Taiwan Church News 3009 Edition October 26~November 1, 2009
Reported by Chen Yi-hsuan and Chiou Kuo-rong. Written by Lydia Ma

Though it has been nearly three months since Typhoon Morakot wrecked havoc in southern Taiwan and took away hundreds of lives and homes, leaders at Chang Jung Christian University are determined to find ways to help their own students whose homes were destroyed so that students have all the help they need to get through this crisis and continue their studies.

To help students continue their studies without interruptions due to financial concerns, staff and students at Chang Jung began a series of fundraising events recently. News about their efforts reached researchers and professors living abroad, who volunteered to donate money as well. University students also began donating their monthly allowances on a regular basis to help their peers.

The university has created an emergency financial aid package for students who are typhoon victims, allowing each student to apply up to NT$60,000. Furthermore, students holding a special letter issued by city government offices identifying them as typhoon victims can also obtain help from campus counselors who will arrange on-campus jobs for students to help them cover their living expenses.

University officials say fundraising events for Morakot victims will continue for some time because the road to recovery and reconstruction will be a long and arduous journey. They hope to comfort and support students during this critical time and help them finish their four years of undergraduate studies.

Similarly, an association of painters in Taipei announced that about 50 of its members had agreed to donate a total of 40 paintings to help typhoon victims. The association organized an exhibit from October 18~29 and also partnered with World Vision by making some of these paintings available for purchase online at World Vision's website. All proceeds from the exhibit and online purchases will go toward post-Morakot rebuilding efforts.

The exhibit was held at Taipei Cultural Center and 17 of the paintings on display were available for purchase to raise funds for victims of Typhoon Morakot. According to World Vision, the funds will go toward temporary housing, permanent housing, and education expenses for the children.

In related news, a forum discussing the historical background of Hsiaolin Village, a village in Kaohsiung County completely wiped out by mudslides during Typhoon Morakot, was held on October 22 at Taiwan Normal University. Hsiaolin residents are mostly Aborigines.

According to one scholar, Hsiaolin residents are Siraya Aborigines from the Tavorangh tribe. This tribe was also the first Aborigine tribe to relocate from their ancestral lands when Han Chinese people occupied their lands and forced them out. Tavorangh people originated from Tainan County's Yujing Township and later relocated and settled permanently near Nantzu in Kaohsiung City after being forced out of Yujing. Their new town was later named Hsiaolin.

However, Tavorangh Aborigines are now the weakest of all marginalized people because the typhoon has virtually decimated the entire tribe. Taiwanese people must reach out with compassion to those who remain from Hsiaolin village by first understanding Tavorangh's culture and history. A seminar on restoring Tavorangh culture was held on October 31 and the event was open to the public.