ESG News

Volunteer / Chen, Pin-Rong

This was my first time participating in a foundation volunteer activity. We visited Xinpu Township for a walking tour and a potting experience with cacti and succulents (Fuhsiang cactus workshop). Although I have lived in Hsinchu for many years, I have had few opportunities to truly get to know neighboring towns. I am very grateful to the foundation for thoughtfully organizing this event. By accompanying the children, I also learned about local Xinpu culture — from making cactus planters to tasting Hakka ingredients. It was my first time trying Xinpu “shuiyan chang” (a local sausage specialty), and I learned about the life cycle of xiancao (mesona/grass jelly). It was a day that satisfied all five senses.

The child assigned to me had a relatively mild visual impairment. At first meeting, there was a bit of distance between us, but later she began to take my hand and share her discoveries with me — pointing out things I hadn’t noticed. Energetic as she was, she sometimes led me around, so I had to be extra vigilant in advance for steps or uneven ground to prevent her from accidentally rushing ahead. Having visually impaired relatives at home myself, I understand that stepping out of familiar surroundings requires overcoming more challenges, and that unfamiliar environments can cause greater anxiety compared with sighted people. Seeing these children retain their curiosity despite visual impairments and experiencing the world through other senses — expressing their feelings in such a pure way — made the world feel simpler and more endearing. I hope to maintain that childlike heart, attentively appreciating the small beauties in everyday life. I am also very thankful to the foundation for providing this opportunity and the instructional videos, which will help me better assist visually impaired family members at home.