World Vision hails Taiwan's big heart

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/

1|2

SharePrintEmail

Write a Comment

Terms

Enter your comments - 3000 characters max

Type in image code

Submit

 Receive China Post promos
 Respond to this email