College students volunteer to train Burmese refugees

Published on Taipei Times
By Jenny W. Hsu
STAFF REPORTER
Sunday, Oct 14, 2007, Page 2

Thailand is a popular backpacker destination, but for a group of Taiwanese university students, the southeastern Asian country is more than just a tourist spot. It's a place they go to utilize their talents and contribute something to the world.
"Before becoming a volunteer, the only kind of lifestyle I knew was taking tests, attending a good college, getting a decent job, and making a living," said college student Hsu Ming-chang (許明章).

"But now I realize there are many different ways to live your life," Hsu said as he shared his experience of spending one month volunteering near the Thai-Myanmar border this summer.

Hsu is one of the seven students from Youth E-Service, a non-profit organization that focuses on providing computer and information technology services to people in developing countries. The group also promotes international volunteer work among Taiwanese youth by organizing volunteer trips abroad. Since 2000, over 50 students have traveled to Thailand to participate in the project.

This year the group went to Mae Sot, a busy town in the northwest of Thailand bordering Myanmar. Because of its close proximity, the town has become a haven for thousands of Burmese refugees to escape from their oppressive military government.

The YES volunteers hope to bring the refugees out of poverty by teaching them basic computer skills and providing educational training for teachers.

Lin Yi-ming (林明益) and his fellow volunteers taught the locals how to set up a blog so they could better communicate with the rest of the world.

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培訓緬甸難民的大學生志工
本文譯自2007年10月14日 Taipei Times, Page 2
Wesley 譯

泰國是個廣受背包客歡迎的ㄧ戰,但對ㄧ群台灣的大學生來說,這個東南亞國家可不只是個觀光景點。他們在那裡運用自身才智來為世界貢獻一份心力。

大學生許明章說:「在成為志工前,我唯一知道的生活型態就是考試、上好大學、和找份適當的工作來過活。」

「但我現在認知到生命還有很多不同的活法」許同學分享他今年夏天於泰緬邊境擔任為期一個月的志工的經驗時,表達了上述看法。

許同學是台灣青年數位服務協會七位學生中的ㄧ位,此協會定位為提供電腦及資訊科技服務給發展中國家人民的非營利組織。這個團體也藉由替台灣年輕人組織海外志工行程來推廣國際志願服務工作。自2000年起,已有超過50名學生因參與這計畫而前往泰國。

今年這個團體前去美索,一個位於泰國西北接壤緬甸的繁忙市鎮。因為它接鄰的地理條件,這個鎮已成為緬甸數以千計逃離軍政府壓迫的難民的避風港。

台灣青年數位服務協會期望經由教導難民基本電腦技能與提供老師教育培訓來將他們帶離貧窮。

林明益與他的志工夥伴還教當地人如何架設部落格,如此他們便能更方便地與世界其他角落溝通聯繫。