A factory cleaner from Greater Taichung who has donated more than US$130,000 to charities was recently selected by the US magazine Forbes as one of its 48 Asian heroes of philanthropy.
Chao Wen-cheng (趙文正), 68, has donated about NT$4 million (US$133,600) over the past 30 years to orphanages in his hometown of Greater Taichung, as well as to the Taiwan Fund for Children and Families, World Vision Taiwan and the Tzu Chi Foundation.
In April, he sponsored a firefighting vehicle, which cost more than NT$600,000, for Greater Taichung’s Fire Bureau.
Photo: Yu Po-lin, Taipei Times
Having known the difficulties of being poor growing up in a low-income family, Chao, at 35, began donating about three-quarters of his modest salary, which is less than NT$20,000 a month, to charity after reading a story about a poor child in a newspaper.
As a father of five children, Chao also collects cans and bottles in the evenings to support his family.
“Once a young man teased me and said I look like a dog while I was finding recyclables in a garbage bin,” he said, adding: “I was almost in tears, but I ignored him as I knew I had to do it to make a living and provide a good education for my children.”
Although his children are now all grown up, Chao has no plans to stop doing what he does.
“I will never retire from my job, or from making donations to help people in need,” Chao said.
Living in an old house with no decorations and walls with faded paint in Wurih (烏日), Chao said he prefers not to spend money on himself, but to help others instead, adding that it pains him to see people suffer from poverty.
“I don’t make much money from collecting recyclables, but I saved every penny I earned and gathered them little by little,” he said.
Chao’s wife, Chao Hsieh Mei-yu (趙謝美玉), 64, supports his efforts.
“We don’t need a lot of money. My oldest child is 40 and one of them is a teacher,” Chao Hsieh said. “As long as my husband is happy, we can live a simple life and save more money to give to others.”
Taichung Mayor Jason Hu (胡志強), who wrote to the magazine to recommend Chao, said Chao was the pride of Greater Taichung and that his nomination has helped the world know the kindness of Taiwanese.
The other Taiwanese listed are all businessmen: Evergreen Group (長榮集團) founder Chang Yung-fa (張榮發), 84; Wowprime Corp (王品集團) chairman Steve Day (戴勝益), 58; and 84-year-old Chi Mei Group (奇美集團) founder Hsu Wen-long (許文龍).
ANTI-SHIP CONFIGURATION: The Tuo Chiang-class vessels are to be built for NT$9.7 billion by Lung Teh, a shipyard that previously built four similar corvettes for the navy The Ministry of National Defense on Wednesday awarded Lung Teh Shipbuilding (龍德造船) a NT$9.7 billion Co (US$317.57 million) contract to build five Tuo Chiang-class corvettes with anti-ship capabilities, a defense official familiar with the matter said yesterday. The corvettes would carry vertical launchers for four Hsiung Feng II (HF-2) missiles, as well as eight Hsiung Feng III (HF-3) anti-ship missiles, in contrast to ships configured for anti-air warfare, which carry eight HF-2 and four HF-3 missiles, the official said, speaking on condition of anonymity. The anti-ship corvettes would be armed for improved standoff range against surface combatants and carry the latest
‘COINCIDENCE’: The former president should keep in mind local and global response to his actions and abide by the law to safeguard national interests, the MAC said The Presidential Office yesterday confirmed that it has received an application from former president Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九) to visit China next week and would be discussing his security detail. “As the travel restrictions on former president Ma have expired, we respect his plan to pay respect to his ancestors in China,” Presidential Office spokeswoman Lin Yu-chan (林聿禪) said. “We will review his travel plan and consult concerned agencies to assist him in arranging his security detail.” “We also hope that Ma, as a former commander in chief of Taiwan, acts in a manner that aligns with national interests and does not hurt
‘DIRE’: Taiwan would not engage in ‘dollar diplomacy,’ the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said, after China reportedly offered Honduras up to US$3 billion to establish relations The government yesterday recalled its ambassador to Honduras after the Central American nation sent its foreign minister to China, signaling that it would sever diplomatic ties with Taiwan. Suspicions concerning ties with Honduras are rife after Honduran President Xiomara Castro on Tuesday last week wrote on Twitter that her country would pursue diplomatic ties with China. Honduran Minister of Foreign Affairs Eduardo Enrique Reina traveled to China on Wednesday “to promote efforts for the establishment of diplomatic relations” on instructions from Castro, Reuters yesterday quoted Honduran presidential spokesman Ivis Alvarado as saying. The government “has decided to immediately recall the ambassador to Honduras
‘NOTHING NEW’: China should not use Tsai Ing-wen’s transits through the US as a pretext to step up aggressive activity in the Taiwan Strait, a Washington official said President Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) is to stop over in the US on her way to and from Central America next week, but her administration would not confirm a meeting with US House of Representatives Speaker Kevin McCarthy. Tsai’s delegation is to leave Taipei on Wednesday next week and stop over in New York City, Presidential Office spokeswoman Lin Yu-chan (林聿禪) told a news conference yesterday. Tsai is then to head to Guatemala on Saturday next week for talks with Guatemalan President Alejandro Giammattei and to meet with Taiwanese expatriates, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said. On April 3, Tsai is scheduled to travel
RSS