Cultural Fair
This cultural fair showcased the diverse cultures that came together in Chiayi. As this year’s theme “SKY”suggests, under the blue sky in southern Taiwan, local residents, international works, and new immigrants were able to show their cultural identities, appreciate each others’unique cultural artifacts, and form meaningful connections.
Multicultural Carnival
The Cambodian dance group consists Cambodian immigrants in the neighboring areas. This beautiful dance performance amazed all participating faculty, staff, and students with its vibrant energy and charm.
Documentary festival
The film festival featured a series of documentary on various social issues faced by immigrants and workers from the South eastern Asian countries. In addition to movie shows, participants also joined seminars with directors to gain a deeper understanding of the documentaries.
Let’s walk on, Walk-a-thon!
In order to improve understanding of healthy lifestyle, the project often organized various physical activities. International workers often lack the opportunity to build connections with the local communities. Furthermore, many have high-stress level jobs. Being away from home countries and the inevitable cultural shocks definitely add much stress to international workers. Proper exercises and physical activities are crucial in stress-relief. Therefore, activities such as Walk-a-thon not only encourage international workers to participate in community activities, local residents also have a chance to interact with our valued international workers. It’s through such interaction in such relaxed environments, mutual understanding can begin to take place.
Enhancement of physical health and self-defense ability
A series of activities designed to promote the physical health of new immigrants and their family members, especially young children. For example, water sports such as canoeing and inflatable boating in the university indoor pools were highly popular. Various sports activities, such as basketball, golfing, and Judo was among some of the fun activities held over the past year.
Moreover, as Chiayi has a high percentage of elder residents, self-care, and the ability to assist families elderly is critical. Courses and workshops such as yoga, self-defense techniques are some of the popular ones.
In Chiayi With Good Health
A series of fun and educational health promotion activities were implemented in local communities in order to provide correct health-related information. For instance, stress-relief, aromatic therapy, dementia prevention, strength training for the elderly, diverse food cultures are just some of the most welcomed activities. Due to the Covid19 pandemic, it’s critical that international workers, immigrants, and elderly residents have access to correct information regarding disease prevention. Therefore, health promotion seminars in local communities play an important role in keeping our community safe and healthy.
The therapeutic power of art
The program actively trains not only our university students but also local health care staff and equipped them with the skills to lead art-related activities. In addition, a number of activities that utilized the therapeutic power of art gain great popularity in local communities.
New roots in new homes
A series of interviews conducted with new immigrants in small Liuquio revealed their incredible strength and potential as the new residents in Taiwan. Most female immigrants have to take on the primary care-taker roles as their husbands often take on fishing jobs that take them away from home for months and even years. Not only do they care for the elderly and the young, but they also contribute greatly to the local tourism industry as they often work in local hotels, bakeries, and eateries. Over and over again, the stories of the new immigrants show the admirable strength, perseverance, and optimism of the new residents in our country.