Similar to Taiwan College graduates with their fortune lined up in the science parks, Hirsch first joined the World Vision as a manager of computer operations.

“I came to World Vision to fix a computer problem,” Hirsch told The China Post in his recent visit to Taiwan, “but I did it for only one year because I got so interested in the children and Africa that my wife and I moved to Africa. We lived and worked there for five years.”

Thirty-three years later, today Hirsch is the Global Ambassador of the international relief organization after he retreated from his position as the group's CEO. Such dedication and generosity to the good course is another similarity between the man and the island.

“There are about 100 World Visions in the world and World Vision Taiwan is very important,” he said. “In terms of the total partnership, World Vision Taiwan is amongst the top seven members of World Vision. It is famous in the partnership for (raising the awareness of) famine. World Vision Taiwan and Hong Kong are probably the best organizations we have that engage with young people.”

According to Hirsch, World Vision Taiwan has done outstanding work not only with the aboriginals locally but also in Africa and the recent relief work in Haiti. “(The Taiwan organization) is very good in the underdevelopment program and long term development. It is also excellent in terms of relief for emergency disasters,” he explained.

Taiwan is in good position to deliver help. “First of all, Taiwan is one of the richest countries in the world,” Hirsch noted. “The people and the government in Taiwan also want to be global citizens. Your present government gives money to help the people in Haiti. The other is that the people in Taiwan love children.”

“I say the people in Taiwan have big hearts,” he remarked. “There are many children who are alive today, in Africa particularly, because of the people of Taiwan. There are children who have food, who have water, who are going to school for the first time because of the generosity of the people in Taiwan.”

Hirsch commended Taiwan's government for its support to the NGOs (non-governmental organizations). “The government in Taiwan has been very kind to World Vision and has been very helpful,” he explained. “We have an excellent relationship with Taiwan's government. I've met with the president and the foreign minister of Taiwan. They share their concern about the rest of the world.”

World Vision Taiwan also especially excels in its cooperation with local businesses, Hirsch said; so much so that he would like to learn from the Taiwan group how to communicate with the corporate world.

The Formosan generosity and the success of World Vision Taiwan touch Hirsch personally because it is he who helped start the Taiwan organization. When he first came to the island in 1982, Taiwan had little participation in international relief. “Back in those days (Taiwanese) people were saying they were poor. I looked and said: 'Taiwan is not poor.' There are so many resources in this country. So we had a deliberate effort to make a difference and help people in Taiwan become global citizens,” he recalled.

“I think that is one of the successes I put down. I am so proud of the people in World Vision Taiwan,” he said.

Now Hirsch is pushing through the next stage of his mission and calls on corporations in Taiwan to share their social responsibilities. On March 4, he spoke to business leaders in Taiwan including executives from Microsoft, HSBC and Corning on the issue. “Today we have a global economic crisis, global food crisis, climate change, and governance issues in many countries. However, we also have a global corporate imperative through which the world is overcoming all these challenges,” he said in the speech.

After three luminous decades in World Vision, Hirsch is still working toward his goals of cutting down the child mortality rate due to poverty (from 28,000 every day to 10,000), and the education of female children. “I believe every child is entitled to have food every day. I believe every child is entitled to have clear water. I believe every child should have an opportunity to go to school. Every child has the right to be a child,” he said.

For more information on World Vision Taiwan's “Be Friends with Children of the World” and child sponsorship programs please visit: http://www.worldvision.org.tw/