Community Voice

Mothers need to be accompanied more by social worker Peng Yiting 
Xiaochun (pseudonym) is a young mother. When I first met her, she was a little unfamiliar with parenting, but with the company of the parenting instructor, Xiaochun's parenting knowledge is slowly increasing. However, in this process, the most difficult thing is to provide emotional support and companionship for Xiaochun. In fact, the Atayal tribe is relatively traditional. To this day, most women in the tribe still bear a lot of care responsibilities, which inevitably accumulates a lot of pressure and worries. I don’t know how to relieve it. I hope that in the new year, I can slowly lead the women in the tribe to find ways to relieve pressure. After all, only when the mother is good can the child be good.

Subsequently, Zhi-Shan has been actively involved in promoting educational empowerment in schools and communities across Jianshi, extending our services to Yilan, Kaohsiung, Pingtung, and other indigenous areas. We launched the "Growing Up with You" program, focusing on accompanying and caring for indigenous children aged 0-18.

Community Voice 

Growth and Learning in Life, accompanied by Social Worker Huang Junyu 
“One day I took Da Song (a junior high-school student) to the hospital for a physical examination. I was reminded that Da Song might be very emotional. because of bad experience last time。 Unexpectedly, when we arrived at the hospital, Da Song took my hand and went to the registration desk with familiarity, and introduced the process and location to me, which made me feel much more at ease. When we arrived at the ultrasound room, we suddenly found that the ultrasound time and the consultation time were very close. We were afraid of time-conflict, so we discussed and decided to explain the situation to the nurse in the ultrasound room first. Da Song and I also rehearsed for a long time how to explain to the nurse what problems we encountered and what to do better. Seeing Da Song frowning and repeating his lines, he finally plucked up the courage to walk towards the nurse and ask questions. At this moment, he broke through his inner demons and took a big step forward. After the questioning, he looked relaxed and smiled.”

In the process of accompanying children, Zhi-Shan observed the challenges of employment and unstable development in indigenous communities, leading young people to leave their hometowns in search of livelihoods. This situation resulted in a lack of family and community care for indigenous children. Therefore, since 2005, Zhi-Shan has been running the "Nurturing Our Dreams" program, supporting indigenous youth who aspire to return to their hometowns or stay in their communities, engaging in local economic activities and building social support systems.

Story sharing

Creating a cultural forest classroom Youdian Weaving Studio by Gu Yuxian
 Youdian Weaving Studio is a warm and lovely shop. In the early days of operation, we launched various handmade DIY teaching courses for visiting companies, groups or individual tourists, from the introduction of Atayal culture to leading everyone to make a warm weaving work, which was well received. While learning to receive guests, our team members also simultaneously learned various marketing skills - including posting and editing on social platforms, group purchase orders and production and delivery processes, etc., and craftsmen are constantly improving their skills through classes and teaching. In addition to learning mouth harp making in Taichung, they also opened Atayal traditional ground weaving classes at Hsinchu County Tribal University, and opened bow weaving, simple weaving and other courses at Youdian Weaving. Each member of the team has his or her own responsibilities, and the goal is to promote the Atayal weaving industry in various forms.
In recent years, as the lifestyle of indigenous peoples has changed, many have moved to urban areas in pursuit of better job and educational opportunities. However, they face significant economic pressures and cultural differences. In response, Zhi-Shan initiated the "Urban Indigenous Care and Development" project, providing employment services, family support, community empowerment, and adult education for indigenous people living in the Greater Taipei area.

Story Sharing 

Xiaofang spreads her wings.                     Tian Shuwei 
Through the introduction of the indigenous employment service, Xiaofang joined the Women's Empowerment Program of Happy Cleaner and received training and counseling. Xiaofang knows how to cherish learning opportunities and actively asks senior predecessors for advice and exchanges. In just half a year, she has accumulated a wealth of practical experience. She has shown a positive and enterprising attitude and demonstrated outstanding professionalism in teamwork. Xiaofang shared her transformation. She said: "After joining Happy Cleaner, I not only have a stable monthly income, but more importantly, I have contact with the outside world. In the process of serving customers, I learned how to interact with people and how to deal with advances and retreats. Now, there are fewer conflicts between my husband and me. I have learned to be more patient in listening to each other's expressions." Xiaofang's transformation has also affected her husband. He is now doing plumbing and electrical work, and Xiaofang is also responsible for the cleaning work after his completion. The couple works hand in hand to support the family.

To date, Zhi-Shan has accompanied over 1,800 indigenous children in Taiwan annually, empowering more than 300 youths, women, and teachers. Our goal is to weave a social safety net for indigenous children and create a path for them to return to their communities or pursue employment opportunities in adulthood.