I.     Rationale

Foreign brides are now being considered as the growing minority in Taiwan. In central Taiwan alone, from Changhua up to Nantou, the number is growing everyday and these brides create a minority which the Taiwan civil society can not ignore. This is the result of the need migrate for economic reasons as well as the need to interconnect global communities. However, the problem of cultural difference is is very tangible which the foreign brides, local husbands and local communities felt. Most of these inter-cultural, inter-faith, and inter-national marriages developed a ghetto in a society when both parties are not intertwined in their cultural understanding and adaptation especially when the marriages are not founded in real love between husband and wife.

Research taught us that most of the low level international marriages in Taiwan are usually marriage by convenience to both parties. Taiwan males, mostly the less educated and living in the countryside, look for foreign women for marriage to satisfy the need to have children who will carry on the local cultural traditions, while the foreign women adhere to match matching marriages for economic reasons to support their immediate families back home. These are the facts that Taiwan civil society must be aware of before it is too late to act to help these people especially their children who will be the victims of cultural confusions.

The Catholic migrant’s Chaplaincy in Changhua has launched a pro-active program to support these families especially the children who will be the future of Taiwan society. On account of the foreign bride problem as well as the education and cultural integration of their children, the Rotary Club of Taipei Swanshie in District 3520 plans to establish an education center as its humanitarian project for the lower community.

II.    Project Title: DALUYAN Education Center Project

“DALUYAN” is a Filipino word for “channel”. We choose this word because most of the foreign brides this project is trying to help are from the Philippines. This project will also serve as a channel of education/knowledge, a channel of sharing, a channel of deeper family interactions, and a channel of unity among itinerant peoples.

III.   Project Budget: US$ 23,000.-

IV. Primary Host Partner: Rotary Club of Taipei Swanshie, District 3520

V.    Cooperating Partners:

(Taiwan) Rotary Club of Taipei Chientan, District 3520

(Taiwan) Rotary Club of Taipei Yuanshan, District 3520

(International) Rotary Club of Daito, Osaka, Japan

VI.   Project Financing:

Host Rotary clubs or district inside the project country

(The primary host club or district must provide at feast US$100)

Cash (US$)

DDF (US$)

DRFC Chair

(Print Name)

DRFC Chair

Authorization

台北雙溪扶輪社Rotary Club of Taipei Swanshie

1,000

台北圓山扶輪社Rotary Club of Taipei Yuanshan

1,000

台北劍潭扶輪社Rotary Club of Taipei Chientan

1,000

3520地區 D3520

4,000

International Rotary Clubs of district outside the project country

Cash (US$)

DDF (US$)

DRFC Chair

(Print Name)

DRFC Chair

Authorization

日本大阪大東社Rotary Club of Daito

7,000

Subtotals, Cash and DDF

14,000

TOTAL Cosponsor contributions

Total funds requested from TRF

(must be at least US$5,000)

9,000

Additional outside funding

(not matched by, or forwarded to , TRF)

Total project financing

(must equal budget on page 4)

23,000

VII.   Project Planning & Budget Itemization:

Programs:

i. Computer Literacy Program: This program is designed to help the foreign brides develop computer skills. The focus is to educate foreign brides about communications and information technology where they will become open to the reality of modern technology. Training them about computer is a way to help them guide their children properly in cyber world. Computer training will also give them opportunities.

– Most of the children of these foreign brides are in their childhood stage. They need proper guidance as early at this time before they get on their adolescence stage where it is difficult to tend them anymore. Computer training for these kids is a must for them to know the proper usage of these machines, especially that there are lots of things in the cyberspace that will eventually destroy their young dangerous minds if not properly guided.

– This Computer Literacy Program is called “DALUYAN”, a Filipino word for “channel”. This program is also intended to be a channel of education/knowledge, a channel of sharing, a channel of deeper family interactions, and a channel of unity among itinerant peoples.

ii. Cultural and Family Values Education:

– Language Learning: Hire Chinese teachers to teach them the local and national languages.

– Social Involvement/Exposures: Contact the local social welfare office and local church’s activities.

– Values and faith formations through church activities.

iii.  Children’s Activities: Open children’s English classes and learning camps, through which to enhance the integration of these foreign brides’ children with children of the same age from Taiwanese communities.

iv.  Transportation for Education Purposes: Since most of these foreign-bride-families live in remote rural areas, it is necessary to provide transportation for the brides and their children to go to and fro the education center in order to achieve maximum use of the center. In this project the transportation is provided by a van sporting Rotary Club logos.

Budget Items:

教學用運輸小巴士A van for transportation

NT$ 450,000

購置資訊圖書及教學用書籍、桌椅設備Purchase of info technology boos, text books, desks and chairs

NT$ 100,000

Language class – English

NT$ 60,000/year

Language class – Chinese

NT$ 60,000/year

兒童生活體驗營教學活動費Expenses for camp activities

NT$ 60,000/year

共計TOTAL

NT$ 730,000≒US$ 23,000