Philanthropist vegetable vendor Chen Shu-chu (陳樹菊) yesterday donated NT$15 million (US$537,095) to the Taitung County Government to set up a fund to provide financial assistance to pregnant women to help them give birth safely.
The fund would help pregnant women who cannot afford hospital care get access to antenatal examinations and offer assistance to children who lost their mothers during childbirth until the age of 12, the Taitung government said.
Taitung Department of Social Welfare Director Chen Shu-lan (陳淑蘭) said that Chen Shu-chu, who retired in early 2018, has donated a life insurance policy worth NT$15 million to set up the fund.
Photo: Huang Ming-tang, Taipei Times
Chen Shu-chu, who is in her 70s and had sold vegetables from her family’s market stall for more than half a century, wanted the funds to be used to commemorate her mother, who died during childbirth when Chen Shu-chu was in elementary school, Chen Shu-lan said.
Her family was poor at the time and could not afford hospital care for her mother, Chen Shu-lan said.
The county government expressed gratitude for the donation, saying that the fund would help lower risks women face during childbirth and enhance their welfare.
The fund would also provide scholarships to children who lose their mothers during childbirth, it said.
At the donation ceremony, Chen Shu-chu said that she had saved income from her family’s vegetable stall for more than five decades before retiring, so it was “natural” that she would do something to help her community in return.
“For me, the best way to live my life is to complete what I want to do,” she said. “As I am grateful to my mother for giving birth to me, but regret that she lost her life while in labor, I just want to help pregnant women who need financial support to make sure they are safe while giving birth.”
Chen Shu-chu has become famous for her philanthropy over the past few years.
In 2018, she donated two life insurance policies worth a total of NT$16 million to Taitung MacKay Memorial Hospital and Taitung Christian Hospital to set up two cancer treatment funds for the benefit of people in need.
When she retired, Chen Shu-chu said that she had a home and some savings, which would be enough for her to support herself for the rest of her life.
She is determined to continue providing as much help as she can to others, she said at the time.
In 2012, Chen Shu-chu was named one of six winners of the Ramon Magsaysay Award for helping poor people.
She donated the US$50,000 cash prize to Taitung Mackay Memorial Hospital.
In 2010, she was included in Time magazine’s list of the 100 most influential people for contributing more than NT$10 million to charitable causes, including a donation to build a library at Taitung’s Ren-Ai Elementary School, her alma mater, and another donation to sponsor poor children.
In the same year, she was also named one of 48 heroes of philanthropy by Forbes Asia.
‘UNFRIENDLY’: Changing the nationality listing of Taiwanese residents to ‘China’ goes against EU foreign policy as well as democratic and human rights principles, MOFA said Taiwan yesterday called on Denmark to correct its designation of the nationality of Taiwanese residents as “China” or face retaliatory measures. The Danish government in 2024 changed the nationality of Taiwanese citizens on their residence permits from “Taiwan” to “China.” The decision goes against EU foreign policy and contravenes democratic and human rights principles, Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) spokesman Hsiao Kuang-wei (蕭光偉) said. Denmark should present a solution acceptable to Taiwan as soon as possible and correct the erroneous designation to preserve the longstanding friendship between the two nations, Hsiao said. The issue could damage Denmark’s image and business reputation in Taiwan,
KEY INDUSTRY: The vice premier discussed a plan to create a non-red drone supply chain by next year, which has been allocated a budget of more than NT$7.2 billion The government has budgeted NT$44.2 billion (US$1.38 billion) to cultivate Taiwan’s uncrewed aerial vehicle (UAV) industry over the next five years, which would make the nation a major player in the industry’s democratic supply chain in the Asia-Pacific region, Premier Cho Jung-tai (卓榮泰) said yesterday. Cho made the remarks during a visit to the facilities of Cub Elecparts Inc (為升電裝). Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) Legislator Chen Su-yueh (陳素月) and Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Legislator Hsieh Yi-fong (謝依鳳) also participated in the trip. Cub Elecparts has transitioned from the automotive industry to the defense industry, which is the top priority among the nation’s
SUFFICIENT: The president said Taiwan has enough oil for next month, with reserves covering more than 100 days and natural gas enough for 12 to 14 days A restart plan for the Guosheng Nuclear Power Plant in New Taipei City’s Wanli District (萬里) and the Ma-anshan Nuclear Power Plant in Pingtung County’s Hengchun Township (恆春) would be submitted to the Nuclear Safety Commission by the end of the month, President William Lai (賴清德) said yesterday, reversing the government’s policy to abolish nuclear energy. On May 17 last year, Taiwan shut down its last nuclear reactor and became the first non-nuclear nation in East Asia, fulfilling the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) government’s pledge of a “nuclear-free homeland.” Even without nuclear power, Taiwan can maintain a stable electricity supply until 2032,
DEROGATORY: WTO host Cameroon’s designation of Taiwan as a ‘province of China’ seriously undermines the nation’s status and rights as a WTO member, MOFA said The Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) yesterday condemned Cameroon for listing Taiwan as “Taiwan, Province of China” in visa documents for an upcoming WTO ministerial conference, a move that led to Taiwan’s withdrawal from the event. The designation “seriously undermined” Taiwan’s status and rights as a WTO member, the ministry said in a statement. It is the first time since 2001 that Taiwan has declined to attend a WTO Ministerial Conference. The conference is scheduled to take place from Thursday to Sunday next week in Yaounde, the capital of Cameroon. Taiwan had planned to send a delegation led by Minister Without Portfolio
RSS