My Final Reflections:
As I reflect on the past 6 weeks of my LiA project, I am met with immense gratitude and appreciation for everyone who opened their world to me. Living and working in Taipei, Taiwan, had always been a dream of mine, and through this LiA, it became a reality.
I owe much of my experience working with the Garden of Hope Foundation and the lovely workers of the International Affairs Department through the Laidlaw Network, actually. In the early stages of my LiA planning, I encountered many dead ends while working with nonprofits in Taiwan. I stumbled across another past Scholar’s post about the Garden of Hope Foundation, and the rest was history. Through my work with GOH, I have developed meaningful connections with my co-workers and peers that I cherish. It was during this internship that I worked with another Laidlaw Scholar from another university, whom I met at the Laidlaw Conference at Leeds University last year. The chance that we met again in a different country, at the same organization, and at the same time was too good to be true. She became a fast friend with whom I shared many laughs throughout this internship and is someone whom I will miss greatly.
Before my internship began, I wanted to learn about the history of fighting gender-based violence in Taiwan. My research has led me to understand the complex political status of Taiwan and its citizens, as well as their unwavering determination to advocate for their beliefs, culture, and history. The first couple of weeks at GOH were also spent furthering my understanding of the actions taken by Taiwanese people, especially on the governmental level, to make a shift in handling gender-based violence affairs. The advocacy work of many has led to the success and sustainable efforts of nonprofits like GOH to aid, educate, and support victims of gender-based violence, both domestically in Taiwan and internationally across Asia. I was able to see the impacts of such legal work and partnerships through the various meetings and discussions hosted by GOH with other international NGOs. I collaborated with my colleagues to share my insights on their current partnerships with international NGOs and potential areas for improvement. These open dialogues helped me understand what was needed from me to ensure effective workflow and what goals my co-workers want to achieve in their missions.
My work included planning logistics and developing media for GOH’s Asian Girls in Action Project, a week-long event that supports 10 girls from all over Asia and their sustainability projects that target a specific issue in their home country, such as supporting maternal care, increasing education access, ending child labor, and heritage preservation. The planning and coordination involved to ensure this week ran smoothly began weeks in advance, and I’m grateful I was able to contribute to such efforts. My role was to be another helpful, friendly face for the girls during their long workshop sessions to hone their project goals and plans. Through these discussions with them about their projects, I felt I was able to connect with them on a deeper level. It was such a vibrant and engaging space to be involved in, and I could see the impact the week at GOH had on these girls in their continued pursuit of a better future.
This journey was not without its challenges. The major issue I faced was the language barrier. My Mandarin was rusty and not at a fluency level where I could communicate with other workers beyond the International Affairs Department in Mandarin. During my internship, I took Mandarin classes at a local university. I gained confidence in my speaking abilities during day-to-day interactions, but such progress in the workplace takes time. My communication with my co-workers was primarily in English, and I wondered what other rich interactions I might have missed had I spoken with them in their native tongue. As someone proud of my Chinese-American heritage, I want to fully embrace all aspects of my identity. This experience taught me that speaking another language is beneficial in all aspects of life.
The past summer feels so far away now, but the memories and relationships I’ve made are still present in my life. Our LINE, WhatsApp, and Instagram group chats are active and thriving, filled with life updates, reminisces, and heartfelt comments. Despite being all around the world, there is something bittersweet about knowing that there was a brief moment when we all came together, focused on a single mission, and held onto that experience far after it was over.