wfn.org | Aboriginal Campus Minister in Taipei Calls for Help

[Taiwan Church News <pctpress@ms1.hinet.net>]

Taiwan Church News 2670, May 4, 2003
Reported by Li Yi-shin. Translated and rewritten by David
Alexander

   Campus mission centers affiliated with the Presbyterian Church
in Taiwan are located in many major university neighborhoods
nationwide.  Three centers devoted to work with Aboriginal
students are found in Taipei, Taichung and Hualien.  Recently
these centers released a publication containing reports and
testimonies from student workers and those to whom they minister.

   Ms. Humhum, (Hwang Wu-huei), who directs the Taipei center,
said that common threads run through the needs of Aboriginal
students from all sorts of pre-college environments. "No matter
if they are already urbanized or have freshly arrived from the
villages, they all struggle. Village students find differences
between their behavior and that of their classmates. Their
language expression is deficient, and they find it difficult to
join in activities where they are the only Aborigines.	For those
who have lived on the plains all their lives, though in thought
and language they have fewer problems, nonetheless they face
racial discrimination from people of the majority Han ethnic
group. There is an identity crisis among these urban Aboriginal
students."
   The Taipei center has a hostel, a Christian fellowship group
and many interest groups.  The staff look out for the needs of
the students and pay attention to their emotional needs, giving
encouragement where needed. They help students to experience the
love of a Christian community.	Humhum feels that the roots of
Christian faith in many of her charges are not very deep, so she
works for their transformation hoping that they will not depart
from participation in a life and community of faith.
   "Aboriginal campus ministry," she says, "must deal with the
concrete situations and problems of the students, then we can
move to a level of faith".  She helps them deal with issues of
identity, values and personal needs as they focus on their
futures. All is done in the context of helping students know the
importance of faith for a balanced life.
   "What this ministry needs is people of vision to come
alongside us in support." She says that Aboriginal student work
is often "short term", and adds, "There are so many students with
needs, but there are few who volunteer to help out."  The staff
in Taipei has two people, one of whom is from Switzerland.  But
there are 3,000 Aboriginal students enrolled in Taipei schools.
   Facilities, finances and staff, three needs of ministry that
never seem to be adequate, are lacking among the Aboriginal
Campus ministries structure in Taipei as well.	In this
unsurprising situation, Humhum's prayer is. "Lord have mercy."

For more information: Humhum@ms48.hinet.net

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