Rusidah Badawi, an Indonesian photographer who was born without forearms, is to be one of the recipients of the 22nd Fervent Global Love of Lives Award at a ceremony in Taichung on Tuesday next week in recognition of her achievements and contributions to society.
The annual ceremony is organized by the Chou Ta-kuan Cultural and Educational Foundation to honor people from around the world nominated for their bravery in facing difficulties, making sacrifices, overcoming limitations or making a contribution to society.
The 51-year-old said that she often tells people: “You need to strive 99 percent on your own to succeed and rely 1 percent on others.”
Photo courtesy of the Chou Ta-Kuan Cultural and Educational Foundation via CNA
Born in 1968 in a remote village in Central Java’s Purworejo District, Badawi did not attend school until she was nearly nine years old.
When graduating from elementary school in 1983, Badawi finished 10th out of 120 students to gain admission to Bayan Purworejo Junior High School.
Transferring to Purworejo National Junior High School in 1984, she had to live at the Purworejo Wiloso Muda Mudi Orphanage for the next five years. She said that she made many friends there.
After high school, she enrolled in a photography course at the vocational school of the Soeharso Surakarta Rehabilitation Center in Solo, because she saw how a friend with only one hand made a living as a freelance photographer.
Hoping to earn some money, in 1991 she enrolled in a one-year photography training course and returned home with a certificate, Badawi said.
Working in Purworejo as a freelance photographer, Badawi used a modified camera with a screw on the shutter button to make it easier for her to operate.
“The screw was on the advice from my teacher at the time so I could stabilize the shot, so the photo would not come out blurry,” Badawi said, adding that she did not use it after switching to a digital camera.
Badawi was frequently invited to take photographs at weddings or other events and gained popularity across Indonesia.
Award founder Chou Chin-hua (周進華) said that Badawi’s photography has set an example for other people with disabilities, motivating them to not give up, but have the courage to learn a skill.
“Because of her work, we have invited her to speak to people in Taiwan who are going through difficult times, such as medical treatment, to motivate them to overcome hurdles,” Chou said.
The award was established by the parents of Chou Ta-kuan (周大觀), who died of cancer in 1997, to commemorate their son’s determination and love for life, while encouraging people to cherish and respect life.
The Ministry of Education (MOE) is to launch a new program to encourage international students to stay in Taiwan and explore job opportunities here after graduation, Deputy Minister of Education Yeh Ping-cheng (葉丙成) said on Friday. The government would provide full scholarships for international students to further their studies for two years in Taiwan, so those who want to pursue a master’s degree can consider applying for the program, he said. The fields included are science, technology, engineering, mathematics, semiconductors and finance, Yeh added. The program, called “Intense 2+2,” would also assist international students who completed the two years of further studies in
Former president Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) departed for Europe on Friday night, with planned stops in Lithuania and Denmark. Tsai arrived at Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport on Friday night, but did not speak to reporters before departing. Tsai wrote on social media later that the purpose of the trip was to reaffirm the commitment of Taiwanese to working with democratic allies to promote regional security and stability, upholding freedom and democracy, and defending their homeland. She also expressed hope that through joint efforts, Taiwan and Europe would continue to be partners building up economic resilience on the global stage. The former president was to first
Former president Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) on Monday called for greater cooperation between Taiwan, Lithuania and the EU to counter threats to information security, including attacks on undersea cables and other critical infrastructure. In a speech at Vilnius University in the Lithuanian capital, Tsai highlighted recent incidents in which vital undersea cables — essential for cross-border data transmission — were severed in the Taiwan Strait and the Baltic Sea over the past year. Taiwanese authorities suspect Chinese sabotage in the incidents near Taiwan’s waters, while EU leaders have said Russia is the likely culprit behind similar breaches in the Baltic. “Taiwan and our European
The Taipei District Court sentenced babysitters Liu Tsai-hsuan (劉彩萱) and Liu Jou-lin (劉若琳) to life and 18 years in prison respectively today for causing the death of a one-year-old boy in December 2023. The Taipei District Prosecutors’ Office said that Liu Tsai-hsuan was entrusted with the care of a one-year-old boy, nicknamed Kai Kai (剴剴), in August 2023 by the Child Welfare League Foundation. From Sept. 1 to Dec. 23 that year, she and her sister Liu Jou-lin allegedly committed acts of abuse against the boy, who was rushed to the hospital with severe injuries on Dec. 24, 2023, but did not