Novatek volunteers accompany visually impaired students on a one-day study tour of Miaoli’s Dahu - Experiencing chocolate making and learning Hakka paper-making
Volunteer Service
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The last volunteer activity in 2022 happened to be held right before Christmas. In Taiwan, when it comes to Christmas, we often think of chocolates and Christmas cards. Novatek volunteers accompanied visually impaired students on a field trip to make their own chocolate candy houses and Christmas cards on a day filled with festive spirit. Chocolate is a symbol of Christmas happiness and blessings. We visited “Schokolake,” - a chocolate paradise - to experience the fun of making chocolate; we got to prepare a special 65% cacao dark chocolate during the event. When the students got their hot chocolate, they could immediately smell the strong aroma and couldn’t help but sneak a bite, exclaiming “Wow, the warm chocolate tastes so good!” and other gleeful accolades. With the assistance of the Novatek volunteers, they stirred the hot chocolate until it became smooth and was carefully poured into aluminum paper molds. The chocolate models were then decorated with colorful candies. Everyone’s chocolate house was cute and eye-catching. The remaining hot chocolate made it difficult for the students to resist the sweet taste. One student said excitedly, “I’m so happy, today we get to enjoy unlimited chocolate!” After learning all sorts of trivia that aren’t taught in school, such as the different types of chocolate, the production methods, tools used, and the value of cocoa, the students realized that even though chocolate is just a small treat, there is so much more to learn about it!
In the afternoon, the students got to experience hands-on paper making. They could then take home their handmade paper and turn them into a Christmas cards. The paper-making activity allowed the students to realize that even though paper isn’t particularly precious in everyday life, making it involves several steps that demand a lot of time and patience. The handcrafting teacher prepared a wide variety of plant pulp and modeling paper samples. With the help of Novatek volunteers, the students gave full play to their creativity by making their own unique paper cardstock. Among them, the youngest student was on a roll and made six paper cards non-stop under the guidance of one volunteer! Some students completed their paper making and went on to the next challenge of making a round paper fan. After their unique works were dried in the oven, the students were so attached to their unique handmade paper!
Prior to Christmas, these students got to taste chocolate, which brings people happiness, and experienced the making of the heart-warming handmade paper. The one-day tour accompanied by Novatek volunteers gave these students great memories. On a cold winter day without snowflakes, we got to spend a warm and happy Christmas holiday together.
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