Newsletter/Turkey Taiwan Center’s fundraising inside story! Chief executive Qiu Zhenyu counterattacks with 6 points in a 3,000-word long article | Life | Sanli News Network SETN.COM

Life Center / Reported by Lai Junyou

▲Turkey Taiwan Center was suspected of having problems with fundraising in the past. Qiu Zhenyu specially sent a long article of 3,000 words in response. (Picture / Taken from Taiwan Rey Hanle World Citizen Center fan page)

The 7.8-magnitude earthquake severely hit southeastern Turkey near the junction of Syria. Many victims flocked to Taiwan Reyhanle World Citizen Center (Taiwan Center) to seek asylum. However, technology expert Xu Meihua published an article on the 10th to expose the “unknown side” of the Taiwan Center, which caused controversy.
Taiwan CenterPost a 3,000-word long article explaining the whole story of the Holy Light incident, the purpose of the sudden return to Taiwan, and the operating conditions of the Taiwan Center.

See more news” The Meteorological Bureau has photographed it!Zheng Mingdian: Unidentified balloons fly for 1 hour on the Yuanfeng Peak of Hehuan Mountain

The full text of Taiwan Reyhanle Citizen of the World is as follows:

1. What is the beginning and end of the Holy Light incident? Why is it controversial?

In October last year, Zeng Shengguang from Hualien unfortunately died in the Ukrainian battlefield. The family of Shengguang contacted Qiu Zhenyu through his friend R, hoping to raise funeral expenses for this heroic boy. After discussion, the family agreed with the “International Humane Architecture and Education Association” (hereinafter “Association” for short) as the main body, completely free of charge to assist in fundraising work, and launched the “Holy Light is Home｜Fundraising Project”.​

See more news”The Ministry of Labor sends money first! Eligible to receive “57600 yuan”

During the process, the association absorbed all the labor costs, did not take any money, and even paid out of its own pocket to assist in betting advertising costs. It only hoped that the Taiwanese people who are willing to support Shengguang can do their part together, hoping to comfort the hearts of the family members.​

After the project started, fundraising poured in quickly, and the association also ended the fundraising activity on November 25th according to the closing time signed by both parties. On the same day, it announced the end of the activity and closed the donation system on the fan page. After that, it will be processed within four days The money was counted and the receipt was issued, and all the money was delivered to Shengguang’s family members on November 30. Among them, there were many kind-hearted people who asked to join in the donation, but the association also declined on the grounds that the project had ended.​

After the incident, the association also received a thank-you letter signed by the family members of Shengguang. Since the end of the fundraising activities, the association has not carried out relevant online fundraising activities again, and the online donation system has never been opened.​

After remitting all the project donations, there were indeed three remittances from December to January to the association’s account, which were marked as “Holy Light Project Donation” (a total of 2,000 yuan), because the books were not cleared immediately. It has not been found at the moment, and the association will immediately remit it to the designated account of the Shengguang family.​

The above process is supported by contracts, remittance slips and dialogue records. Even though we have tried our best, it is obvious that our communication is still insufficient, which makes family members and enthusiastic friends feel unsatisfactory about this fundraising event. We are willing to accept any suggestions and strive to improve. We only hope that the Shengguang family can return to peace and the association can do better in the future.​

2. You (Qiu) should be needed more in Turkey. Why did you suddenly return to Taiwan? When will you return to Taiwan Center?

Before the earthquake, Qiu was on a business trip to Europe due to the curation of the International Humanitarian Architecture Exhibition. He was originally scheduled to return to Taiwan after the business trip. urgent need for resource mobilization. In just a few days after returning to Taiwan, I am grateful for the support and help from all walks of life. Qiu has sorted out all the necessary resources, and will leave for Turkey immediately after obtaining the paper visa, and will do everything possible to bring the resources to the Taiwan center in order.​

3. The 52 units on site have many ceilings and walls that have not been fully covered. How to shelter thousands of victims in severe cold weather?

At present, the number of victims sheltered and assisted on site has exceeded 1,000. It is true that the Taiwan Center still has a lot of room for improvement, but it is already one of the safest sites on site. We cannot guarantee that the environment is absolutely comfortable and the on-site resources are absolutely sufficient, but we will try our best to do our best.​

4. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs has allocated funds several times. Why is the site project still delayed? Why not complete all units?

We are very grateful for the support from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. In the latest phase of cooperation with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the construction of 4 units was not completed on schedule due to winter factors and insufficient power. Before the earthquake, we had re-negotiated with the city government This is also the problem that the original plan hopes to solve this return.​

5. Why do you say that the UN organization has withdrawn and the local area is in anarchy? Is it to increase sympathy and get donations?

The refugee service unit originally stationed in the Taiwan Center has indeed been withdrawn. The United Nations Emergency Disaster Response Team is currently entering the local area to provide emergency services. After communicating with Mayor Reyhanle, the mayor also said that currently only he and his assistant are able to work normally. two people. We do not intend to slander the operation of the local government, and we are more grateful to the service unit that entered the scene at the first time, but this is indeed the voice of the on-site personnel. If there are incomplete statements or misunderstandings, we are willing to correct and improve.​

6. What exactly did the Taiwan Center do, what did it do, and what will it do next?

The Taiwan Center was not established for the earthquake. The Taiwan Center exists for refugee relief, education, and work.​

Seven years ago, Qiu went to Leihanle Market for surveys. After years of wandering efforts, the assistance of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Ministry of Culture and related units, and the support of 5,000 Taiwanese people, the first phase of the project will be completed in 2020, and the project will be completed in 2022. The second phase of the project was completed in 2009. The building space consists of three long strips in the middle, and a total of 52 unit structures on both sides.​

Most of the colleagues working in the Taiwan Center are refugees who fled to Turkey from Syria. Under the flames of war, maybe everyone has experienced worse things. Bombardment, house collapse, hail of bullets, death threats, fleeing over mountains and ridges, crossing iron nets… Finally escaped from the dead, thinking that a new life could start here, but fell to the bottom in an instant, the existence of the Taiwan Center, let These partners rediscover new opportunities and possibilities.​

The original long concrete space was transformed into a large graffiti blackboard, a football field, and a playground with boundary concrete walls. In these open spaces, the Ministry of Culture’s subsidy projects – “Taiwan Films Light up the Turkey-Syria Border” and “Taiwan Animation Film Carnival” have been held for two consecutive years. In summer, Taiwanese children’s films are played for six weeks to promote cultural exchanges between Taiwan and Turkey.​

In the summer of 2022, we laid artificial turf on a concrete floor and turned it into a football field. No charge, no race, no age, let the teenagers who used to wander on the street have legitimate activities, let the girls who can only take care of their younger siblings, also start to like sports, come every week There are at least 500 children, big and small, in the Taiwan Center Football Stadium.​

In the autumn of 2022, we painted green paint on another concrete floor, and since then the uneven concrete floor has become a blackboard for children to scribble. In refugee homes, drawing is a luxury, but doodling is a child’s nature. A piece of chalk, knees down, we offer children a haven to heal family wounds.​

The 52 units on both sides have completed individual decoration, including 3 classrooms, 3 workshops, 1 child-friendly space, 1 art space, 1 kitchen, 1 prayer room and office.​

Children are our hope, and education is their future! The Taiwan Center provides free educational courses, including English, Turkish, Arabic, music, and art education. There are classes six days a week, divided into classes for different levels and ages, so that refugee children have the opportunity to use education to change their lives! In addition, we have also received many donations of children’s books, and regularly open the children’s reading room. The basic language education has a total of 144 students per week, and more than 550 people have benefited since the class started.​

In August 2022, the Taiwan Center received a computer donation from ASUS, and it is expected that computer education courses will be held in the summer of 2023, so that Syrian refugees and vulnerable groups in Turkey can also receive information education.​

To save the child, one must first save the mother. Women’s empowerment has always been an important part of the Taiwan Center. Because most of the refugee children in Reyhanle are fatherless. The women who lost their husbands in the war fled here with their children, and they became the only support for their children. The establishment of the workshop is to allow women to have a place where they can do handwork with peace of mind. 2-3 days a week, at least 20 women come to the Taiwan Center to engage in weaving work. Since 2020, there have been more than 160 women who have directly cooperated with the Taiwan Center, and more than 500 indirect partners. .​

While the service is being carried out, we also need enough funds to gradually complete the interior decoration and necessary equipment of 52 units, so we initiated fundraising and applied for cooperation with enterprises, multinational NPOs and government units. In recent years, from lack of interest to the United Nations From volunteering generator donations to building kid-friendly spaces, we’ve been working really hard to move forward.​

The distance between Leihanle City and Taiwan is 8,000 kilometers. This distance makes people worry. Therefore, we try our best to share what happened in the local area on the public Facebook fan page, hoping to shorten the distance with Taiwanese people, so that People in Taiwan know that in that remote place, because of everyone’s strength, we have the opportunity to help more people.​

This disaster came as a surprise. The colleagues in the center are refugees, disaster victims and rescuers. There is no pre-preparation and no prior practice. When a disaster occurs, the Taiwan Center immediately becomes a haven for everyone. We really didn’t learn how to be a disaster relief center, we only knew that when someone was in trouble, we had to help.​

The disaster is still going on. We have no intention to slander the Turkish government or anyone related to it. Instead, we observe the local situation and express our feelings from our own perspective. At this stage, members of the association are doing their best to take care of the victims in Taiwan. It is not an easy task to meet the living needs of more than 1,000 people on site. CEO Qiu Zhenyu will do his best to connect Taiwan’s local resources and technology input, and return to the site as soon as possible.​

Now the number of people pouring into the center is increasing every day, and they encounter various situations. Although we are not prepared for disasters, we will not run when disasters come.​

The purpose and planning of the funds raised during this period will be publicly explained to the public by the executive director of the Taiwan Center, Qiu Zhenyu, before the end of February. At the moment of the catastrophe, please give us some time to make more careful planning details. Thank you so many partners for willing to pay attention to us and help us. Please also supervise us together, so that the kindness of Taiwanese people can be maximized and we will live up to everyone. the minds of supporters.​

During this period of time, we will continue to provide assistance to the victims, and we also promise to convey the real situation of the center to all concerned friends as always. Thank you again for your trust and all your concern.