9 percent do not have a computer.
To help provide more aid for such children, the fund and the foundation last week launched the Lighting Up the Fire of Life program in the hopes of raising NT$100 million (US$3.15 million).
At a news conference on Wednesday last week to announce the program, several youngsters introduced themselves and their families, although they did not give their real names.
Ten-year-old Tung Tung’s (童童) father was a carpenter before developing mmyotrophic lateral sclerosis, which is also known as Lou Gehrig’s disease. His inability to work left the family in poverty, but Tung Tung remains in high spirits, despite the stress of helping to care for his father.
“I try not to think too much and live in the present, and I hope for our family to enjoy every day. I hope dad can recover one day and we can be together forever,” Tung Tung said.
Hsiao Chun (小淳) said she has to get up in early every day to help her parents buy ingredients for their small breakfast shop before going to school. The 11-year-old has six siblings, and her father suffers from severe asthma and heart and kidney diseases.
With an income of about NT$18,000 a month, the family lives in a 20 ping (66.12m2) rented home and is under a great deal of stress, Hsiao Chun’s mother said.
“Our kids are all so helpful. As long as we can live closely together, we are not afraid of any pressure,” she said.
NUMBERS IMBALANCE: More than 4 million Taiwanese have visited China this year, while only about half a million Chinese have visited here Beijing has yet to respond to Taiwan’s requests for negotiation over matters related to the recovery of cross-strait tourism, the Tourism Administration said yesterday. Taiwan’s tourism authority issued the statement after Chinese-language daily the China Times reported yesterday that the government’s policy of banning group tours to China does not stop Taiwanese from visiting the country. As of October, more than 4.2 million had traveled to China this year, exceeding last year. Beijing estimated the number of Taiwanese tourists in China could reach 4.5 million this year. By contrast, only 500,000 Chinese tourists are expected in Taiwan, the report said. The report
Temperatures are forecast to drop steadily as a continental cold air mass moves across Taiwan, with some areas also likely to see heavy rainfall, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said. From today through early tomorrow, a cold air mass would keep temperatures low across central and northern Taiwan, and the eastern half of Taiwan proper, with isolated brief showers forecast along Keelung’s north coast, Taipei and New Taipei City’s mountainous areas and eastern Taiwan, it said. Lows of 11°C to 15°C are forecast in central and northern Taiwan, Yilan County, and the outlying Kinmen and Lienchiang (Matsu) counties, and 14°C to 17°C
SHIPS, TRAINS AND AUTOMOBILES: The ministry has announced changes to varied transportation industries taking effect soon, with a number of effects for passengers Beginning next month, the post office is canceling signature upon delivery and written inquiry services for international registered small packets in accordance with the new policy of the Universal Postal Union, the Ministry of Transportation and Communications said yesterday. The new policy does not apply to packets that are to be delivered to China, the ministry said. Senders of international registered small packets would receive a NT$10 rebate on postage if the packets are sent from Jan. 1 to March 31, it added. The ministry said that three other policies are also scheduled to take effect next month. International cruise ship operators
STEERING FAILURE: The first boat of its class is experiencing teething issues as it readies for acceptance by the navy, according to a recent story about rudder failure The Hai Kun (海鯤), the nation’s first locally built submarine, allegedly suffered a total failure of stern hydraulic systems during the second round of sea acceptance trials on June 26, and sailors were forced to manually operate the X-rudder to turn the submarine and return to port, news Web site Mirror Daily reported yesterday. The report said that tugboats following the Hai Kun assisted the submarine in avoiding collisions with other ships due to the X-rudder malfunctioning. At the time of the report, the submarine had completed its trials and was scheduled to begin diving and surfacing tests in shallow areas. The X-rudder,
RSS